February Updates
February was jam-packed with social engagements and advocacy at the forefront of our agenda.
On February 12th, we were reminded of the inherent risks of our beautiful life nestled among the trees as extreme bushfire warnings, storms, and subsequent power and telecommunication outages swept through our community. The community firstly grappled with the confusion, concern, and frustration stemming from extreme bushfire ratings. The conflicting messaging between the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the education department added to the turmoil. While many childcare centres shut due to safety concerns, schools remained open, leaving teachers in a predicament as they struggled to find suitable care for their children. This disparity not only exacerbated logistical challenges but also eroded trust in the warning system, as decisions made by the Education department seemed to undermine the authority of the CFA. Stay tuned for an in-depth exploration of this issue in an upcoming piece.
Once again, the loss of all telecommunications hampered our coordination efforts. Having days without the ability to make 000 calls is hugely concerning. As a highly independent and resilient community with a proven capacity to function without power for weeks on end, the ability for telecommunication failures to bring this community to its knees is frankly unacceptable when solutions are available. President Belinda Young has been liaising with State member for Monbulk, the Hon. Daniela De Martino MP and Federal Minister for Casey, the Hon. Aaron Violi MP on this matter. A letter has also been sent to Federal Minister for Communications, the Hon. Michelle Rowland and MotHs intends to write a submission to the 2024 Telecommunications review this year. We will continue to advocate on this issue that our community is brought back in the loop quickly after natural disasters.
Despite the challenges, our community came together to provide relief and support where it was needed most. The MotHs Hub played the role of dinner host, collaborating with Sikh Volunteers Australia to extend assistance to local families. The MotHs Hub also served as a resource center, offering not only meals but also charging facilities and internet access to those in need. Additional partnerships with Foothills Community Care helped us to distribute meals to families in the Cockatoo/Gembrook area while we liaised with the Yarra Ranges Council to identify where help was most needed and disseminate information quickly.
Another highlight of the month was our meeting with Federal Minister for Casey, the Hon. Aaron Violi MP and Shadow Minister for Childhood Education Angie Bell. During our discussion, we addressed the pressing issue of the lack of long daycare facilities in our region, which is causing considerable stress for local families. The staggering statistics of over two-year waitlists and a ratio of 15.43 to 15.87 children applying for every available childcare space underscored the urgent need for action in this area.
On the event front, we hosted a fantastic pool party and a successful clothes swap, which saw an abundance of fantastic clothing exchanges. The MotHs book club gathering featuring guest author Kylie Orr was also a resounding success. The episode of The Garden Hustle that featured the MotHs hub aired too. Finally, a massive congratulations to all locals who completed the Oxfam trail walk, but especially our very own MotHs team who completed the gruelling 65km walk, crossing the finish line at 1:45am.
A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed their time and energy this past month. Whether it was to help with relief efforts, advocate on issues affecting our area or support at MotHs events, we couldn’t have done it without you. As life returns to normal and we refocus on the daily grind, I’d like to pay a final tribute to this community’s ability to think and act in the interest of others in good times and bad. It is always humbling to witness and make us so proud to be a part of this community.
Upcoming Events
We have so many events coming up in March. Come to some or come to all. There are plenty of opportunities to meet others, find out information or learn new skills. Visit our Events Page for details.
Images from our February Events
Here are a handful of photos from this month.
MotHs Inc. goes above and beyond for its community. In addition to running and maintaining our place-based MotHs Hub, we advocate on the issues we see, hear about and directly experience within our community. We facilitate connections to provide mother-to-mother emotional and physical assistance, provide timely information about community events and emergency preparedness and promote local businesses. This can’t be achieved without the support of subscribers. We appreciate each and every subscriber for keeping this community running.
