Former Gloucester Shire Council general manager Danny Green has been appointed the local coordinator for bushfire recovery.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Green will be tasked with aligning recovery efforts, the roll-out of bushfire relief and the assessment of where resources are most needed.
After the NSW Government appointed Euan Ferguson as the NSW recovery coordinator, there was outcry from some residents and service clubs that a local coordinator was needed due to the severity of the fires in the Mid Coast area.
Phil Grisold, from Taree Lions Club, said Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead championed the move while MidCoast Council worked behind the scenes to ensure someone would be posted locally.
He was pleased with the swiftness of Mr Green's appointment on Wednesday, November 20.
"Danny is a top bloke and knows this region well," Mr Grisold said. "Taree Lions Club is 100 per cent behind him."
Mr Green met with the Lions Club last week to discuss requirements.
"He certainly has lots to catch up on but trying to coordinate everything will take time," Mr Grisold said.
"There will be mistakes along the way but this is the right direction."
With the timeline for a local coordinator originally unknown, Taree Lions Club made a public plea for a person with experience and local knowledge to provide 'regional leadership'.
"The Lions and Rotary clubs can't do it all," Mr Grisold said.
As the immediate threat of bushfires has passed, it's now time for the recovery mission to begin.
"We still have these brave firefighters out there but we need to start with the recovery," Mr Grisold said.
The immediate needs are food, water and shelter.
"The main issues the Lions Club sees is the need for bulk water and water storage," Mr Grisold added.
"We need the tanks to be filled with water from outside the area."
He said an input of cash donations from strong economic areas and caravans for shelter are also needed.
Lions Australia gave the Taree branch funding for 10 water storage tanks. Mr Grisold said there's more on the way.
Lions Clubs International donated $10,000 (US currency) for 'emergency and survival needs'.
The club's Go Fund Me page has exceeded $68,000 and is the second largest of its kind behind the $1 million effort to support the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie.
Donations have streamed in across the country.
"We've been overwhelmed by the response," Mr Grisold said.
