Bushfire Donations Question

[Hodgepodge]

I don't want to seem insensitive or anything like that, I just have a question.

Do we really need to keep donating to this cause? Surely most of the victims have home and contents insurance, the councils should be responsible for cleaning the mess on the roads, the people have already donated 70 Million dollars, not to mention clothing, food, etc. Centrelink are also already giving handouts in the form of money too.

I fail to see where all this money is required. No doubt any excess funds will still go to the Red Cross and will go to the needy in other situations, but I wonder if enough money has already been raised for the fire victims.

 

[Worldheroxx]

I have been thinking the same thing lately.. obviously nothing will compensate those who lost loved ones etc, but the ones who just lost their houses and material things will probably end up five times better off from this

 

[Oaksnaf]

I have been thinking the same thing lately.. obviously nothing will compensate those who lost loved ones etc, but the ones who just lost their houses and material things will probably end up five times better off from this

What's money?

 

[Aussiekate]

I have been thinking the same thing lately.. obviously nothing will compensate those who lost loved ones etc, but the ones who just lost their houses and material things will probably end up five times better off from this

Surely you jest?

Some will have had insurance, a lot won't.

Many won't have enough cover, many won't have had life insurance, many won't have had car insurance, many won't have a job to go to cos their workplace burnt down. Many won't have insured sheds, farm equipment.

You may say bad luck and who cares that should be their problem... but in the situation of whole communities being wiped out.. so many of these people rely on each other for work, business, trade, schooling, support etc that its essential to get them all back on their feet again so a community can continue.

Take the (I think it was Kinglake) footy club that was on TV tonight... their ovals now buggered, lights are burned down.. I would bet they dont have adequate insurance to fix it... so we just say bugger them thats their fault. Let the footy club rot. Nobody can go play there, no lights. A little bit of the towns nucleus falls apart. Something as minor as that not being repaired..begins a chain of events that can kill a community. and thats a minor example of one of the things that our donations will probably go towards fixing.

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the bah-humbugs here this week in regards to charity. 100 million sounds like a lot, but we're talking about rebuilding ENTIRE communities, and supporting thousands of people that are going to need ongoing help and support for years to come.

The money is not about writing blank cheques to these people and making them rich and if you think that I think you are severely missing the point of these fundraising efforts.

Give until it hurts, because you and I are sitting in our homes at our computers watching our TVs, chatting on our mobile phones, able to go off to work tomorrow, eating dinner we cooked ourselves, laughing over a few beers with our family - they aren't.

 

[beez]

It's all about long term development and commitment. The money will still be needed in 6 months, 12 months, 5 years.

The Red Cross are still doing work with both Tsunami and earthquake victims.

 

[rodda]

I don't want to seem insensitive or anything like that, I just have a question.

Do we really need to keep donating to this cause? Surely most of the victims have home and contents insurance, the councils should be responsible for cleaning the mess on the roads, the people have already donated 70 Million dollars, not to mention clothing, food, etc. Centrelink are also already giving handouts in the form of money too.

I fail to see where all this money is required. No doubt any excess funds will still go to the Red Cross and will go to the needy in other situations, but I wonder if enough money has already been raised for the fire victims.

That's exactly what I've been thinking.

Why can't people donate like this towards AIDs work in Africa etc.?

 

[Hodgepodge]

The money is not about writing blank cheques to these people and making them rich and if you think that I think you are severely missing the point of these fundraising efforts.

I'm not saying that at all.

At the very least the money will stay with the Red Cross and they will be able to put it to another worthy cause.

But I'm wondering if all this money is really needed for the bushfire victims. Surely the councils/government have a large role to play in rebuilding the communities/etc.

And this money is on top of other donations, like food, clothing, water, etc.

 

[rocker_oz33]

I'm not sure how the Donations will be handed out but people saying stuff like the victims should have home and contents insurance home etc is a dumb question some towns need a compete rebuild like schools,hospitals,police stations etc the donations are not to make the victims rich

 

[kendrick]

I tend to agree with Hodgepodge, a few ppl at work have been discussing this issue..

and my Aunt lost her home, and i know many people in Kinglake and family home is in Diamond Creek, Which is at the bottom of kinglake.. so i am not unaware of what ppl have been thru..

but, all this money.. my aunt has full insurance and everything is covered... the ppl that dont have insurance, isnt that their own fault? They have been saving thousands a year in not paying insurance... and then when its needed, Australia is expected to bail them out? yes it is a tragic event, and i feel sorry for all those affected.. but, as someone has said.. why dont we get this way over the many thousands of starving children in africa and the rampant diseases wiping them out on a daily basis? surely that is much worse tragedy than a bushfire...

