Bushfire recovery and ongoing financial support were top of the agenda when Strathbogie Mayor Scott Jeffery and CEO Rachelle Quattrocchi visited Canberra last month.

They met with Ministers, Shadow Ministers, and local Members of Parliament to advocate for disaster recovery support while attending the Australian Local Government Conference.

The highlight of the trip was a meeting with Her Excellency the Hon. Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia, who was interested to hear about the experiences of Strathbogie residents and the progress they were making on their bushfire recovery journey.

They also met with Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain, Assistant Minister Emma McBride, Senator Jana Stewart, and Senator Anthony Chisholm.

A key strength of their approach was coordinated engagement with neighbouring councils, including Murrindindi, Mansfield, and Mitchell, which were also impacted by January’s bushfires.

The Mayor and CEO attended meetings with Murrundindi and also Indigo Shire, as the delegate for the Hume Region of Councils.

Cr Jeffery said the collaboration reinforced that the challenges facing Strathbogie were systemic across bushfire affected communities, rather than isolated issues.

“As we approach the six-month anniversary of the fires, it’s important that Parliament does not forget about our communities,” he said.

“We know recovery will take years, not months, and sustained financial support is essential.

“I want to thank our local MPs, Dr Helen Haines and Sam Birrell, for their warm welcome, help in organising these important meetings, and for their ongoing support for our communities.”