Recovery push

FIRE-affected Labertouche was visited by the new chair of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRRA) Ian Dicker last week.
Mr Dicker met with local residents who were impacted by last year’s Black Saturday Bunyip Ridge bushfires and members of the Labertouche Community Recovery Committee (CRC).
Baw Baw Shire Council acting mayor Ruth McGowan welcomed Mr Dicker to Labertouche and outlined recovery efforts that have taken place within the fire-affected communities of Labertouche, Jindivick, Drouin West and Longwarry.
She explained how these communities had banded together in the aftermath of the fires and highlighted some of the rebuilding work that has been carried out to date.
Cr McGowan was pleased to see community members have the opportunity to present Mr Dicker with their first-hand accounts of the recovery process and what they’ve achieved over the past 18 months.
“Hearing how the Labertouche community has come together following the fires to form a very strong and connected community, highlights how important the ongoing recovery activities and programs are,” Cr McGowan said.
“It’s refreshing to hear some of the positives that have come out of the tragedy of Black Saturday.”
Cr McGowan said council was pleased that VBRRA was committed to supporting local communities as they continued in their rebuilding process.