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PHOTOGRAPHY BY DON FUCHS
GIPPSLAND
GRIT
and resilience are driving
the bushfire recovery
in south-eastern Victoria.
sprouts new life. After being badly
burnt, most eucalypts will produce
epicormic shoots such as this from
buds that lie dormant beneath the
bark (see page 16).
The road to recovery is largely being paved by community groups. Although restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have affected recovery processes, locals hope that once the dust settles, visitors will return to East Gippsland. Reviving tourism is vital to helping people get back on their feet.
In the meantime, as residents band together to rebuild their homes and businesses, heartwarming stories of generosity, kindness and community spirit abound. Here are some of their stories.
Local resident Grant Cockburn, president of the Mallacoota & District Business & Tourism Association and owner of Mallacoota Hireboats, has been active in the town’s recovery. “Our initial focus was to boost morale, regain some normality and restore important assets that the locals enjoy. It was all about moving forward and getting everyone back on the beach and enjoying the place again,” Grant says. “The local Mallacoota Lions Club have been fantastic. They’ve been instrumental in coordinating
numerous projects, including rebuilding the beach access steps at Bastion Point.”
Teams of people from television programs such as the Today Show and The Block were also on hand to assist. The Lions Club worked with The Block to rebuild an elaborate chicken coop at the local school as well as a new barbecue pavilion and picnic facilities at Betka Beach. Boardwalks, walking paths and jetties around the lake are also being restored.
Many of Mallacoota’s major employers had their buildings destroyed by fire, including Victoria’s largest abalone co-op. Before the fire, the Abalone Fishermen’s Co-operative employed eight permanent and 40 casual staff and had an annual turnover of about $15 million. For any small town, the loss of such a business is devastating. Because it’s the town’s biggest employer, rebuilding the facility has been a priority: it’s scheduled to reopen in the middle of next year.
It will facilitate waste-product processing: abalone shells will be able to be crushed for fertiliser and soft components of these marine delicacies incorporated into sauces for international export. Opportunities are also being explored for it to become a processing plant for sea urchins, which are a pest in this area, dominating the ocean floor and affecting marine biodiversity. The processing of urchins in Mallacoota will help reduce numbers of this pest while opening new revenue streams for the co-op.
has been instrumental in the clean-up,
recovery and rehabilitation within
Buchan Caves Reserve.
Fairy Cave, built in 1938, was,
however, completely destroyed.
The fire at Buchan came through from Snowy River National Park on the afternoon of 30 December. It swept through the reserve’s Northern Arm Campsite and razed two self-contained cabins, five eco retreats, a kitchen facility, and a barbecue shelter. Fire crews managed to douse the Visitor Centre, which houses heritage items, relics and interpretation displays, with fire retardant. This saved the main buildings and their contents.
Although all the hills surrounding the reserve were severely burnt, the valley itself was relatively unaffected due to the presence of an assortment of non-native trees. “That’s the beauty of exotics and deciduous varieties; they’re not full of oils that explode when they superheat like the eucalypts,” Hamish says.
The impact of fire and smoke on the caves was initially unknown but geotechnical assessments and air-quality tests have now confirmed there was no damage within the cave system. Once access was granted, the immediate focus was to fix all the fuse boxes, wiring, lighting and phone lines that run through the caves.
The heritage-listed entrance to Fairy Cave, built in 1938, was, however, completely destroyed. It will be replaced via the heritage restoration process. According to Hamish, “the clean-up and recovery is happening very quickly, faster than we could have ever imagined”.
The reserve is also home to the tree known as Buchan blue wattle, which is endemic to the area. It is found mostly in clay soils over limestone rock. Many of the big stands were wiped out by the fire, but, because the wattle needs and thrives on fire to regenerate, the species is likely to experience a strong germination phase.
The story is different for four gigantic Monterey cypress trees that were planted in 1920 to provide shade for the first toilet block at Royal Cave. They didn’t survive the blaze. Their legacy, however, will continue: timber from these trees will be used to replace picnic tables and seating, and will serve as a reminder of the bushfires.
before last summer’s fires shows
the usually picturesque entrance
to the area’s coastal lake system.
