26 February 2009
(updated 17 March 2009)

The Committee of Blue Shield Australia (BSA) met in Canberra on Monday 23 February 2009 to plan its response to the damage and destruction of cultural heritage caused by major bushfires and floods in several parts of Australia.

The Committee voiced its sincere sympathy to those who have suffered loss during the recent bushfires and floods that have affected communities and their cultural heritage in several states.

The Committee encourages donations to the appeals being run by organisations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, commends those bodies for their wonderful relief efforts, and congratulates the various emergency response organisations for their extraordinary service under appalling conditions.

The Committee confirmed that BSA will be active in:

• helping individuals and organisations locate relevant resources to assist with the recovery of damaged cultural heritage places and items

• publishing advice on the recovery of cultural heritage from sites affected by disasters

• gathering ‘lessons learned’ from disasters

• advocating for safer structures to protect cultural heritage

• encouraging high-quality planning and training in disaster preparedness and response for people who care for heritage collections and places

• Commends the leadership being shown by Victorian government departments such as Heritage Victoria and Arts Victoria, and by peak bodies such as the Australian Library and Information Association, the Federation of Australian Historical Societies, the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM), the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA), and Museums Australia (MA).

• Applauds the outreach work being planned by cultural agencies including Public Record Office Victoria, the State Library of Victoria and Museum Victoria, and also by organisations such as the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and the Victorian branches of the AICCM, the ASA and MA.  Click HERE to download After a Fire, a brochure prepared by the AICCM with contact details of several organisations able to assist in Victoria. The Victorian Branch of the AICCM has developed a plan to assist fire-affected individuals and communities - click HERE to read more.

• Congratulates Museums Australia (Victoria) on its initiative in setting up a special page on its website to list offers of support for heritage organisations and collections, and to provide links to further resources. The website allows members of the affected communities to browse available resources independently, as well as to contact MA (Vic) with further requests if needed.

• Welcomes the news that the Victorian and Federal Governments will fund the Victorian bushfires clean-up, but cautions that it is crucial to work with conservators to find out the best way to salvage family heirlooms and community collections, and urges people involved in the clean-up not to be too hasty when putting damaged items into a skip.