Natural Disaster Relief Fund

Cardinia Shire, located on the south-eastern fringe of metropolitan Melbourne, is one of Victoria’s fastest-growing municipalities. It is uniquely positioned as a peri-urban region with a rapidly increasing population, a substantial rural interface, and extensive forested and hilly terrain. This combination makes Cardinia one of the most disaster-prone regions in Australia—and among the highest-risk communities globally.

Our region has experienced repeated natural disasters over the past several decades, including the devastating Ash Wednesday fires, the Black Saturday bushfires, major flooding in 2009, the 2019–20 bushfire season, and the widespread storms that struck our hill communities in 2022 and 2024. These events have repeatedly highlighted the need for rapid, coordinated, and community-led response and recovery.

To address this, the Foundation has taken a proactive step by establishing a dedicated Natural Disaster Relief Fund. The aim is simple: to build a reserve of committed philanthropic pledges that can be activated immediately in the event of a local emergency, enabling early relief and effective support for those most affected.

The foundation is uniquely positioned to play this role. We work closely with key local and state agencies, including Emergency Recovery Victoria, Cardinia Shire Council, and the Shire-led Municipal Recovery and Relief Committee. This active involvement ensures that we are not only well-informed but also ready to mobilise resources and deliver support where it is needed most as a disaster unfolds.

We are not asking for donations today. Instead, we invite you to consider pledging your support, which would only be called upon in the event of a locally declared disaster. This is a practical, forward-looking approach that enables swift assistance, rather than waiting for post-disaster fundraising appeals.

No donation is requested today, only a pledge for future emergency response.