Page 12 - Connections Issue 2 Autumn 2020

Joint Districts Bushfire Relief Fund—Update

The Joint Districts Bushfire Relief Fund was established by DG Tim
Klar of District 9520 at the time of the Cudlee Creek bushfires, to be
operated through RAWCS as a RAWCS Project with DGR status.
This would enable donations from businesses and foundations as
well as Rotary clubs worldwide.
Not long after, bushfires devastated Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo
Island (KI) therefore embracing District 9500. DG Jane Owens
became involved and the Fund became a two District Committee.
The Committee is chaired by PDG Jerry Casburn from Unley
Rotary. Deputy Chair is PP Les Dennis, Regency Park Rotary and
D9500 Leader Community Service.
The Committee is concurrently managing three Funds:
 SA Bushfire Relief Fund—$167K*
 National Bushfire Relief Fund—$125K* and
Approximately $20,000 will be granted towards extending the
 2:1 Matching Grants being Disaster Relief Grants and or Global local rubble airstrip allowing water bombers to land and reload.
Grant—$200K*
*Balance as at 2 April 2020 and have further grown. The committee is reviewing a number of projects and in particular
KI. A major project is to support the rebuilding of the Stokes Bay
District 9780, the South East and Western Victoria also joined the Community Hall that in part was totally destroyed. This part of the
committee after fires in the Keilira area. two buildings had only just been upgraded with a legal kitchen, air-
With COVID-19 issues there has been some slowness in progressing conditioning and other works. The rebuild is estimated to be
projects that meet the criteria at a committee level and in recovery $700,000. The building was underinsured and potentially they will
areas. What can be reported are the following: only get cover up to $300,000. Go Fund Me has raised $27,000.
The leader of the team from Glenelg Rotary will make contact with
 The Rotary Club of Onkaparinga with the support of other clubs the hall committee whilst on the island to determine actual needs,
and citizens have undertaken some substantial fencing work in hopefully this can be funded from the fund.
the Cudlee Creek area and the committee has allocated some
funds for materials where required. The workers had to isolate The committee continues to meet via Zoom.
as one of the members had been overseas and isolated. The District Disaster Recovery Committee (enquiries PP John
 East Torrens Scout group were granted $2,200 to replace Fischer, Chair) is holding a much smaller balance for recovery
camping gear. purposes, such as bird nesting boxes material for the newly
established Regency Community Men's Shed and are holding funds
 Shoes were purchased via a local KI supplier for students who
had theirs burnt. from previous fires yet to be dispersed.
 $15,000 has been allocated to transport about six truck loads of Several clubs are holding funds for bushfire recovery and it would
donated fodder from Bordertown to KI. be helpful for these funds to be deposited into one of the following
accounts: https://donations.rawcs.com.au/67-2019-20
 Glenelg RC has been granted an amount to travel to KI to
undertake some fencing work. They will take a Rotary trailer Funds for the Disaster Recovery Committee to be paid to the
with appropriate materials for the job and have use of a utility District 9500 Treasurer with the request for the deposit to be
provided by Paradise Motors. placed in the committee's trust fund.
 Funds will be made available to District 9520 for the provision Report by Les Dennis, Deputy Committee Chair.
of six static water supply tanks, solar submersible pumps and
associated bore drilling and site works at $19,000 each.

Rotary and Regency Community Men’s Shed Supporting Wildlife Recovery

D9500 Disaster Recovery Fund provided funds for Regency Community Men’s Shed to
construct one hundred bird boxes to support the Cudlee Creek and Kangaroo Island
areas ravaged by the recent bushfires. DG Jane Owens said “… I am pleased that
Rotary was able to assist communities in all phases of recovery. The importance of this
environmental and sustainable project cannot be overstated.”

Fires decimated large areas of the native vegetation. Loss of habitat has had a massive
impact on native animals. The boxes can make a difference by providing a range of
native birds and animals with shelter. They are built to designs specifically developed
for the Crimson Rosella, the Pardalote, Micro Bat and the Kookaburra, located in these
areas.
The Shed is located at 540 Regency Road, Enfield and is part of a national association
with the objective of advancing well-being and health. Opened on 8 February and
equipped to facilitate a range of projects, visitors are welcome Monday—Thursday
between 9:00am to 12:00 noon. E: regencycommunitymensshed@gmail.com.

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