Australia India Business Council support for the Australian bushfire crisis

On behalf of the Australia India Business Council Ltd (AIBC) Board of Directors, Industry Chapter Chairs and all members, in my capacity as National Chair, we wish to express our deepest sympathies to the families who have lost their loved ones and to the brave volunteer firefighters who have lost their lives fighting the ongoing catastrophic national bushfires.

These bushfires have been raging over the past few months across the States of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, with the most severe weather conditions causing the most devastating damage to homes and properties, livestock and to our precious environment and wildlife.

So far an estimated 20 million acres of land have been devastated by the bushfires, with estimates of over 500 million animals either having lost their lives or been displaced from their natural habitat. Some ecosystems across the eastern seaboard may never recover.

Australia has never before witnessed such intense bushfires in its entire history. It will take time for recovery for those who have lost loved ones and property. The environmental damage being so severe, it could take decades before the forests are revived, given the extensive ongoing unpredictable changes to weather patterns globally and in Australia.

Says National Chair of AIBC, Jim Varghese, “We understand that many AIBC members have already been undertaking voluntary contributions and efforts directly with active agencies like the Red Cross, GIVIT and Salvation Army,”

The AIBC National Secretariat will set up a liaison link with NBRA, whereby our member organisations and individuals keen to assist can contribute directly to NBRA’s various ongoing requirements that will be advertised in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

“We encourage our AIBC members to reach out to the National Secretariat clearly outlining how you would like to assist NBRA efforts in their ongoing fight towards the bushfires and future recovery programs,”

“The Federal Government has announced an allocation of $2 billion towards NBRA in the year ahead, and we believe each State Government will be allocating its own funds towards the recovery and rebuilding exercise that will be ongoing,”

“Please contact our National Secretariat on secretariat@aibc.org.au if you would like to assist.

We will endeavour to create a National database of solution providers as an AIBC combined effort to support NBRA and give back to our communities.”

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