Thank you to all IACAC members for your prayers, words of support and generous donations. It has been a busy time for the team in Melbourne as our airport went on a fund raising drive where an initial $500,000 was donated by the Airport Management, then for every dollar raised up to the end of February by staff and the airport community the Management would match dollar for dollar up to another $500,000.
I am glad to report that apart from some very remote locations all bushfires have now been extinguished and we have also had some significant rain over our drought ravaged regions. We are moving from relief and emergency response into the long-term recovery of those communities that have been affected. Of course we are also feeling the effects of our borders being closed to flights from Mainland China. We rely heavily on tourists and students coming to Australia at this time of the year and the airport is eerily quiet.
The benefit for our team is that we are able to spend quality time with staff, many who are worried about job security.
Just to give you a snap shot. The Salvos have had over $40m committed of which $18.35m has been received. Of this $11.92m has been spent to date on the emergency and relief response of which over $4m has gone into the pockets of those who have lost everything in hardship payments.
Please continue to pray for us as we have a long way to go in our fire season and the recovery will go on for many years.
Thanks
Major Martyn Scrimshaw
Melbourne Airport