Generous donations of food and goods for families affected by fires in the region has led councils to confront an unforeseen problem.
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Stockpiles of non-perishable foods have been delivered across the Snowy Valleys LGA, but the distribution of donated food has the potential to cause issues for struggling local business, councillors say.
"We're very aware we want to keep our businesses running during what has been a hard time for us all," said Snowy Valleys mayor James Hayes.
"We're on the road to recovery, and we want the whole community to recover, particularly for our independent stores, we're aware they are vulnerable."
To co-ordinate the effort, Snowy Valleys Council has convened a donations distribution subcommittee under its recovery plan.
The team first met on Tuesday night, and have planned a second meeting early next week.
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As part of the subcommittee, Tumut-based councillor Cate Cross has been tasked with finding a solution that will provide for the needs of families in hardship while maintaining local business profitability.
The situation, she says, is not a simple one, given that the town's independent stores and grocers have seen a significant downturn in sales during the bushfire crisis.
"We're looking at how we can make it a fair system," Ms Cross said.
"We do need people to get back into supermarkets because that's our economy, so we're looking for a way that can help people in need while also helping our stores."
So far, the councillor is looking to introduce a voucher system that will allow for those who really need the help to attain it quickly.
The system will also involve vouchers to local supermarkets so that local money can stay in the hands of locals.
With donations still arriving, and community halls continuing to fill with the resources, the council has taken to using the non-perishables to feed the scores of volunteers who have arrived as part of the BlazeAid operations in Adelong.
"We are trying to funnel as much of it as we can through local organisations and philanthropic [ventures]," Mayor Hayes said.
"A lot of the food we have given to the community pantry, it will go to people who need it. We want to make sure nothing will be wasted."
Prior to the recent fire events, Ms Cross admits, there have been no instructions for a recovery operation of this scale.
"We're in recovery mode now, so we have to ask, how do we manage this better if it ever happens again? We need an action plan around the donations and disaster relief," she said.
"As well as that, we're also having to decide what we need now so that we can have a robust and transparent recovery now and in the future.
"One of my big hopes from all of this is that we'll be able to create a blueprint for ourselves and other local government areas who find themselves in this situation."
For those looking to continue giving financially to the recovery efforts, Mayor Hayes recommends making a cash donation via the Bendigo Bank appeal, or by purchasing food vouchers from the Snowy Valleys Chamber of Commerce.