Bushfires.

[horrie hastings]

Awesome photo.

Seeing things like this make you realise there are still good and decent people in this world.

[Guest]

This picture makes me squeal in girlish glee.

[horrie hastings]

This picture makes me squeal in girlish glee.

What a picture of a little box with a red x in the middle of it

[WickedAngel]

Watched the video of Sam drinking the water..........damn I need waterproof mascara!

[Guest]

What a picture of a little box with a red x in the middle of it

Damn.

I can see it!

[supermario]

when they pull their finger out they can perform just like the Roosters

The banks can show heart sometimes.

Banks 'breaking all the rules' in bushfire
Arjun Ramachandran
February 12, 2009 - 4:22PM
http://www.smh.com.au/national/banks...3.html?page=-1

The burnt out remains of a house in the Kinglake area. Photo: Getty Images

Families have lost everything in Australia's worst peace-time disaster, but how keen are the banks to put aside profit and show compassion to Victoria's devastated bushfire victims?

Each of the major banks - ANZ, Commonwealth, NAB and Westpac - have made $1 million donations to bushfire appeals.


Despair and hope in Narbethong
The town of Narbethong, on the Maroondah Highway, is another town both facing destruction, and hope.

But for victims whose homes and possessions have been obliterated, their bank mortgages - and therefore their repayment obligations - remain intact.

Many of the banks could not say today whether they would go as far as dissolving a home loan for someone who has lost everything.

But all said they were encouraging customers to tell the bank of their hardship and would do what was possible.

Westpac has even flown its senior executive in charge of retail banking to fire-ravaged Victoria to experience the devastation first-hand and help ensure the bank treats clients compassionately.

The four major banks say they will suspend fire victims' mortgages for three months - the period insurance claims normally take to be processed.

Despite reports this morning some banks had told customers they would have to repay interest accrued in that period, each bank confirmed to smh.com.au that they were giving victims a three-month break from their mortgages.

ANZ and NAB were also offering a $10,000 grant to customers whose homes have been completely destroyed in the fires.

All the banks were also dumping assorted fees, such as for refinancing and for early term deposit withdrawals.

"I think the overwhelming key message from us is that we will do what it takes," said a NAB spokeswoman.

Peter Hanlon, Westpac's retail and business banking group executive, ditched the suit and Italian shoes and pulled on jeans and R M Williams' boots when he flew from Sydney to be on the ground in the bushfire zone.

He says the bank is regularly breaking its own rules.

"This is Australia's largest natural disaster in its European history ... the disaster relief package works really well but it's redundant because we are overstepping it," he said.

The bank would seriously consider completely dissolving a home loan for a bushfire victim, he said.

"Yes we would, we've done it before ... and before this is over I'm sure we will do it here and quite frankly all the other banks will too.

"People say why don't you do it for everybody but not everyone wants to do that. Some people don't want charity and don't want to be seen as helpless."

Mr Hanlon arrived in Victoria on Tuesday, and has spent time in some of the worst affected towns such as Whittlesea and Kinglake.

"I'm getting the information from the affected people first hand which means I make a phone call and because of my position, things happen quickly," he said.

"We sat down with a customer in Kinglake yesterday ... these people wanted to talk but could hardly get the words out."

"They've lost everything, were wearing clothes that have been donated, said they weren't insured, and were cashing a cheque for $1000 from the Victorian government.

"So we authorised a $20,000 payment there and then."

There were many examples of banks breaking the rules to help victims, he said, such as the setting up mini branches in libraries where people could cash relief cheques.

"People were worried that if they left the towns they couldn't get back in because of road blocks, so they were staying at relief centres, sleeping in halls, and they've got these relief cheques with no access to a bank facility," he said.

"What the team did, breaking all the rules, is shove some money in a cash box, take some scraps of paper for deposit slips and then set up in the local library.

"It normally takes us six months to open a branch and they did it in 30 minutes."

In New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, it took eight weeks for makeshift banks to be set up, he said.

The reach of the banks into the business community has also helped provide relief to fire victims.

Bank managers who have spent years cosying up to business clients to sell insurance have been able to use those relationships in a good cause.

Mr Hanlon told of business clients contacting their bank managers to donate generators and mattresses to relief centres.

At the mini-branches in Kinglake and Whittlesea, the rudimentary cash-boxes and paper scraps have heralded a more old-fashioned, personal banking experience.

"Ninety second transactions are taking 10 minutes, because everyone wants to talk," Mr Hanlon said.

"We are going to have a lot of scarred staff because they're doling out cash and listening to 200 to 300 stories a day of what has happened to these people.

"It's the same with emergency services people ... the shock wave of this tragedy is going to flow through so many people."

[Guest]

Thats good to hear Muzz.....

Woolworth have also come to the party.....

Woolworths donatede $1,000,000 on Monday, and have set up collection tins in every store for donations, of which 100% will be donated to the fire appeals......
These tins were meant to be instore for 2 weeks to raise money for the Farmers, but this weeks donations will go to the fires.....

Coles are on Friday giving their entires days profits to the appeal....

Glad the large corperations are doing their bit to help, because we can see by the redcross and the telethon last night, that the average person is digging deep......

[Billy Gunn]

The banks can show heart sometimes.

They would have saved that Muz from the last round of job cuts......

The Banks don't have a heart they have Shareholders

[supermario]

They would have saved that Muz from the last round of job cuts......

The Banks don't have a heart they have Shareholders

Even the most cynical of people can see the banks are breaking their own rules to help these people.

Hell i work in the bank and we are bending over backwards to make sure all those that have lost their homes or affected by the fires in Vic and floods in QLD are being looked after.

The size and magnitude of the catastrophy calls for this.

[stsae]

we are bending over backwards.

Woohoo, that sounds promising Muzz.

[Billy Gunn]

Even the most cynical of people can see the banks are breaking their own rules to help these people.

Hell i work in the bank and we are bending over backwards to make sure all those that have lost their homes or affected by the fires in Vic and floods in QLD are being looked after.

The size and magnitude of the catastrophy calls for this.

Muz surely you don't believe that !

I don't for a minute question anyones intention personally because I most compationate people will do what ever they can to help in a time of need, I mean this is what our nation is built on......helping you mate !

I too have been blown away by what people will do to help and it makes you proud to live in this country

The things that I question are when CBA takes a full page AD out telling everyone what they are doing for victims.....in Sydney's papers !!

Why don't the banks support communities all the time, why are they the first to cut jobs by the thousands or close branches by the hundreds when it suits the bottom line ?

I welcome all support to this cause but I do questions the motives

Banks will only make decisions that benefit them and thier stockholders do they make this much effort when one house burns down ? Insurance companies are they same make no mistake