RFC Bushfire Relief Fundraiser

[TigerMasochist]

Sorry but what do you mean fiasco? The fact that 1 minister who is grieving for his property has spoken out in a naïve way does not mean it is a fiasco.

The funds raised do need to support the community now, and 10's of millions of $'s have already been provided.

What are you expecting them to do? Just go out and give people sacks fulls of money? What if those properties were insured and the insurance companies would refund payout for rebuild costs?

The funds raised need to support these communities not only now but for the foreseeable future. There needs to be immediate payments to shore up the finances of businesses in these communities that rely on tourism for sure, but the regeneration of the farming industry will not spring up overnight. Whether its the government, or if its the government along with the charities, farmers livelihoods need to be secured probably for at least 3 years whilst they rebuild their devastated farms whether that be rebuilding their crop farming (I'd guess yields would be down) or re-establishing their cattle farming businesses where many have lost significant numbers of cattle.

They can't just be passed money, it needs to be fed over time into the communities to support them for the long term not just a short sharp hit.

From what I understand the requirement to fund immediate assistance in terms of food / accommodation is already being provided, but there are significant sums over and above this which should be used to help rebuild communities and that will be dealt with over a significant period of time, but not over 1 month.

Pretty sure there was a *smile* load of donated money n goods still sitting in somebodies cupboards n sheds two to three years after the last lot of massive BBQ's ran through Victoria while many people struggled to get back on an even keel.
There's always a massive disparity between the time a fire rips through an area, the insurance companies pay out n then people can firstly get permissions to rebuild and then get the actual work done. They need a fair bit of support during that overlap period, not just a quick tenner n feed of Maccas in the first few days and then left to wallow for the next year or two.

 

[mrposhman]

Pretty sure there was a **** load of donated money n goods still sitting in somebodies cupboards n sheds two to three years after the last lot of massive BBQ's ran through Victoria while many people struggled to get back on an even keel.
There's always a massive disparity between the time a fire rips through an area, the insurance companies pay out n then people can firstly get permissions to rebuild and then get the actual work done. They need a fair bit of support during that overlap period, not just a quick tenner n feed of Maccas in the first few days and then left to wallow for the next year or two.

I'm not sure why you replied to my comment with that as its my exact point.

The initial $30m the RC have deployed is around ensuring food / temporary accommodation etc are provided to the communities displaced. Ie. their immediate needs.

They have also addressed your first comment around donated goods, by requesting goods are not donated, but money instead.

You are right on disparity of disbursed funds by insurers, but the money shouldn't just be thrust in front of builders to rebuild immediately, its targeted spending for the best future for these communities. The vast majority of the funds donated will be required for the next 3 years. I'm not advocating for a quick tenner and a feed, they clearly need immediate assistance and that is being provided, but they also need to have their communities rebuilt, and that takes time and money. Just throwing money and walking away is not helping anyone.

 

[mrposhman]

As the media has reported many times over, the Red Cross have received $115m in donations and have only distributed $30 of that.

Then to add fuel to the fire, pardon the pun, the RC have reportedly said they are holding back some of those donations for future disasters.

As many have said, those donations were given to help people of all descriptions affected by the current fires.

As for Alan Jones, if there is anyone in the media who gets to the guts of everything I don't know who that would be apart from maybe Peta Credlin.

Again I ask you, is it better just to give them a bucket full of money or actually plan out the best way to spend it for the future of the community which will take years to rebuild. The issue isn't just give them $millions and then ignore it, someone elses issue. No this is a long term plan and you need the cash over a long period to be able to support these areas.

I'm surprised thst people are so shocked that the funds have not been spent yet. It indicates a massive naivety towards spending money in the best ways.

 

[Baloo]

I know many people who work in aid. The overwhelming view is that the Red Cross is a fantastic organisation who would know exactly what they were doing.

