Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (13:40): I was honoured on Friday to join in the 45th birthday celebrations of the GERF. GERF is the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, which has been helping Gippslanders after natural disasters since 1978. It has funded emergency resources like food and clothing, education resources for children, resources to keep livestock safe and shelter for those who have lost their homes or have been badly affected by disasters such as fire or flood.

Gippsland is beautiful, but it can be volatile when it comes to weather. It is one of the most bushfire-prone places on earth, and the GERF is run by volunteers, allowing them to keep expenses low and return every dollar to the community. The GERF knows that more disasters will come, and they are ready to act fast – funds are often in people’s accounts within two days. I would like to thank everybody involved in the GERF for the amazing support you show our community, and I would like to say a big thankyou to Barry Whitehead for emceeing the night, to Andy Tegart for the amazing job he does as president, to Di for sharing her story and of course to all of the incredible volunteers.