Relief efforts co-ordinated

A long list of relief events and projects were foreshadowed during a community meeting at the City of Greater Bendigo reception room.

Among them were: building projects; a major city concert; a toy collection program; a charity auction; an ecumenical church service; a fundraising group walk; and a tennis marathon.

A range of other fundraisers were outlined during the one-hour meeting, attended by more than 60 people, most representing aid and community organisations, service clubs, businesses or interest groups.

The meeting allowed people to outline how they planned to contribute to the relief efforts.

In some cases that meant hands-on projects, such as building programs in tsunami-hit countries, while for others it was organising fundraisers or providing support to other efforts.

For Bevlee Reynolds, of Esprit Event Management, the forum was an opportunity to seek help from other groups.

Ms Reynolds appealed for a warehouse to store goods donated to a tsunami toy relief project.

City of Greater Bendigo chief executive officer John McLean said the forum had achieved its objective and another meeting would be held in six weeks' time.

Lions Club zone 10 chairman Ross Wood said a co-ordinated relief effort would provide greater results for victims of the tsunami.

"The meeting highlighted some of the dangers or traps which will arise if we don't work together," Mr Wood said.

"Our feedback from Lions Clubs who are on the ground (in tsunami-hit countries) tells us we will be best to concentrate on the recovery phase, because the immediate response is being handled by governments."However, Tony Britt, of Bendigo-based Assisi Aid Projects, said immediate support was still needed.

"Our organisation is caring for 650 people on a day-to-day basis on the southern tip of India, where the disaster struck," he said.

"Yesterday was a good day; nobody on our camp died.