AE Smith Contributes To The Victorian Bushfire Recovery
AE Smith Contributes To The Victorian Bushfire Recovery
For Construction Manager, Darren McGrath, there was a special satisfaction in being involved with the two Rebuilding Advisory Centres constructed in severely bushfire affected areas of Victoria |
| 6 Dec 2010 |
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| Darren, who is a Member of the Country Fire Authority (CFA), spent ten days working in the fire affected areas of Victoria after Black Saturday, says being involved with the community service projects in both Marysville and Kinglake was enormously rewarding. “To see the changes in those areas since the fires, experience the strength and resilience of the local communities to get back onto their feet and then help bring back some normalcy into their lives was certainly very rewarding to me,” Darren says. Known as the ‘Black Saturday Bushfires’, the series of severe fires swept across rural Victoria in February of 2009 – resulting in the worst bushfires in Australia’s recorded history. 173 people lost their lives as a result of the fires, many more were seriously injured, more than 2000 homes were destroyed and around 430,000 hectares of land were damaged. AE Smith were initially approached by two of the major builders, Baulderstone and Brookfield Multiplex, for an expression of interest in the project to help create the Rebuilding Advisory Centres. “AE Smith were pleased to donate our time to this important community project,” says Darren, who believes that while the initiative was clearly a government one, it was the voluntary contribution from so many quarters that made the projects a reality. Once AE Smith agreed to be a part of the Construction Team, they then met formally with the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction & Recovery Authority to begin working through what would be required on both projects. “We always believed that support for both projects would come from many of our key suppliers,” he says. “And certainly, it was the contributions by a range of suppliers who were keen to support the local communities affected by the fires that really acted as the driving force in getting these Centres built.” The Marysville project commenced in April 2010 and was completed in June 2010, while Kinglake commenced in June 2010 and was completed in July 2010. Both Rebuilding Advisory Centres have played a vital role within each local community as a central information point for the rebuilding and recovery process. The same team worked on both projects, with AE Smith’s Kevin McDonnell engineering both, Graeme Warland acting as the Draftsman and Ian and Jason Harcourt doing the installation works at both sites. Darren says the fact that most people working on the project were donating their time or materials meant that there were no real challenges, enabling the projects to be completed quickly and in good spirit. “The individuals that worked on the site worked in well together and were all driven by the one cause,” he says. “Being involved with the local people with both building projects was also really rewarding for all involved.” AE Smith donated Project Management, Engineering, Drafting and Site installation labour costs for both projects. Other AE Smith suppliers to contribute to the projects were: > Decon Industries Pty Ltd – donated material and labour for the Mechanical Electrical > Ductmakers – donated all Square Ductwork > Rayson Industries – donated all Round Spiro Duct > Westaflex / Uniflex (Aust) Pty Ltd – donated all Flexible Duct > Drillcut Fasteners – donated all consumable items > Reece HVAC-R – donated all copper and PVC pipe and fittings > Fantech Pty Ltd – donated all fans > Airpure Pty Ltd – donated all filters > Bradflo Pty Ltd – donated all registers > Daikin Australia Pty Ltd – supplied all air conditioning units at cost. |
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| Image, top: Darren McGrath is presented with a Marysville Rebuilding Advisory Centre photo memento by Christine Nixon, former Chair of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRRA) – in recognition of AE Smith’s contribution to the project. Above: Marysville Rebuilding Advisory Centre opening, 14th August. |
