Publicans mobilise statewide to back bushfire recovery

FROM free meals and emergency beds to collections tins on the bar, Victorian pubs have swung into action in the wake of recent bushfires, raising more than $50,000 for affected communities.

The money, raised through the Hotel Care Foundation, an initiative of Australian Hotels Association (Victoria), will be shared between the 2026 Victorian Bushfire Appeal, CFA and SES.

The funds will support both emergency responders and communities dealing with the impact of fires across the state.

Beyond fundraising, pubs and hotels in and around fire-affected areas have stepped in with practical help, opening their doors to provide meals, accommodation and support to first responders, volunteers and residents displaced by the fires.

Much of this support was arranged at short notice and deliver at the venues’ own cost.

Hotel Care Foundation chair Mark Barson said the response highlighted the central role pubs play during emergencies.

“Pubs are more than businesses, they are community anchors,” he said. “When disaster strikes, publicans don’t wait to be asked. They open their doors, put on meals and raise funds.

“The $50,000 raised so far is a powerful show of solidarity from pubs across Victoria and every dollar will go directly to supporting people and towns doing it tough.”

Australian Hotels Association (Victoria) president David Canny said pubs regularly become informal support centres during crises.

“Time and again, we see pubs become places of refuge where first responders stay, where volunteers are fed, and where locals come together to check in on each other,” he said.

“Publicans are part of their communities. When those communities are hurting, pubs step up, not because they have to, but because it’s who they are.”

The fundraising effort is expected to continue in the coming weeks, with contributions from patrons, staff and suppliers adding to support for bushfire-affected communities across Victoria.

To donate, head to ahavic.com.au/victorian-pubs-and-hotels-standing-with-bushfire-affected-communities