Exposure grows for disaster support initiative

Garry Nash Real Estate recently took out the Community Service Award at the Real Estate Institute of Victoria’s (REIV’s) Award for Excellence 2026. The statewide award recognises the community impact of the real estate agency’s 2025-2026 Bushfire and Flood Recovery Appeal. The aftermath of the 2025-26 bushfires that ravaged communities across the North East and broader region left many affected community members feeling as though their loss and suffering was dispensable through the lens of government support. Garry Nash Real Estate, AgBiz Care and Alpine Outreach partnered to establish an initiative that would fund immediate and ongoing support for those affected. Since being established in March this year, more than $55,000 has been injected into the fundraiser from an initial starting base of $20,000 through the Garry Nash & Co Community Fund, helping to deliver these tailored, grassroots services. Where AgBiz Care offers recovery assistance in the form of grocery and fuel cards and other means of financial and wellbeing support, Alpine Outreach delivers health services like their mobile outreach free skin cancer checks. "It was extremely special and we were very humbled that were considered in amongst a great selection of much bigger and metropolitan agencies," Garry Nash Real Estate managing director Garry Nash said. For Mr Nash, a CFA member of 51 years, this title was far more than having their name on a pedestal in front of a room full of people. "It's not about being recognised like that," he said. "It's being able to understand from a perspective of being a first responder, being out in wildfire situations, seeing the impact, what happens to people, the devastation." More broadly, it speaks to the agency's vested interest in the welfare of community members. "All businesses who operate in regional areas rely so much on their clientele or community to support them, and this type of operation that we've got, this recovery process, is one way of putting something back into those people," Mr Nash said. "They may not necessarily be clients; that's why we've covered the breadth of the Hume/North East district. "It's about being able to look after a much bigger and broader community than that." Director Mike Noble's insights were of a similar note. "Garry's idea for this appeal was to widen the impact across many communities," he said. "It's very gratifying to know the work that we're doing is recognised by other people as being important. "I think the fact that people donate to an initiative like this, they see the important work and the money's going to where it needs to go." Learn more about the ongoing disaster recovery efforts of Garry Nash & Co Community Fund, AgBiz Care and Alpine Outreach here: https://www.garrynash.com.au/pages/real-estate/community-support

Exposure grows for disaster support initiative

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