There has been much discussion at this blog about bushfires (click here and scroll down).
There were terrible bushfires in north eastern Victoria last December and then last week I posted some photographs of Ralph Barraclough’s shed during a recent flash flood at Licola, in north eastern Victoria.
The blog post (Licola Flood: A Note from Ralph Barraclough) included comment from Ralph that the country is just so burnt there is nothing to slow the water from getting into streams.
Following the post, there were was some sympathy for Ralph with comment that this scenario is being played out right across the mountains, while others suggested that Ralph should not have build in a floodway.
An occasional reader of this blog, John Cribbes, visited Ralph last week.
When he emailed me that he was driving up to Licola to find out how Ralph was I asked he passed on my best regards.
John has since sent me a long email including the following comments:
“Ralph is pleased and touched to receive your messages of good will.
“He will get something from the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund (GERF). The maximum he can receive is $3,500 depending upon the amount they have got to distribute.
“If friends of Ralph were to combine a lump sum and send it to GERF asking for it to go to Ralph they will issue tax deductible receipts to the individual donors. But, however, much we raise, they will not give Ralph any more than $3,500.
“The river, all the way down to Lake Glenmaggie is the colour and consistency of tomato soup. The rivers in East Gippsland are so badly coloured and loaded with sediment, East Gippsland Water are having to use alternative water resources and have put East Gippsland on Stage 3 water restrictions despite their good rains in recent months.
“It gives me no pleasure to say ‘I told you so’ but I did. Now, our Government will turn this around and make it look as though there had been no mismanagement, that it was an Act of God and here the Government is spending the tax payers funds so wisely.
“In regards to Ralph, please ask those who will assist to send a cheque or money order made out to GERF or Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund and to post it to me [John Cribbes] at P.O. Box 1462, Sale Victoria 3853, Australia.
“At the end of March this year I will take all cheques/money orders to GERF with a list of donors and their addresses and they will issue tax deductible receipts which will be sent direct to the donors.
“I would be pleased if you would use some of my email for your blog.
“I am very pleased that the Victorian Government has agreed to an Inquiry into our recent bushfires. I encourage you and yours to email Premier Thwaites commending his full and open support for the Inquiry. [end of quote]
If after reading this blog post you would like to comment on the Licola floods, bushfires, building in floodways, climate change etcetera then please post your comment here: https://jennifermarohasy.com.dev.internet-thinking.com.au/blog/archives/001911.html
If you would like to send a word of encouragement to Ralph and/or let John Cribbes know there is a cheque in the mail, then please leave a comment below.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.