I am not against the government helping them out to rebuild their communities, but this whole give give give attitude and they are now going to raise probaly close to 200 million once everything is tolled up..

and in regards to the ppl who lost their lives, i find it hard to feel sorry for ppl who delibrately ignored all warnings and stayed to use a garden hose on a home which can be replaced... your lives cant...

one guy got his family out, then put on a fire ******ant suit and went back to try and get his boat out and he died... if thats not stupidity, then i dont know what is..

 

[likka]

Some will have had insurance, a lot won't.

Many won't have enough cover, many won't have had life insurance, many won't have had car insurance, many won't have a job to go to cos their workplace burnt down. Many won't have insured sheds, farm equipment.

So we are meant to financially cover those stupid enough to not/under insure their property, or those irresponsible enough not to protect their family with life insurance or income protection insurance?

Will be very interested to see how this money is spent.

 

[Hodgepodge]

and in regards to the ppl who lost their lives, i find it hard to feel sorry for ppl who delibrately ignored all warnings and stayed to use a garden hose on a home which can be replaced... your lives cant...

You're over-simplifying. A lot of people simply didn't have time to flee.


And again, I have to stress that the victims will not be 'getting rich' off of the handouts, they will get what they need. The worst that could happen is that the money goes to the Red Cross, and they will always give it to a good cause, whether for the bushfires, or the homeless, etc.

I just wonder whether all this money is necessary for the bushfire victims themselves, though.

 

[kendrick]

You're over-simplifying. A lot of people simply didn't have time to flee.

Not entirely true, My aunt lost her house and the day before, there was a meeting called at the community hall by the CFA informing people of the possible dangers they faced this weekend and their advice was to spend the day in Melbourne.

This was well documented in newspaper reports and TV.

fact is, alot of people assumed it wouldnt be so vicious, but for once.. the weather experts and others predictions were spot on.

My aunt and many others took note of the warning and left in the morning...

she lost her house, but not her life.

 

[Selective Retention]

Insurance is fine but houses don't magically rebuild themselves overnight and as pointed out a lot of people would have lost their livelihoods.

On the other hand 200 odd people died in the fires, 1463 died on the roads last year.

 

[rizzo]

Agree with what a lot of have said. If people didn't get insurance on the their house it is their own fault. You live in a area that could have bushfires then the first thing you should do is get insurance.

I just hope the money goes to proper causes.

 

[The Boy From Brasil]

Surely most of the victims have home and contents insurance,

That is what I would have thought but I have heard reports where some people didn't. It would be interesting to know what percentage of people have home and contents insurance and what don't. It seems incomprehensible to me that people would not have house insurance. Is there any reason why insurance companies would not insure for fire in certain areas?

 

[juzza316]

That is what I would have thought but I have heard reports where some people didn't. It would be interesting to know what percentage of people have home and contents insurance and what don't. It seems incomprehensible to me that people would not have house insurance. Is there any reason why insurance companies would not insure for fire in certain areas?

The figure I heard thrown around, was approximately a quarter of those that lost home didnt have insurance. Although I am not really sure of the details of my home insurance policy, it is possible to raise the excess you have to pay to bring it down to a mere few hundred dollars a year.

 

[The Boy From Brasil]

The figure I heard thrown around, was approximately a quarter of those that lost home didnt have insurance. Although I am not really sure of the details of my home insurance policy, it is possible to raise the excess you have to pay to bring it down to a mere few hundred dollars a year.

But this is what I don't understand. How can people not have their house insured? Its the most valuable asset that most people will ever own. I just don't understand why they wouldn't insure it. Would there be cases where insurance companies don't insure them for fire if they are in a fire risk area? Or they can't afford the premiums or want to save on household overheads?

I also thought that if a person had a mortgage, it was a condition of the mortgage that the house is adequately insured at all times. Arn't they in breach of their mortgage contract if the house is uninsured?

 

[Flashhh]

I've got to say I'm finding it hard to believe what some people are saying here.
First off all, I admit that not having insurance isn't the smartest thing yet some people simply can't afford it and I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that towns like Wandong are fire prone towns.

And as for people with insurance being fine, as is always the case with insurance you don't get it back just as it was. Even if this was the case and they did get everything back (which will be a lengthy process), when you go to work on Monday what do you think these people will be doing? No clothes, no transport, some not even a workplace. As others said, they're whole livelihood has been destroyed. But hey, that's their fault isn't it guys? You gotta be kidding.

Also just about people saying residents should have left and their death is their own fault, I don't see how people are supposed to predict a falling powerline or arsonist starting a blaze and then a strong change in wind fanning a fire 30k's in the space of 15 minutes.

 

[krusden]

That's exactly what I've been thinking.

Why can't people donate like this towards AIDs work in Africa etc.?

'Cause Africa has been done to death. To be frank and honest.

People are sick of Bono and Bob geldof preaching to us regarding Africa, they are also aware of the stories of corrupt nations and warlords
hi-jacking the aid and of unscrupulous companies regarding the aid.

This tragedy happened here, in australia. It hits home harder - particularly to the tree-changers who live in areas like those destroyed.