Recovery from summer's fires a shared path for Border communities

The recent cyclone-created deluge on the Border has also meant the previously barren landscape has turned a brilliant, luscious shade of green.

For the majority who were not affected by the weeks of blazes, it can be easy to move on and forget what was experienced.

IN OTHER NEWS:

That though is the last thing we really should be doing.

If US rock star Katy Perry can acknowledge the enormous strain and heartache suffered by our communities - then, now and into the future - then so should we all.

RELATED: Recovery hub working hard, as more funding is found

The clearest example of how this is being addressed is with the recent announcement of more funding for mental health programs in Corryong and the wider Upper Murray community.

It was obviously the right thing to do when the Victorian government, through its Mental Health Minister, Martin Foley, announced another $23.4 million for programs in affected communities.

MORE OPINION

That followed an initial government grant of $2.2 million to help Towong Council set-up the Upper Murray Community Recovery Hub in the second week of February.

This is essentially a one-stop support shop featuring agencies such as Centrelink, the Salvation Army and DHHS.

Anyone who has gone through a natural disaster is sure to need some assistance for mental health challenges, even if it's just having someone to talk through what they have experienced.

Rural Aid counsellor Glenda Carter has already met many farmers in the area in the wake of the fires and is soon to return.

As she says, "we could also get other aid in like gift cards and financial assistance. Everybody is in need of something, in some time."

This work is incredibly important in helping communities return to a degree of normality that makes looking to the future easier to achieve.

Those involved should be commended for what is being done, but it is just as important that this continues well into the months and even years ahead.