Overwhelming response to websites set up for the bushfire affected communities
02/Apr/2009
Members of the fire-affected communities are constantly requesting to post information on community meetings, events, news items and links to important websites.
The response from members of affected communities and the wider community to the 27 websites auCD set up for the Victorian bushfire affected communities has been overwhelming, demonstrating the importance of these sites.
Members of the fire-affected communities are constantly requesting to post information on community meetings, events, news items and links to important websites.
There has also been contact from the wider community donating items including a piano, a car and gym equipment as well as volunteering the services of their businesses to assist in the rebuilding process.
Already some of the bushfire affected communities have taken over the content management of their community sites including www.callignee.vic.au, www.marysville.vic.au, www.mudgegonga.vic.au and www.glenburn.vic.au .
According to Julian Carroll of Mudgegonga: “We are using our website as a resource to help community members understand what support is available for the clean-up and reconstruction. The goal is to collate information rather than duplicate it.
“We used our Mudgegonga community website as a place where community members could contribute and make requests for our town meeting with Christine Nixon [head of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority] to achieve a cohesive and effective presentation.
“We’ve also identified the potential for the website to help with the healing process by using it to allow community members to tell their stories.”
These community websites are helping to provide one localised portal for all of the sharing of information and links to all support agencies.
Some examples of the links to support agencies and information include: The Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, The Victorian Bushfire Surveying Taskforce, Bushfire Legal Help, Technology Resource Hubs and local news such as the Murrindindi Recovery Newsletter and ABC Kinglake Ranges.
