Communities ‘pick up’ after drought, fire and flood…

Inspired by skills learnt in producing the Tucker ‘n’ Tales Recipe and Story Book – part of the 2004 Women Who Mean Business Project – the Latrobe Valley Community Group in Gippsland (Vic) will turn its hand to a book about the 2006-07 bushfires.

The Tucker ‘n’ Tales 500 book print run sold out and people involved say the project led to:

• Confidence
• Skills development
• New businesses & products
• New networks including Tourism
• New learning opportunities
• Working with Media
• Involvement with the Commonwealth Games
• A base for the Community Development unit at Monash Uni
• Assisting other Community Groups with Fundraising

The $379,000 project was a response to issues raised by Gippsland women: youth, unemployment, lack of community volunteers, apathy of community participation and pride, lack of art and culture appreciation, lack of exhibition space and many other issues which affect many rural communities.

With Tucker ‘n’ Tales the Latrobe group aimed to make the project accessible to all the people in the area so they ran a drawing competition through the local schools and asked for people to share their favourite photos of the area as well as help with details in compiling a short history of the region.

10 Golden Rules were developed by the end of the project

1 Effective communication is vital
2 Community projects mean working together
3 Accept the Group will take time to develop – use the time wisely
4 Have a Plan, Write it down, update it when necessary
5 Keep good written & photographic records
6 Enjoy the challenges, personalities, setbacks and the achievements
7 Recognise that everyone in the team has great skills
8 Look after the people in the team – they are your greatest asset
9 Share resources, workload, excitement and the disappointments
10Keep it in perspective.

Maya Fraser from the Latrobe Group has emailed us saying:

“We have been asked to compile a community book about the 2006/07 bushfires. Many government departments have been supportive with sponsorship, and allowing us access to information that we want to include in the book.

This project will also have an arts focus with the inclusion of photographs, stories, and poetry from individuals affected by the fires as well as information on fire prevention volunteer opportunities, and an insight into the fire recovery process.

The book launch will coincide with the Tyers Art Festival in November, where we will have a Marquee set up with artistic items based on the bushfire theme.

The group will be holding workshops to create these artistic items. On Saturday 1 September they will be painting calico panels for a fire blanket and there will also be a pamper day for Toongabbie residents at the local Toongabbie Hall. Following this in Traralgon there will be a workshop for the mosaic fire mural they are organising.”

What is a ‘pamper day’?

Pamper days were run as part of drought relief through the summer.

• painting calico squares for the fire blanket
• all sorts of massage, reiki, shiatsu etc
• yummy lunch

Apparently the money ran out before Toongabbie had its pamper day THEN they were flooded. Toongabbie locals said people had really banded together to help each other in the time of immediate disaster but that had all subsided…so the Latrobe Group is going to give Toongabbie the pamper day they didn’t get as a real celebration of their wonderful survival spirit.

AFTER the bushfire book…

When the bush fire project is launched, the group will be moving full steam ahead with its project of compiling a book on Autism from the family’s perspective.

About the Latrobe Valley Community Group

Project based, the group has an open membership with a cost of $10.00 per year. Projects are selected on the basis of available skills within the group and available funding.

Maya says it is a wonderful way for people to contribute to projects that have a positive impact on the whole community. The rewards they receive from these projects are the looks of delight on the contributors’ faces and the strengthening of bonds in the community of Gippsland.