Last Thursday, the three small communities at Tamboon Inlet - Tamboon, Tamboon South and Furnell Landing - got together to swap stories, share experiences and meet old and new friends and to thank the support agencies and contractors who did so much in helping to prepare and defend the communities from bushfire and in the restoration of roads into the communities.
Nerida Stephenson, wife of Tamboon Peachtree Association (TPA) president, David Stephenson, and Gail Cummings, of Safer Together Victoria, welcomed 70 people to the community get together and Build Your Burger Day and made presentations to Newmerella CFA captain, Jason Griebenow, who together with CFA’ s Steve Dorman, provided approval for Newmerella’s No.2 fire truck to be deployed to Tamboon to assist in defending the Tamboon township.
Presentations were made to the six men who carried out the work to protect lives and homes in Tamboon during the 2019/20 fires: Ernie Vare, Joe Deluca, Adelino Marchi, Dean Herbert, Glenn Herbert and Frank Herbert.
Special thanks were made to Gus McKinnon and Mick Connley and their support crews for getting the Newmerella fire truck in on the morning of January 13 and bringing in a bulldozer on the morning of January 14 to clean away burning and dangerous trees. Their local knowledge and expertise was invaluable.
Agency personnel from CFA, East Gippsland Shire, Safer Together Victoria, Australian Red Cross, Royal Flying Doctor and Anglicare joined with the community and mingled and chatted while enjoying yummy hamburgers cooked by TPA members on four barbecues.
Eva Vare and her team organised, prepared, cooked and served the food, Wild Rye supplied the burger buns and cakes, Bunnings suppled the barbecues, gas, tables and chairs, and Windermere Child and Family Services provided funds to run three of these community days, through the CASI program.
Tamboon Peachtree Association, formed on May 16, with the purpose to protect life, property and the environment, is continuing to work on the following projects:
* A second firefighting trailer has been completed, commissioned and registered with the trailer being donated by Peter Brown and fit out funded by part of a CBA Bushfire Recovery Grant;
* The construction of an emergency services facility building to house firefighting equipment and first aid room, being funded by a bushfire recovery grant, has the planning permit application approved by DELWP and now waiting on final approval from CFA and East Gippsland Shire;
* TPA is working with Parks Victoria, Gippsland Ports and Bushfire Recovery Victoria to explore upgrading the jetty and boat ramp at the same time as Parks carry out a $235,000 upgrade to the camp ground and toilets.

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Tamboon communities enjoying a get together and Build Your Burger Day last Thursday. (PS)