The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund has appointed a Community Advisory Committee to provide the Fund panel with valuable advice on how to distribute $16 million to medium to long term community projects.

The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund (VBAF) has appointed a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that will provide the Fund panel, which overseas the management and distribution of donated monies, with valuable advice on medium to long term community projects.

The CAC will be made up of seven community members and be chaired by Alan Brown, a former Victorian Coalition leader and Government Minister who, since retiring from State Parliament in 1996, served as Victoria’s Agent-General in the United Kingdom and has been involved in a number of charitable community projects.

Mr Brown said the Fund had set aside a $16 million gift allocation to assist with medium to long term community recovery and the CAC would provide expert advice and insight to the VBAF panel about the priority needs of the community during this phase of recovery.

"The recovery process for bushfire-affected communities as a result of the 2009 bushfires is ongoing and in some cases, this process may continue for years to come," Mr Brown said.

"The VBAF panel decided very soon after the bushfires that it was important to put measures in place to ensure the medium to long term recovery needs of communities were met. Many community projects have been successfully undertaken over the past two years. However, there are still many areas of medium to long term need that will benefit from this VBAF funding.

"The Community Advisory Committee, which will closely assess community needs from on the ground and up close, will be a great asset to the panel in its aim of ensuring funds go to areas of unmet medium to long term need."

The CAC's seven community members are:

• Ange Gordon, former chairperson of the Traralgon South and District Association Community Recovery Committee (CRC) and current vice president Traralgon South and District Association
• Bill Gale, current chairperson of the Kinglake Ranges CRC
• Tony Thompson, current chairperson of the Marysville and Triangle CRC
• Bronwyn South, treasurer of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association, a trustee of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association Bushfire Relief Trust Fund, and president of the Strathewen Landcare Group
• Jennifer Wood, member of the Marysville and Triangle CRC and treasurer of the Narbethong Public Hall Committee
• Loretta Carroll, member of the Alpine Shire Council's Community Resilience Committee and president of the Mudgegonga and District Landcare Group
• Malcolm Hackett, chairperson of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association , trustee of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association Bushfire Relief Trust Fund and member of the Strathewen Landcare Group

Mr Brown said the CAC would also provide advice to community groups in preparing applications for the gift. The committee held its first meeting last Friday.

Contact: Lyall Johnson, Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund

Phone: 0400 422 142