“In the beginning everyone was ringing us asking, ‘What can we do?’,” Sandra recalls. “People were offering to give us money so we put it into a fund and then we paid it forward to locals who had lost things or were in need. It’s been really heartening. People donated whatever they could. One day a man came in to buy a bottle of water; he handed over $50 and said, ‘Keep the change.’ A local pensioner donated $600, and a business in Lakes Entrance who wanted to remain anonymous has contributed about $3000.”
The ripple effect of the ‘pay it forward’ idea has had a powerful and emotional impact on Kylie Miller, who lives with her husband, Brett, on the Gippsland Lakes at Newlands Arm, near Paynesville. The couple also owns a 4ha hobby farm at Wairewa, a small farming community a few kilometres east of Nowa Nowa. There the couple planned to build their dream home on a scenic hilltop.
Kylie and Brett weren’t at the Wairewa property when the fire front came through, but neighbours saved their cabin before retreating to the local community hall where 30 people, 15 dogs and two horses were protected by Country Fire Authority (CFA) firefighters during the firestorm. The couple lost fences, water tanks, pumps, wiring and sheds, and the orchard took a hit as well. It’s the irreplaceable things that most matter to them. “What we really love and miss are the majestic old trees, our
orchards, the rolling green hills, the lichen-covered timber fences and the abundance of birds and wildlife that can be seen on the property.”
A few weeks after the fire, Kylie stopped at the Nowa Nowa store to buy a drink. She saw some fruit trees for sale out the front so picked out a replacement lime tree to plant at the orchard. When she went to pay, Sandra informed her about the ‘pay it forward’ scheme and insisted that Kylie take it for free. “The incredible generosity is what makes everyone emotional,” Kylie says. “People are so amazing and kind.”
When I meet her at her property, she is cradling the lime tree in her arms and has decided to plant the tree only once water is reinstalled on the property. “This lime tree means everything and I want to give it every possible chance of survival,” she says. “To me it symbolises so many things – new growth, new beginnings, recovery, a fresh start, healing and the unbelievable generosity that is attached to the ‘pay it forward’ scheme. I still cry every time I think about it.”
bushland in East Gippsland suggests
the scale of the fi re in the area.
Experts believe it will take decades,
possibly a century, for some
environments to fully recover.
The hall has since become an unofficial meeting place and support hub for residents. Jo Andrews is one of many who have volunteered their time to help the badly affected community.
She and other volunteers have provided more than 100 relief packages to fire-affected homes and have organised community events to support people through their recovery.
“Everyone was busy cleaning up their properties, so initially we thought it would be good to provide people with a hearty meal to keep them going,” Jo says. “Community cohesion started to build and neighbours began relying on each other and talking about their experiences. We don’t have any formal mental health support at the moment, but we have become an important hub for informal conversations. There’s a real sense of community connection with no expectations. People can just rock up, eat and chat.”
A photography program for the children of Sarsfield was also launched at the hall. Photography company Fujifilm donated 20 digital cameras, which will be used to document the recovery process from the perspectives of local children. They will take turns photographing their lives for a week, before passing the cameras on to other children. The photos will be printed and ▶
established at Sarsfield to help locals
in their recovery. COVID-19 restrictions
have limited face-to-face interactions,
so volunteers have since focused on
providing support via online platforms.
Among those who lost their homes and belongings are the Bryant brothers, Boris (17) and Dylan (16). They lost the house they lived in with their primary carer, Aunty Margaret. The boys attend Bairnsdale Secondary College where they’re part of the Clontarf Academy, a national program that focuses on education and sport to help young Indigenous students achieve their full potential.
Despite their own personal losses, Boris and Dylan have shown remarkable resilience, generosity and community spirit. When the opportunity to volunteer with BlazeAid arose through the academy, the boys didn’t hesitate to chip in. They helped cook evening meals and worked with other BlazeAid volunteers. “We put up our hands to go and help because we just wanted to give something back to the community,” says Boris.
The boys are currently living in emergency housing in Bairnsdale with Aunty Margaret and other family members. They are sharing a bedroom with their younger brother, Alan, so it’s a tight squeeze until they can find more permanent accommodation. “Our room is a bit messy at the moment with the three of us crammed in there,” Dylan says, laughing. “Hopefully, we’ll find a bigger house soon.”
