DEVASTATING bushfires are reaching across Northern Country and Central Victoria to many of Shepparton’s neighbours. It’s been a challenging time for our farmers, rural residents and the wider community with locals fighting to defend their properties and travel cut off across the state.
On Sunday, January 11, the State and Federal governments released a joint statement announcing an initial $19.5M funding package to begin the recovery process.
The package includes various channels seek help, the largest sum of $10M devoted to the Victorian Farmers Federation’s (VFF) emergency fodder program.
The package also puts $1.5M towards those needing immediate accommodation, $5M towards keyworkers to assist in navigating legal and financial support, and another $1M into group counselling services. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said these services will be bundled together as the ‘Recovery Support Program’ to create,’ “one single point of help so people who’ve lost so much don’t have to deal with government red tape.”
Adapted from the State Governments Personal Hardship Assistance Program, the funding can be accessed by eligible affected Victorians as one-off payments of $680 for adults and $340 for children, or a total of $2,380 per family.
In a statement on January 9, Member for Northern Victorian Wendy Lovell urged to “make these payments available immediately,” after attending a community meeting in Seymour.
Locally, Trelly’s Outdoor is working directly with farmers, receiving and distributing ammunition to help in culling injured livestock, receiving an estimated 50,000 rounds in community donations, with at least 2,000 rounds donated in the brief time The Adviser was at the business to learn more. Trelly’s has said it will match ammunition donations.
On Saturday, January 10, the Council organised a donation drop off zone in collaboration with FOOTT’s Cares Community trailer, sending 22 fruit bins full of non-perishable food, pet food and toiletries to the Seymour Relief Centre. Mayor Shane Sali has confirmed another donation event is currently in the works, saying that Saturday’s donations are “already making a huge difference.”
Support services or assistance:
For information on support packages and all fire safety updates, please visit https://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/ or call the hotline at 1800 226 226
Additional State Government support, including counselling and livestock welfare, is available at www.vic.gov.au/january-2026-victorian-bushfires
For emergency fodder support from the VFF, please call 1300 882 833 or visit www.vff.org.au/vff-emergency-fodder-program/
To donate or inquire about ammunition for injured animals and livestock, call Trelly’s Shepparton at 03 5821 6572
VicEmergency have provided the following resources: https://emergency.vic.gov.au/relief/#january_2026_fires
