It was a day of raw emotion at Winmalee High School on Sunday as survivors of the bushfires gathered for an update on clean-ups, rebuilding and other recovery efforts.
And to receive generous cash donations from the Buddhist Tzu Chi relief organisation.
There were hugs and tears as many friends and neighbours saw each other for the first time since October 17. Some had not known the fate of others and, with large numbers of residents now living out of the area, had been unable to make contact.
Phil Koperberg, head of the recovery team, told the packed school hall that great efforts were being made to get the clean-up happening as soon as possible and he hoped for action this week.
He also revealed there was nearly $3 million in the mayoral relief fund and that it will be distributed directly to fire victims with no means test applied.
Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill drew applause when he promised that all administrative costs involved in distributing money from the fund would be paid by council.
“Every single cent of it will go to the survivors of these fires,” he said. “There won’t be lots of bureaucracy, you won’t be asked to go through embarrassing forms or applications. We will spend every cent of that fund on the people here.”
He said donations kept coming in, including $50,000 from the NSW Chinese community, $25,000 from the Vietnamese community in Burwood, $10,000 from the Sikh community and $10,000 from the mayor of Ipswich, Paul Pisasale, who led his city through the 2011 floods and who flew down from Queensland for the day to offer his personal support.
Clr Greenhill praised the efforts of Mr Koperberg and called for his appointment to be extended into the new year.
And when the meeting finished, the rear doors of the hall opened to the amazing sight of two dozen members of the Buddhist non-profit charity, Tzu Chi, ready to hand out cash cards valued at $1500 for every lost home and $750 for every damaged home.
In all, the charity gave away $180,000 on the day, a response described as “extraordinary” by Clr Greenhill.
“They just rang us and said ‘what can we do’,” Clr Greenhill said. They then descended upon Winmalee with care packages of blankets and scarves as well as the cash.
Ian and Carol Blair, who lost their home in Yellow Rock, said the donation was “just fantastic”.
“I’m overwhelmed by the generosity,” Mr Blair said. “It’s very humbling to realise that there is so much support from the community.”
The couple have rented a home at Glenmore Park but will not rebuild at Yellow Rock.
“We’re staying in the Mountains but in a safer area,” Mrs Blair said.
Lily Ye, from Tzu Chi, said the fire survivors were also given a money box and encouraged to put in loose change so that, in time, they will be able to offer help to others.
“We will be able to give something back,” Mrs Blair said.
The Tzu Chi Foundation is an international non-profit charitable organisation which responds to natural disasters. It helped in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami, in Christchurch after the earthquake and in Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis.
Its members also helped out in the Ipswich floods, which prompted the town’s mayor to make the trip to Winmalee.
Standing on the Salvos ice chest, he addressed the crowd.
“I know what you’ve been through but Mother Nature can only destroy material property,” he said. “She can’t destroy our spirit.”
He also called on councils around the country to “dig deep” and donate to the relief fund.
