Vic: Builders ready to help stricken fire victims

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2009
Vic: Builders ready to help stricken fire victims

By Jeff Turnbull

MELBOURNE, Feb 10 AAP - More than 100 building companies have put their hands up to
help Victorians whose homes were destroyed by bushfires.

Master Builders Association (MBA) executive director Brian Welch said the vast majority
of builders would help out for free to get people back on their feet.

Around 700 homes have been destroyed in Victoria's worst natural disaster.

"I've been very heartened that we've had a response from our members in 24 hours of
over 100 companies prepared to pitch in and help," Mr Welch told AAP.

"I suspect the vast majority are prepared to do something for nothing."

He said the building community had a big heart and was always ready to help people
in disastrous circumstances.

Mr Welch said it would take about a year to rebuild communities destroyed by the fires
and would need close cooperation between local and state governments to streamline the
recovery.

He said the MBA had already been in talks with the Insurance Council of Australia to
work out how to deal with the unprecedented situation.

"The insurance companies play a pivotal part because they offer the means by which
houses can be built," Mr Welch said.

"Those people not insured will be hoping to get some support from the state and federal
governments."

He said planning laws meant what was once a shack in the bush would now have to be
five star home.

"Before you get into construction there are a myriad of issues that need to be considered,"

he said.

He said the reconstruction needed to be treated the same as building new suburbs, where
in somes cases, such as devastated Kinglake and Marysville, new schools and commercial
buildings have to be put up.

"To streamline it, we have to adopt a mindset that it's like building a new suburb
- clearly there has been so much devastation it's like a new suburb," Mr Welch said.

"We should start as soon as possible because people want to be back in their own homes
in their preferred locations."

AAP jxt/pmu/jpm

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC BUILDERS

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