Team Rubicon Australia joined Blaze Aid this week when it announced a suspension of its bushfire cleanup projects due to government precautions around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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State commander for NSW and the ACT, Tony Griffiths, said the organisation, which also helped after the 2018 Tathra bushfire, must avoid both introducing the virus to disaster affected communities and exposing its members to an increased risk of infection.
"Team Rubicon Australia has been deployed on operations continuously for the last six months, and we know that there is a lot of work still to do," he said.
"Once we are clear of this emergency, Team Rubicon Australia will reassess broader community needs and match future assistance with our ongoing capability, noting that we have a wide range of corporate volunteers ready and able to assist us in the recovery task."
Bega Valley Shire Council mayor Kristy McBain, said she "appreciated and respected" the decision made by both organisations.
"Knowing the commitment and dedication of these awesome groups, the decisions wouldn't have been easy to make, but we all must play our role in reducing the spread of the virus," she said.
"I want to express the collective appreciation of the Bega Valley community for the work of BlazeAid and Team Rubicon to date. Seeing them in and around our towns and villages has again been a sign that we are being supported from near and far."
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