FRRR’s bushfire response

Media Releases, Recovery & Resilience Stories, 6 January 2020

As you will know, significant parts of rural and regional Australia are facing one of the most catastrophic bushfire seasons in our history. The duration, intensity, and destruction caused by these fires is unprecedented, yet not unexpected. To date, more than 1,700 homes have been lost, 25 lives lost, 8million hectares burnt, and over 100,000 livestock and millions of native and endangered wildlife have perished.  

At FRRR, our hearts and minds have been with impacted communities as the bushfires have spread and I do hope that you are receiving this email with you and your loved ones in safety.  

I am writing as I have had several people ask what FRRR is doing to support affected communities, how you can help, and to ask our recommendations on other organisations that are doing important work in immediate relief and recovery efforts, which I have set out below.  

However, our single encouragement to you is to consider how your donations and support can have an impact beyond the headlines and can give communities control and determination over their own recovery.  

What FRRR is doing and how you can help
FRRR has a long history of supporting disaster affected communities to recover and build their resilience to future disasters, having provided more than $19m to locally-led recovery and preparedness initiatives since 2006.  

From our experience, FRRR knows that recovery takes time, and affected communities will need support for many years to come. (For example FRRR is still supporting communities affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires).  

Over time, community needs emerge and evolve – from the immediacy of emergency relief (food, water, shelter, and medicines), to early recovery (temporary accommodation, children return to school, adaptation to a ‘new normal’) to medium-to-long-term recovery (rebuilding of permanent physical structures begins, children return to school buildings, adults have renewed opportunities to improve their livelihoods and local economies begin to recover, although there is significant change).  

The impacts of the fires will not be the same in any two communities, so it’s critical that when the time is right, local leaders can access funds for whatever is most important to their community.

FRRR has active relationships in most of the impacted communities in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia. While we are still assessing the scale and impact, we do know that:  

  • In the 46 impacted NSW LGAs, FRRR has 142 active grants
  • In the 6 impacted Victorian LGA’s, FRRR has 41 active grants
  • We have 1 active grant in each of Kangaroo Island, Tasmania, and WA.

We will support these towns to continue to use this grant funding and will offer extensions and variations as required.  

Beyond these current grants, FRRR will support the immediate, medium and long term recovery of communities impacted by the current bushfires through the following:

1. Disaster Resilience & Recovery Fund
The Disaster Resilience & Recovery Fund was launched in September 2019 as a perpetual fund that will distribute earnings to disaster recovery initiatives, ensuring that every donation continues to have impact for years to come. Donations to the Disaster Recovery & Resilience Fund will be invested, and the returns used to ensure funds are available for community-led initiatives when disaster-affected communities are ready for support.

Pooling and investing these funds means that one donation can have an impact for years to come.  

Grants from FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund will support the needs that typically emerge 12-18 months after a disaster event – such as support for fatigued volunteer leaders, repairing vital community infrastructure, restoring community connections or ensuring mental health support is available.  

Currently, donations made to the Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund are being generously matched by Wilson Asset Management up to a total of $500,000, seeking to raise a combined $1 million into the Fund.

2. Special stream of FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities program
FRRR will provide support through its flexible Strengthening Rural Communities program for communities that identify more immediate needs and for donors wishing for their funds to be used in full in the medium term recovery. That program can fund a wide range of projects, such as enhancing a local emergency shelter, implementing a UHF radio system so that people can stay in touch during the next emergency, efforts to relieve volunteer fatigue or running a campaign to attract people back to the area. It is offered on an open basis and applications are assessed quarterly. It is expected that grants will commence in the second half of 2020 at the earliest however FRRR will monitor needs over the coming months.  

3. Back to School program
FRRR will provide additional Back to School vouchers to support impacted children and families to have the uniform and stationery supplies needed for their schooling. As the current relief efforts are still very much under way, we will offer this additional support via a bushfire relief round, which will be distributed by May 2020.  

We welcome support to any of these programs through our website, and would be more than happy to speak with you about specific areas you wish to support. To those of you who have already made a donation – thank you.  

Other organisations we recommend for immediate relief and recovery

  • Blaze Aid
  • Givit
  • Landcare
  • WIRES

Community Foundations in affected areas including:
NSW AND ACT

  • Mumbulla Foundation
  • Community Foundation for the Tumut Region
  • Southern Highlands CF
  • Sydney CF
  • Northern Rivers CF
  • Lake Macquarie Foundation
  • Hands Across Canberra

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

  • Eyre Peninsula CF
  • Fleurieu Community Foundation

VICTORIA

  • Border Trust
  • Upper Murray Innovation Fund
  • Mirboo North and District CF
  • Into Our Hands CF

There are many, many other causes doing good work out there.  

