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MELBOURNE
BRUNSWICK
BUNDOORA
FISHERMANS BEND
POINT COOK
HAMILTON
HO CHI MINH CITY
HANOI
Building hope for bushfire and drought victims
Providing some fun and laughter for children devastated by bushfire, a group of
high-school students have built two cubby houses – one for a bushfire charity and
one for a drought-affected community.
The students. who are undertaking the Building Pathways program at RMIT
University, have spent this semester constructing a cubby house for the Madison
Bartlett Charitable Trust and one for children from the town of Savernake, New
South Wales.
The Madison Bartlett Charitable Trust house was sold in a silent auction to raise
funds for Madison, a 13-year-old who suffered severe burns and lost both her
parents in the Black Saturday bushfires. It will be delivered to its new owners in
Rosebud once it is completed.
The Savernake house will be delivered to the drought-affected town, in southern
NSW, on Wednesday, 28 October.
Program director Elise Toomey, from RMIT’s School of Property Construction and
Project Management said the course gave current VCE students the opportunity to
integrate practical learning with community involvement.
“We think it is important for the students to be involved in altruistic activities for the
community,” Ms Toomey said.
“This is the first time we have done this as part of the course, but it will not be the
last.”
The students’ work has received support from construction company Hooker
Cockram, which has donated all personal protective equipment to the students
involved.
The project is being managed by final-year RMIT Construction Management
students, Morrie Bahri and Isaac Tavilla.
For interviews or comment: Elise Toomey, 0410 208 420, or Isaac Tavilla,
0407 810 690.
For general media enquiries, RMIT Communications, Louise Handran, (03)
9925 9088 or 0411 261 469.
27 October, 2009
NEWS 
