02 6499 2222 council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) Bega Valley Shire Library Sapphire Aquatic Centre Sapphire Coast Tourism
Have your say

Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund

The Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund is a perpetual fund established by Bega Valley Shire Council in partnership with Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast.

The Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund (BVCDRF) is a perpetual disaster relief fund established by Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) in partnership with the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast (SJA).

The Fund was established to support the Bega Valley community in the aftermath of major disasters, such as the Black Summer bushfires. It is governed and managed by the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast, Council and independent community members.

It consults with individuals, localities, service providers and case managers as part of its decision making about grant distributions and continues to have an over-arching focus on resilience and health and wellbeing issues.

The Fund consults with individuals, communities, service providers and case managers to determine need and the nature of funding allocations. Recovery, resilience and wellbeing are the Fund’s over-arching focus for ongoing decision making.

In mid-2020 the management committee trialled an application and distribution process with the Cobargo community following a large donation made by the Villers-Bretonneux community in France who asked that their funds be spent in the Cobargo area.

As a result of the pilot, the scheme was extended to bushfire-impacted communities across the Valley.

Projects supported by Rounds One and Two funding

Projects supported by Rounds One and Two of the program focused on providing direct financial assistance to people impacted by the Black Summer bushfires including meeting critical and acute needs like, but not limited to, fuel, firewood, household appliances and clothing. The Fund continues to provide support to individuals through $500 Round Two grants.

Projects supported by Round Three and Four funding

  • Handmade storage units for families who lost their homes in the fires
  • Two reflection retreats piloted for women who have suffered significant impact as a result of the fires
  • Fresh food hampers for bushfire impacted residents
  • A community event focused on healing and collective mental wellbeing held in Eden over Easter 2021
  • Collection, repair and distribution of pre-loved garden tools
  • A community hub with a Terracycle information session.  
  • Delivery of mental health programs, water, sanitation, shelter, landscaping and the replacement of household items.

Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund Annual Report for the period of January 2020 to June 2022. 
Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund Annual Report for the period of April 2022 to March 2023. 

Frequently Asked Questions


The Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund (BVCDRF) is a perpetual disaster relief fund established by the Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) in partnership with the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast (SJA).

Donations from businesses, groups and individuals provide a cash reserve to provide financial assistance and support for Bega Valley Shire residents who have been impacted by natural disaster.

The Fund’s Management Committee will listen to community need and aims to respond in a timely, fair and efficient way with an eye on needs not being met by government agencies and other charitable organisations.

As a perpetual fund with a governance structure, the Management Committee has the flexibility to allocate relief funds over time depending on need.

For that reason, the money you donate in the wake of a disaster may be allocated immediately or over time.

Donations are received year-round, so the Fund is responsive to short and long-term needs.

BVSC  contributed a reserve of $25,000 as an initial contribution. The Management Committee has resolved to maintain a base balance of $50,000 in the Fund to meet any future needs. These measures support the idea of a relief fund that is ready and responsive.

You can donate to the Fund via bank deposit online or via your local bank branch.

Cheques can be made out to the Social Justice Advocates Relief Fund and mailed to PO BOX 352, Pambula NSW 2549.

We are currently working on a PayPal options and will include this information when it is available.

Being a community-based organisation, SJA is not able to support credit card transactions and the Bega Valley Shire Council office is not able to take donations over the counter.

Account Name: SJA Disaster Relief Fund
BSB: 633 000
Account Number: 171 166 317

As tax deductible gift recipients, SJA must issue donors with a receipt following a donation, in line with Subdivision 30-BA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

Each donor requiring a receipt is asked to email treasurer@sjasc.org.au

Your details will be matched with our donation records, ensuring you are able to make your tax claim smoothly.

With each disaster event, the Management Committee will identify needs and focus areas and the broader community will be invited to contribute to the fundraising effort to achieve those goals.

Donations are deposited into the general fund for allocation by the Management Committee based on agreed principles.

Groups wanting to make larger donations to the Fund are welcome to speak with the Management Committee to collaborate on a particular direction for that group’s monies.

Grants from the Fund will seek to address everyday health and wellbeing issues to meet critical and acute needs like, but not limited to, fuel, firewood, household appliances and clothing.

Please consult our Fund Rules and Committee Charter for further clarity.

At the very foundation of the BVCDRF is the desire to act quickly and responsively to community need following natural disaster.

A $50,000 reserve balance has been established as one way of supporting that ambition.

The Management Committee is committed to meeting regularly as a matter of course and more frequently during times of high need to discuss the distribution of funds.

The 2020 Bega Valley bushfires delayed the establishment of procedures and protocols for the Fund. In June 2020, the Management Committee trialled an application and distribution process within the Cobargo community.  

SJA are a self-funded, non-denominational group of volunteers who have been actively operating at a grassroots level in the Sapphire Coast-Bega Valley since 2011. Their objectives include providing advocacy for disadvantaged people and groups suffering various states of prejudice, poor mental health, disability, domestic violence, poverty, financial and/or social hardship.

One example of SJA’s work in response to the 2020 Bega Valley bushfires was to coordinate the collection and distribution of dozens of caravans to people who lost their homes, as a temporary accommodation solution.

Over the last decade they have built respect and trust within the wider community and with Council.

SJA has tax deductible gift recipient status under Subdivision 30-BA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

100% of all donations to the Fund are used to support the Bega Valley community. Every cent is spent on meeting the specific and distinct needs of people in response and recovery to natural disaster.

BVSC provide in-kind administration, governance and communication support through the organisation’s existing structures and workflows.

There are no paid positions on the Management Committee.

The Fund has the legal framework and all systems in place to ensure it meets the requirements of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

The Management Committee comprises a range of skilled people offering depth and diversity to the Fund’s deliberations and oversights.

The Management Committee has two co-chairs representing both SJA and BVSC, as well as two other representatives from each organisation and two independent community representatives.

Members of the current BVCDRF Management Committee are:

  • Co-chair - Deputy Mayor, Liz Seckold - Bega Valley Shire Council
  • Co-chair - Mick Brosnan, Chairperson, Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast
  • Cr Jo Dodds -  Bega Valley Shire Council
  • Iliada Bolton, Bega Valley Shire Council
  • Karen Gillespie, Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast
  • Dianne Beckett, Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast
  • Angie Kane, independent community member
  • Colin Dunn, independent community member.

Please consult our Fund Rules and Committee Charter for further clarity.

The strength of the BVCDRF is its grassroots, community-led approach. The Fund welcomes and encourages businesses and organisations who wish to contribute or hold events to support the Fund to make contact. Your generosity will be directed to real need and people.

To flag your interest email annmickbrosnan@gmail.com

The work and impact of the BVCDRF and the donations that empower it will be regularly published via BVSC and SJA platforms, including websites, social media and eNewsletters.

Those platforms include BVSC Facebook, BVSC eNews, BVSC newsroom, and SJA Facebook.

Media releases will be issued upon major milestones, with local news services invited to share these stories with the wider community.


 

© Bega Valley Shire Council 2025

Our council websites

Contact Us

Follow us

Sign up for newsletters