The nation’s leading universities are mobilising to provide immediate support to students, families, communities and businesses hit by the bushfire crisis after discussions between the Group of Eight major universities and federal Education Minister Dan Tehan.

In the short term, the universities have offered to provide everything from financial support to students affected by the fires and on-campus accommodation for displaced families, to agistment for livestock, trauma support for first responders and specialised medical care for burns victims, according to a letter sent by Group of Eight (Go8) chief executive Vicki Thomson to Mr Tehan.

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In the medium and long term, the universities have offered to liaise with the government via the Go8 to provide expertise in rebuilding communities, industries, economies and climate science.

The Go8 is a coalition of elite research universities, including the University of Sydney, University of NSW, University of Melbourne, Monash University, Australian National University, and the universities of Western Australia, Adelaide, and Queensland.