Well, June has not been the kindest month.
The commencement of winter, another COVID Lockdown (4.0 for Victorians), and, if that was not enough, the devastating storms that saw disaster spread across Victoria with flooding, storm damage and lengthy power outages. Ausnet reported more than 240,000 homes across the state were without power, and as I write this today there are still over 1000 homes waiting to be reconnected.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) declared a Catastrophe for the regions impacted by the storms and flooding. Many supports and services have been made available. The Vic Emergency website has a lot of details on grants available and how to apply.
We know how much immense pressure this natural disaster will add to many individuals and businesses. Our sector will continue to provide support and assistance and do what we do best. I would like to recognise and thank the financial counsellors, including a number of Victorian Bushfire Recovery FCs, who have been working and providing support to many.
We all need something to look forward to, so the FCVic team, along with Melanie Keenan from Defining Events, is currently planning and preparing this year’s FCVic Conference. The theme for this year’s conference is Recovery. Resilience. Reconnection. which has been a focus for many of us recently. The event will run from Wednesday 13 to Friday 15 October at Pullman on the Park, East Melbourne. Registrations are now open – click here to find out more. We look forward to seeing you all there and enjoying a COVID-safe event in person.
Lastly, I would like to advise that Norm McMurray’s term as a co-opted member of the FCVic Board has now ended. I would personally like to acknowledge the contributions Norm has made since joining in April 2016, including his significant involvement in the consultation and development of the FCVic Constitution adopted in 2019. His commitment to FCVic and the amount of time freely given – we just can’t thank him enough. Thanks Norm!