A Message of Hope and Resilience - One Year On

Media Release:

Today, Thursday 26 November, marks one year since the start of the Currowan Bushfires in the Shoalhaven.

Shoalhaven City Council’s Mayor, Amanda Findley said “One year on Shoalhaven City Council would like to recognise the contribution, generosity, and goodwill of those who came to the aid of Shoalhaven residents during the Currowan Bushfires”.

“There are countless residents, emergency support services, volunteer groups, and community service providers, not for profits and government agencies who went above and beyond to protect our community.

Whilst it has been a challenging year the Shoalhaven has shown it is a resilient community.

And today’s message is one of hope. We have seen and continue to see extraordinary compassion and kindness shown to our community.

Let us remember to stay connected and committed to supporting one another.

For those that need assistance, we are here to help. I encourage Shoalhaven residents to access support and services by calling Council's dedicated bushfire recovery hotline on 02 4429 5888 or to visit our website for information and resources.

For those who are able to provide support, donations to the Mayoral Relief Fund are welcomed”, Clr Findley said.

The funds from the Mayoral Relief Fund have been provided to help support individuals, families and tradespeople who have been directly impacted and need it most.

Since funds have been directed to bushfire affected ratepayers and residents across the Shoalhaven in the past 8 months, over $308,000 has been given to those in need, with further funds of $114,000 to be distributed in the next few weeks.

In early March 2020, Council organised a series of Mobile Community hubs. More recently Council has supported a series of community resilience hub sessions, organised by Service NSW, to provide bushfire recovery information and support services.

Since starting in March and resuming in September, there have been over 24 sessions held across the region. These free events will continue in 2021 and are advertised on Council’s website.