MADRA
Mallacoota and District Recovery Association Inc
About MADRA
Welcome to MADRA's website.
Our community encompasses the localities of Mallacoota, Genoa, Gipsy Point, Wangarabell, Weeragua, Maramingo Creek, Wallagaraugh and Wroxham, collectively known as Mallacoota and District.
Like so many others in Australia, our district was ravaged by fire in the Black Summer of 2019-20. The fires reached us on 31 December 2019 when, in scenes relayed around the world, thousands of people sought shelter on our foreshores as the fires approached.
A total of 123 homes were destroyed and 83% of land area burned. Many more properties suffered damage including losses of outbuildings, water tanks and fences. We lost a much-loved local, Fred Becker, who passed away while fighting the fires. There was significant loss and devastation of wildlife and forest, and much of our wilderness coast infrastructure including boardwalks, lookouts and access steps was destroyed or damaged.
In our district’s living memory, there has been no comparable event.
In the immediate aftermath of the fires, a ‘Thinking Group’ was formed, which led to planning and consultation about implementing a community-led recovery program for Mallacoota. A proposed model for co-ordinating community recovery was put to a town meeting in February 2020, attended by an estimated 500 plus people. The proposal was overwhelmingly endorsed, and the Mallacoota and District Recovery Association (MADRA) was formed.
The first MADRA committee was formed in May 2020, after an election was held to vote for the 44 local candidates who had nominated. In August 2021, MADRA's first AGM led to its second (and current) committee being formed.
Go to Our History for more info about MADRA's early days.
Current MADRA Committee
Chair: Carol Hopkins
Deputy Chair: Phil Piper
Secretary: Ash Turner
Treasurer: Peter Giddings
Mallacoota and District in the news …
Feature article in The Guardian, 6 February 2025
‘It just can’t be replaced’: Mallacoota’s black summer grief is still fresh after five years. Photographer and Mallacoota resident Rachel Mounsey revisits those who lost their homes and much more:
Click HERE to read the article
Latest MADRA News updates
Our Vision
We will be an inclusive, vibrant, strong, and safe community.
Our vision will be achieved when:
Everyone in our community who needs bushfire assistance has received it, no one will have slipped between the cracks or left behind.
We have restored what we loved and fixed the things which are broken.
We feel confident we are prepared in the face of disaster.
Through the recovery process, we have created opportunities that promote resilience, diversity, well-being, connectedness, and economic security.
Our Mission
MADRA was established to ensure the needs, wants and aspirations of our community are considered as part of the recovery process following the 2019-20 bushfires.
We are a voice for our community.
We play an active role in community-led recovery by:
encouraging community involvement in the recovery and rebuilding process and related activities.
identifying and prioritising the needs of MAD and assisting in the recovery and rebuilding process.
influencing government bodies to work to meet identified community needs and priorities.
facilitating communication of information between community, government and agencies.
advocating for individuals, families and community groups.
attracting and applying for monies and identifying projects/needs requiring funding.
providing a focus for communication and coordination between community groups.
channelling funding and other opportunities to appropriate groups and individuals.
working with our funding and delivery partners to ensure optimal disaster recovery outcomes for MAD.
working with other Community Recovery Committees (CRCs) to share lessons learned and offer support.
What We Will Not Do
We are a diverse community that does not always agree. There will be situations where the community is split, and decisions cannot be reached.
In such cases, we will not take sides or mediate disputes. Nor will we intervene in the decision-making processes of other organisations or duplicate their roles.
If the matter is being driven by government (local, state, and federal), and there is a failure to adequately consult our community, we cannot take on that role. Rather, we will ‘push back’ to government seeking better information to inform decision making and for more fulsome community consultation (perhaps with an independent facilitator if the issue is divisive). Usually, this will be on issues requiring specialist knowledge and/or policy matters.
We looked to how other communities deal with divergent viewpoints. Key is not rushing decision making (where possible) and encouraging ongoing discussion and respectful debate until all parties reach a position they can live with. If agreement cannot be reached, MADRA’s default position is ‘we will do no harm’. Our focus will be progressing those community-driven initiatives that have community backing.
Our Structure
MADRA is an incorporated association and a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). We also have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status which enables donors to claim a tax deduction through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Our Stakeholders
A stakeholder is either an individual, group or organisation who is impacted by, or has an interest in, the outcome of a project or process.
Our major disaster recovery stakeholder groups are:
community members including residents, property owners and visitors,
our recovery delivery partners, and
our recovery funding partners.
There is some crossover between our funding and delivery partners.
Our comprehensive stakeholder analysis in in our Recovery Plan (see Appendix B).
