For some North East landholders doing it tough after bushfires earlier this year, a visiting mobile health clinic through the 2025-26 Bushfire and Flood Recovery Appeal has proved to be a literal lifesaver.

Since launching in March this year in response to a devastating summer of bushfires in the area, the regional appeal has grown from a $20,000 base to over $50,000 to be invested in fire-affected communities.

The initial $20,000 was invested into the Ruffy, Yarck and Merton communities during the stage one visits.

During the three visits in May, 72 people underwent free skin checks with specialists utilising the Alpine Outreach van, a mobile consulting space and emergency facility that delivers essential health and support services.

Of those checks, 22 people were referred to see a skin cancer specialist for suspicious lesions while more than one in every five people checked were assessed as a moderate skin cancer risk and were advised to get checked every six months.

AgBiz Care executive officer Nerida Kerr said some who have received skin checks had called it lifesaving.

“We had a few guys say, ‘you've saved my life’, they found an early-stage melanoma,” she said.

“A friend of ours said he's had 10 skin lesions cut off since he got checked.

“If that service hadn't been there, he may not have bothered having the check.

“Farmers and rural people spend a lot of time out in the sun, many are of an age where we grew up being told that tans are healthy, and to put baby oil on and sit in the sun… many of us are now paying for that advice.”

Garry Nash and Co Community Fund’s Garry Nash said it had been extremely gratifying to see the appreciation of care being given by those in the community to the services provided by AgBiz Care and Alpine Outreach.

“We've had continual great support from our local community and also some corporates to be able to continue to raise funds to deliver this service back out to our affected communities,” he said.

“The really great thing is when you talk to clients or people wishing to donate, you can assure them that 90 to 99 cents in the dollar will go out to the affected community.”

AgBiz Care delivers comprehensive disaster recovery support to regional communities, offering rural financial counselling, small business guidance, grant application assistance, and ongoing wellbeing counselling.

Through its charitable arm and mobile outreach partnerships, the organisation also provides immediate practical aid supplying vouchers, grocery cards, and connectivity packages.

“When you've been through a trauma like a bushfire, dealing with all that becomes really overwhelming,” Ms Kerr said.

“I've been involved for 35 years, and it's as needed today as it was 35 years ago.”

The Alpine Outreach van was in Goomalibee last Wednesday and will be visiting Henley Ridge and will visit Milawa on Tuesday 18 August to support fire-affected residents from Henley Ridge and Markwood.

The service will then head north to Walwa on 20 August, before rounding out the fourth stage of their visits at Corryong (3 September) and Tallangatta Valley (17 September).

Ms Kerr said spots for free skin checks at the Tallangatta Valley session were already booked out.

“We'll see where our income's up to and do some checks around the Glenrowan or Greta North area that had a couple of fires, and just keep going around the region to provide free skin checks, which is really needed,” she said.

“For the one up in Corryong, Corryong Health is also going to offer blood pressure and other general health checks, which will be great - a full farm-worthy check.”

A barbeque will also be held at all locations.