Once access was granted into the fire-affected regions, Chief Conservation Scientist for Parks Victoria, Dr Mark Norman, and his team performed reconnaissance flights all over eastern ▶
Mark says the scale of these fires and their impacts was unprecedented. “We’re moving into new times and new circumstances because of climate change and its impacts,” he says. “This was not a normal bushfire – it was beyond that. The recovery will take a long time and some landscapes may change forever.”
Before the fire front approached, an emergency rescue of threatened eastern bristlebirds was undertaken by scientists and wildlife experts at Howe Creek, in Croajingolong NP. Fifteen birds were captured and taken to Melbourne Zoo where they will live until it is safe for them to be returned. Another important project is underway to rescue threatened aquatic species, such as varieties of galaxiid fish and freshwater mussels and crayfish.
Helping injured and displaced wildlife depends heavily on volunteers such as Ary Row, a wildlife carer who runs the Bruthen Bat and Roo Wildlife Shelter at her 8ha property. She is currently caring for two young kangaroos named Royni and Karol that suffered burns and other injuries in the fires. Royni was named after local police officers, Roy and Roni, who drove through the fire to rescue her. Royni and Karol are currently housed in pens to limit their movement while they heal. As they gain strength they will be soft-released onto the property and when fully recovered they will be introduced to a wild population of local kangaroos.
Ary also recently cared for 15 flying-foxes that were rescued from a large colony at Bairnsdale. She bottle-fed them, nursed them back to health and provided an environment where they could regain their social structures. Many flying-foxes were killed due to the extreme heat, smoke and fire stress.
Ary, too, has suffered personal trauma during the bushfire crisis, with the passing of her stepfather caused by a fire event on the south coast of New South Wales. Her teenage brother, a firefighter, is dealing with post-traumatic stress after being on the frontline. “I’ve definitely struggled and it’s been extremely hard,” Ary says. “I’ve had good and bad days, but caring for injured wildlife and doing something positive keeps me going. We have an amazing network of carers and wildlife shelters working together and none of us would be here without each other.” Ary Row (below), from Bruthen Bat and Roo Wildlife Shelter, operates a 24-hour wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre with the intention of releasing sick or injured animals back into the wild. Brothers (right) Boris (with sleeves) and Dylan Bryant volunteered with BlazeAid to help build fences on farmland near Sarsfield. Jo Andrews (with daughter Eliana) has been a driving force in providing support services to the Sarsfield community.
Beauty on the brink
IT’S JUST AFTER lunchtime, the morning rains have finally cleared and the sun begins breaking through the clouds. Max Breckenridge, a captive release project officer with BirdLife Australia (BLA) is slowly walking along a dirt road that cuts through a patch of untouched spotted gum–ironbark forest in the Lower Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
Our new conservation superpower
There were expectations it would reveal much about the evolution of this continent’s largely unique mammal fauna, and it has. But to most scientists working in Australian wildlife conservation, it didn’t seem to have a lot of practical relevance.
Lifeblood of the nation
Below the modern Brewarrina Weir in north-western New South Wales, a 2km bend holds the remains of this ancient structure, a complex of dry-stone walls and a site of engineering brilliance. Displaying advanced knowledge of river hydrology and fish ecology, the traps were designed to catch Murray cod, golden and silver perch and other fish, but allow breeding stock to pass through.
When a city rises
THAT FEBRUARY 2011 earthquake, which struck during the city’s lunch hour, was the most destructive in a series. It was the one that broke so many of the Central Business District’s verticals and horizontals – its buildings and the roads, sewers, water and gas pipes. It was shallow and ferocious. Its peak vertical ground acceleration of 2.2G (more than twice the acceleration of gravity) momentarily lifted parts of Christchurch to the sort of face-distorting speeds astronauts experience when they ascend into space.
Grantham’s road to recovery
IT WAS 10 JANUARY 2011 and once again it was pouring with rain. Queensland had already endured its wettest spring and December on record, and yet still the rain kept coming. I was working at the time as a freelance photographer for Queensland’s main newspaper, The Courier Mail. And weary of capturing “wet weather photos”, I’d decided to stay dry inside my Toowoomba office.