BY JAMES DOWLING
The Herald Sun‘s James Dowling today reported a state commemoration will be held at the Royal Exhibition Buildings on Monday, 4 February.
The 10-year Black Saturday anniversary will be marked by a state commemoration.
A service will remember the 173 lives lost in the catastrophic 2009 fires that swept through Kinglake, Marysville, Beechworth, West Gippsland and other parts of the state on February 7. Many more were injured and lost their homes.
The service will be held at the Royal Exhibition Building on [Monday] 4 February.
A community arts program, commemoration and community development scheme, learning supports for schools and expanded mental health services are also being funded as part of the commemoration project.
Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said holding the event on 4 February would allow communities and individuals to commerate the [actual] anniversary in their own way.
“Over the past few months we have been speaking with, and getting feedback from, family and friends of those who died, the bushfire-affected communities, and emergency services personel about this commeration service and other initiatives to ensure they meet community expectations,” she said.
-James Dowling, Herald Sun. (Photo: Ashley Geelan, Robertson Road, Kinglake, 7/2/2009)
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