In response to the Victorian bushfire appeal, the building industry is coming together to offer much-needed assistance.
The Victorian Housing Industry Association (HIA) has received hundreds of offers of aid from its members wanting to do what they can to help, be it supplying equipment such as portable housing and toilets, or providing manual labour to help rebuild some of the devastated areas.
Additionally, the HIA has founded the ‘Tools for Tradies’ program, an initiative intended to re-equip tradespeople who lost tools and equipment in the fires, and is working in conjunction with the Lions Club to accumulate new and used tools for distribution to people who need them.
Acting Victorian executive direct of the HIA, Robert Harding, said that without tools, tradespeople will find it hard to continue their lives. He also suggested that as skilled workers, tradespeople have an “added responsibility” when it comes to the reconstruction of their communities.
While the HIA has been inundated with offers of assistance, the organisation is finding it difficult to transport the equipment that has been collected, to the bushfire zones. Anyone wishing to offer help with transportation should contact the HIA directly.