Heard the same. I have a mate that was a Reuters war correspondent who was also sent to major natural disasters (think earthquakes etc). I asked him who is worthy of my charity dollars, he said Doctors without Borders. Distant second Red Cross. Then a huge gulf to the others.

 

[mrposhman]

Heard the same. I have a mate that was a Reuters war correspondent who was also sent to major natural disasters (think earthquakes etc). I asked him who is worthy of my charity dollars, he said Doctors without Borders. Distant second Red Cross. Then a huge gulf to the others.

I have a standing monthly donation that I've had for years with Medicines San Frontiere (Doctors without borders). When I've been asked why, its a simple answer. They are providing a basic human right to people and do so under massive duress. Its something I couldn't do but what I can do is provide money for others to do so.

 

[Sintiger]

Heard the same. I have a mate that was a Reuters war correspondent who was also sent to major natural disasters (think earthquakes etc). I asked him who is worthy of my charity dollars, he said Doctors without Borders. Distant second Red Cross. Then a huge gulf to the others.

Interestingly from those who know in international aid they aren’t so complimentary of MSF. The view is that they are incredibly good and do some amazing things but are a really arrogant organisation who sometimes create problems to mix with the good stuff they do.
in major aid settings where there are multiple players on the ground the vast majority of aid organisations work under a lead organiser, usually the UN, so that there is some sort of overall coordination of effort. MSF often refuse to do it.
They’re like the arrogant genius, the Dr House of international aid

 

[Baloo]

Interestingly from those who know in international aid they aren’t so complimentary of MSF. The view is that they are incredibly good and do some amazing things but are a really arrogant organisation who sometimes create problems to mix with the good stuff they do.
in major aid settings where there are multiple players on the ground the vast majority of aid organisations work under a lead organiser, usually the UN, so that there is some sort of overall coordination of effort. MSF often refuse to do it.
They’re like the arrogant genius, the Dr House of international aid

From what my mate has told me I can see how the rest of the Aid community might regard them as cowboys, but from his neutral perspective there's no bigger bang for your Charity buck than MSF based on what he's seen firsthand on the ground.

 

[Sintiger]

From what my mate has told me I can see how the rest of the Aid community might regard them as cowboys, but from his neutral perspective there's no bigger bang for your Charity buck than MSF based on what he's seen firsthand on the ground.

Yep, they do some amazing stuff for sure

 

[DavidSSS]

I had a friend who had her house burned down in Ash Wednesday all those years ago.

What you need in this situation is a quick injection of cash, both governments and charities have been doing this. This injection of cash has a few purposes: people can buy food, clothes etc they need now, local businesses get some custom and it returns things a little closer to normal. But what we are talking about here is cash handouts of maybe $5K and that spends a fair bit of the donated funds but well less than half.

In this situation you also have a slow rebuild. Insurance pays out but many are left short and the remaining funds need to be available for a few years to really rebuild, it does take years. My friend lived in a caravan and tent for a few years while we all went up there to build her new house (mudbrick, it takes time and costs money).

The only time I was caught in a disaster was being flooded while living in StKilda. Completely different situation as the housing (we were renting a flat back then) was still intact but everyone lost a lot of stuff. What we needed, and got, was a small cash grant from the government ($500 in 1989 from memory) to buy some of the essentials we had lost and we didn't need ongoing funds. It took a while for the insurance to come through so that little bit of money meant a lot to get a few essentials in the short term. I remember our bed was wrecked, we did keep sleeping on it until the insurance came through then got a new one.

It is a case of funds being used to suit the situation. For bushfires where houses are lost - quick injection to get people on their feet now and then more substantial funds later for the rebuild.

DS

I'd also add in terms of aid agencies, most do great work, but I've always liked Engineers without Borders - get the water and sewerage sorted and you will need less Doctors without Borders.

