PM Gems: Stepping up for the community in times of crisis

"In late 2019, our local regions of Marlee and Bobin were devastated by severe fires. The fallout left many families and individuals homeless, as they had to leave their homes and seek refuge in the town hall. Due to the remote location, there were very limited supplies and no phone service or power to call for immediate help. As my family and I are local to the area, I felt like I needed to step up and help my community.

While I wasn't able to assist in relocating residents due to low vacancy rates, I still wanted to help. Within the next 24 hours I organised a collection drive and my family were able to deliver two car loads of food, water, nappies, pet food, and other vital supplies.

Recognising that the need would extend beyond the initial deliveries, I also managed to raise $650 from other locals, businesses and our own staff. This was able to provide three meals a day for not only the residents but also the volunteer firefighters for a further 10 days.

Many of the firefighters had been tirelessly working since July on various fires throughout the state, they worked non stop to save what they could and in some cases at a personal loss of their own homes. To support their relentless efforts, I purchased all the available Powerade and snacks from our local Coles to give them a much-needed energy boost during their exhausting long days and nights.

During this time, I was also responsible for managing not just my regular portfolio but several properties that were impacted by the fires. Thankfully, all the tenants and houses remained safe, however, we faced significant challenges concerning the supply of drinking water. The water reserves had either been depleted in efforts to save the homes or were inaccessible due to road closures or damages preventing truck deliveries. I collaborated closely with the local Rotary Club to arrange water trucks and a load of bottled water to be delivered to homes that couldn't be reached.

This was such a challenging and emotional time for both myself and our community, however thinking back I feel so proud to have been part of the relief efforts."