BUSHFIRE DONORS MADE NEW HALL POSSIBLE

Two years after being burnt to the ground on Black Saturday 7 February 2009, the new Narbethong Community Hall is installing the generously donated furniture in preparation for the official opening by the Governor of Victoria, The Hon. Alex Chernov AO, QC this Saturday 26 November.

‘The opening is an opportunity for the Narbethong community to thank all of our donors for their generosity.  This building is such a wonderful legacy from what was one of our darkest moments,’ said Ms Jennifer Wood, Treasurer of the Narbethong Public Hall Committee.

‘Even though we had insurance the new hall is only possible because so many organisations either sponsored or donated,’ according to Ms Wood.

Major funding was received from the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund which together with a $520,000 sponsorship from McDonald’s underpinned the rebuilding costs.

However it was only when Ms Wood contacted Emergency Architects seeking pro bono help with professional building services, did a vision for a new hall come into view.  Emergency Architects is a not for profit organisation set up to assist communities recover from disasters, particularly through rebuilding essential infrastructure. 

Emergency Architects contacted the architects BVN and ARG Architect and sought pro-bono design services for the hall, BVN agreed and then obtained pro-bono agreements with engineers ARUP, BSGM, Rodney Vapp & Associates, Contour Planning, Rodney Aujard & Associates, Douglas Partners Pty Ltd, PSV Consulting engineers, Fitzgerald Frisbee Landscape Architecture and architectural photographer John Gollings.

The other building professionals who worked at greatly reduced cost were Edwards Moore, and builders Hedger Constructions.

Material suppliers who also reduced costs included: Acheron Valley Concreting, Air Change Australia, Baltic Stonemason Professionals, Boral Concrete, Boral Plaster, Dulux, Alexandra Pre-Mix, Enware, Allcon, Mansfield Pest Control, Rinnai Australia, VicMesh, Yenckens Mansfield, Simon National Carriers, Executive Signs, Yarra Valley Concrete Pumping, Zip Industries.

Furniture and fittings were either donated or supplied at cost by some of Australia’s leading furniture suppliers: Artemide Australia, Chairbiz, Corporate Culture, Exclusive Floors, Envoy, Forbo, Hub, Jardan, Living Edge, Nicholls Design, Schiavello, Stylecraft, Whitecliffe Imports and Marian Rennie.

Other organisations who donated included: Rotary Club of Alexandra, Pelverata Hall Committee, Buxton Hotel, Grocon, Angela Williams, Minter Ellison Lawyers, Cutting Edge Design. Fish Glenelg, Staplecross, Last Five Minutes. These organisations then worked collaboratively with the Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority, DSE, Murrindindi Shire and the Narbethong Public Hall Committee to design and implement the rebuilding of the Hall.  ENDS