FRRR will be sharing insights about effective recovery over the coming weeks and months, and I invite you to call on us for advice if needed.

Natalie Egleton
Chief Executive Officer  

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Amy Crawford

Amy Crawford has an extensive career in complex public policy and its intersection across government and communities.

Amy is the Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), representing 537 councils across the nation. Amy holds over 20 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service. She has a deep understanding of federal government policies and structures, with over 10 years’ service in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and has worked for the federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. Amy has shaped a wide range of policies and programs including regional development, telecommunications, immigration, emergency management, social policy and pandemic preparation.

Amy is a Board Director of Austroads and represents ALGA on the Public Skills Australia Industry Advisory Group, and the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. She is also a Board Director for the Canberra Youth Theatre which provides voice for Canberra’s youth through intelligent and challenging theatre.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Laws (honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from the University of Queensland, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership. Amy was appointed to the FRRR Board in January 2025.

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Kylie Hansen

Kylie brings leadership and management experience from across academic, corporate, not-for-profit, social enterprise and impact investment sectors, having deep dived into a myriad of specialisations and systems. Her six tertiary qualifications are equally as diverse and complimentary, covering commerce, politics, international development, community development, project management and law. Her breadth and depth of experience enables her to draw on a number of disciplines and innovative ways of working and thinking, and she is well recognised as consistently delivering work and services of a high quality.

Kylie uses her strong background in sustainability, governance and impact measurement to support collaborative initiatives across sectors oriented at improving social outcomes, and to support socially conscientious businesses to articulate their social impact. As founder and director at Impact Seed she has been instrumental in developing the impact measurement, evaluation, learning and ESG practice which advises numerous corporates, and is passionate about supporting First Nations empowerment particularly in the context of regional economic development.

Kylie is also a Director of the WA Social Enterprise Council, a member of the B Council (B Lab Australia and New Zealand), and a Governor of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

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Hon. John Anderson AC

The Hon. John Anderson AC is a sixth-generation farmer and grazier from NSW, who served in the Australian Parliament from 1989 to 2008.

He was a senior Cabinet minister in the government led by John Howard (1996 to 2005), including six years as Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister.

In the latter role, Mr Anderson played in important role in FRRR’s history, working closely with Baillieu Myer AC and others on a proposal to establish a philanthropic organisation to benefit rural Australia. The concept was discussed at the National Regional Summit in 1999 and FRRR was established shortly thereafter.

Mr Anderson currently hosts a regular podcast, where he is in conversation with thought-leaders from around the world, and is a regular media commentator.

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Regina Cruickshank

Partnerships Specialist (WA)

Regina supports FRRR as the WA Partnerships Specialist. With over two decades of experience in partnerships and marketing, she has a deep understanding of Western Australia’s social impact landscape. She brings a strong passion for leveraging purpose-built networks to create positive change.

Regina previously worked with Playgroup WA and founded a Health Promotion Charity dedicated to supporting Social Emotional wellbeing for underserved communities. She’s excited about the opportunity to connect with partners and explore ways to make a meaningful difference in WA.

She lives in Perth with her family and enjoys mindful moments of connection to Country, whether on horseback, on foot or underwater.

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Anna Palmer

People and Culture Manager

Based in Central Victoria, Anna is a senior Human Resources, Organisation Development and Industrial Relations professional, with significant private and public sector experience across every facet of people and culture leadership.

Her most recent roles have been with Don KR in Castlemaine and Mount Alexander Shire Council. She has also held senior HR roles with Victoria Legal Aid and the TAC among many others.

From Mildura originally, Anna has postgraduate qualifications in Change Management and a Masters in Organisation Dynamics.

Anna is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts to balance her creative pursuits and work as an HR professional.

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Philippa Twaddle

Management Accountant

Carolyn joined the FRRR team in March 2017, and is responsible for providing executive support to the CEO, effective coordination of the FRRR office and general administrative support to the management team. A key responsibility is supporting the administration of FRRR’s Donation Account Services.

She has over fifteen years’ experience working in local government in the Tourism and Arts Sector, Civic and Event Management and Community engagement.

Carolyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Librarianship, majoring in psychology, and grew up on farming communities in Cohuna and Echuca and currently lives in Bendigo.