Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has singled out Sikh Volunteers Australia for their sustained on-the-ground support during the 2026 bushfire emergency, pointing to their daily presence as communities across the state faced displacement, loss and exhaustion.
“The Sikh Volunteers Australia were out every single day—feeding families, emergency crews and neighbours as fires tore through communities,” the Premier said, acknowledging the organisation’s visible role in towns such as Seymour, Mansfield and Ruffy, where relief centres became lifelines for evacuees and responders.
Sikh Volunteers Australia has been a familiar sight at disaster sites for years, operating food vans staffed entirely by volunteers and serving freshly cooked vegetarian meals to anyone who needs them. During the current bushfire crisis, teams began deploying on January 10, travelling long distances to reach hard-hit areas and returning day after day as conditions evolved. At the Seymour relief centre, based at the local sporting complex, volunteers worked alongside emergency services, handing out meals while fires burned nearby.
Jacinta Allan framed that effort as part of a wider response that went beyond government and formal agencies. “And they weren’t alone. Right across the state, community groups, volunteers, small businesses and locals opened their doors, their kitchens and their hearts to people facing the hardest days of their lives,” she said.
Sikh Volunteers Australia has been a familiar sight at disaster sites for years, operating food vans staffed entirely by volunteers and serving freshly cooked vegetarian meals to anyone who needs them
The Premier linked that ethic directly to what she described as a defining Victorian trait. “It’s what Victorians do better than anyone,” she said. “Showing up when it matters. Standing shoulder to shoulder. Doing what needs to be done.”
As bushfire conditions persisted, Sikh Volunteers Australia continued to rotate teams and food vans across multiple locations, often coordinating informally with local responders to fill gaps as needs shifted. Their work complemented other grassroots efforts, from hay drops for livestock to community-run supply drives, forming a quiet but effective network of support beneath the larger emergency response.
The recognition from the Premier arrives as relief operations move into a longer phase, with many affected residents still relying on community hubs for meals, information and reassurance. For Sikh Volunteers Australia, the attention has not changed the task at hand. Vans are stocked, volunteers rostered, and kitchens kept running, guided by a simple principle of service.
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