Mallacoota: Military to rescue of pub with (almost) no beer

Navy personnel tasked with rescuing bushfire-trapped residents received a new mission on Friday — delivering beer to a country pub on the verge of running dry.

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Navy personnel tasked with rescuing bushfire-trapped residents received a new mission on Friday — delivering beer to a country pub on the verge of running dry.

More than a thousand people have been evacuated from the Victorian town of Mallacoota, with the military sending landing craft to collect families trapped there since New Year’s Eve.

A military landing craft used to transport CFA members and evacuees from Mallacoota to Melbourne. Picture: Luis Ascui/Getty Images

But after several shuttle runs and with the immediate emergency ebbing the navy will deliver much-needed supplies, including a precious cargo of tinnies to thirsty survivors, a department of defence spokesperson confirmed.

“The beer is not occupying unnecessary space on HMAS Choules and essential supplies were not offloaded to accommodate the beer,” the spokesperson added.

Carlton and United Breweries said on Friday it had dropped beer at the Cerberus naval base for the Mallacoota Hotel, after it was on the verge of running out.

Eastern Gippsland has been one of the worst-hit regions. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

The delivery includes 20 kegs and four pallets of beer and cider.

“A pub with no beer is bad enough at the best of times,” said Carlton and United Breweries CEO Peter Filipovic.

“After what Mallacoota residents and fireys have been through the least we could do is make sure they could enjoy a beer.

“We’re not sure if the navy has ever shipped beer to civilians before but these fires are an extraordinary disaster.”

The 16,000-tonne relief ship HMAS Choules was due to return to Mallacoota with the beer on Friday.

Originally published as Mallacoota: Military to rescue of pub with (almost) no beer