 

[seven]

Unfortunately I very rarely donate to charities anymore.
Use to work for a very well know charity years ago and was staggered that only 14 cents for every dollar was going to the cause. I quickly learned why, they would just *smile* money down the toilet. All the top knobs had Mercedes. They built a indoor swimming pool for disabled kids. and then never bothered to fill it with water due to on going costs, so it just sits there unused.
But the building leaks everywhere when it rains and only the brass knobs have aircon in their office.
It was a the most negative environment ive ever worked in.

 

[DavidSSS]

Yeah Seven, charities are very variable. One thing to look for is the figures on how much is spent on admin. Admin is necessary but must be minimised.

DS

 

[TigerMasochist]

Unfortunately I very rarely donate to charities anymore.
Use to work for a very well know charity years ago and was staggered that only 14 cents for every dollar was going to the cause. I quickly learned why, they would just **** money down the toilet. All the top knobs had Mercedes. They built a indoor swimming pool for disabled kids. and then never bothered to fill it with water due to on going costs, so it just sits there unused.
But the building leaks everywhere when it rains and only the brass knobs have aircon in their office.
It was a the most negative environment ive ever worked in.

14 cents in the dollar is not as bad as you'd think. With some of those professional fund raising mobs and also I believe from stuff like the EJ Whitten games n Warnies foundation the number was closer to five or six cents in the dollar. The rest was hoovered up in the admin n promotion, function costs. The initial idea n effort is great but often there's massive costs getting things rolling, especially for the smaller organisations..

 

[graystar1]

Unfortunately I very rarely donate to charities anymore.
Use to work for a very well know charity years ago and was staggered that only 14 cents for every dollar was going to the cause. I quickly learned why, they would just **** money down the toilet. All the top knobs had Mercedes. They built a indoor swimming pool for disabled kids. and then never bothered to fill it with water due to on going costs, so it just sits there unused.
But the building leaks everywhere when it rains and only the brass knobs have aircon in their office.
It was a the most negative environment ive ever worked in.

I have no illusions about the "grunts" on the ground. They are most likely underpaid workers and are wonderful people and do their best to help people.

My original argument was that the spokespeople for the RC said they were holding back money for future emergencies. That, from what I understand, should not be the case. By all means get it out on the drip system if you like, but don't hold back donations given to help those who are in desperate need right now, be they farmers, individuals, businesses or whoever. Also I wonder where all the money is that has been donated from various functions both here and even overseas. Alan Jones told of the donations from a town in France where Australian troops lost their lives in that area.

Quite a few sporting organizations have or are holding money raising events to help out including the AFl. Who gets that cash and who distributes it?

Surely these are questions that should be asked and debated.

 

[bairdy380]

Has anyone ever seen or found the black sat coin..... very similar amounts and again not to be seen $ for $ ( minus admin)

 

[graystar1]

Hope those who are critical of the donated money not being distributed, caught the Jones Credlin show last night.

He asked some very pertinent questions to which we, as donors, should be advised. "Where is the money he asked." Half a billion dollars has been donated and no doubt much more still to come.

Would like to know who is responsible for distributing this cash and is it being given to those in need??

 

[TigerForce]

Currently watching the Firefighting Concert on Ch 7.

I can't accept Queen without Freddie. Lambert does a good job, but....

 

[TigerForce]

Great to see and hear more indigenous sounds in Iva's Great Southern Land song.

 

[seven]

Great to see and hear more indigenous sounds in Iva's Great Southern Land song.

Should be renamed to “great invasion land”

 

[graystar1]

Currently watching the Firefighting Concert on Ch 7.

I can't accept Queen without Freddie. Lambert does a good job, but....

Regrettably I was unable to watch.

What I would like to know is where is the 9.5 million to be spent and by whom?

Also, who gets that money to distribute? Is it the Red Cross or some other charity?

Finally, how can we as mere mortals know it will end up with those who are most in need?

 

[tigerman]

Also, who gets that money to distribute? Is it the Red Cross or some other charity?

Finally, how can we as mere mortals know it will end up with those who are most in need?

Thank god politicians aren't going to get their grubby hands on it graystar1.