Bushfire is part of Australia's ecology and landscape — but the Black Summer of 2019-2020 demonstrated that climate change is making fires more frequent, more severe, and more devastating. Over 18 million hectares burned, 3 billion animals were killed or displaced, 34 people died directly, and communities across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and SA were devastated. Grant funding supports community recovery, infrastructure rebuilding, ecological restoration, mental health, and the preparedness investments that reduce future harm.
Black Summer 2019-2020
Ongoing reality
National Bushfire Recovery Agency
Post-Black Summer, the government established:
- $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund
- Immediate relief payments
- Recovery grants for affected individuals and businesses
- Community infrastructure grants
Emergency Management Australia
State governments
States manage their own recovery programmes:
- NSW Resilience NSW
- VIC Emergency Management Victoria
- QLD Queensland Reconstruction Authority
Volunteer fire service equipment
Australian Red Cross
Red Cross responded to Black Summer with significant philanthropic funding — community recovery, cash assistance, psychosocial support.
The Salvation Army
Salvation Army emergency relief — one of Australia's largest emergency welfare responders.
The Wires Wildlife Rescue (NSW)
Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation — experienced extraordinary surge in donations and focus.
Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR)
FRRR distributed significant philanthropic funding for rural community recovery post-Black Summer.
Movember and Lifeline
Mental health support for fire-affected communities — particularly bushfire-affected men.
Environmental foundations
WWF, Bush Heritage, and others received significant donations for ecological restoration.
Immediate relief
Community recovery
Long-term recovery takes years:
- Community hubs and gathering spaces
- Mental health and counselling services
- Social events and community rebuilding
- Local economic recovery
- Business restart grants
Infrastructure rebuilding
Mental health and psychosocial
Ecological restoration
Rural fire brigade support
Preparedness and mitigation
Recovery is long
Bushfire recovery takes 5-10 years. Applications that show sustained commitment — not just immediate relief but years of recovery support — are more compelling to funders aware of the long timeline.
Whole community approach
Bushfire affects the whole community — agricultural, ecological, social, economic, and mental health dimensions. Applications that address multiple dimensions rather than siloed single issues show systems awareness.
Indigenous burning
Cultural burning (mosaic burning on Country) is one of the most evidence-based fire mitigation strategies — and has been criminally overlooked for decades. Applications supporting cultural burning practitioners and knowledge holders are compelling and timely.
Volunteer fire service sustainability
Rural fire volunteers are increasingly under pressure — extended seasons, more frequent deployments, family impacts, PTSD risk. Applications supporting volunteer welfare and retention address a critical community safety gap.
Climate adaptation framing
Bushfire risk will increase under climate change — show how your programme builds long-term resilience and adaptation capacity, not just recovery from the most recent event.
Tahua's grants management platform supports disaster recovery funders and community resilience organisations — with programme participant tracking, community recovery outcome measurement, geographic reach data, and the tools that help bushfire resilience funders demonstrate their investment in Australia's capacity to recover from and prepare for future fires.