‘It’s made us better people’: BlazeAid volunteers reflect on time spent rebuilding the Hills community

After rebuilding 202km of fencing across 400 fire-ravaged properties in the Adelaide Hills, BlazeAid is calling it a day.

After a 202km stretch across 400 properties, the final post has been driven into the soil and the last metre of wire spun.

The BlazeAid volunteers on Tuesday downed tools after an amazing eight months helping rebuild Cudlee Creek fire-ravaged properties.

Volunteer co-ordinator Andy O’Donohue said about 1000 volunteers had been working across 400 properties since January 10, only taking a six week break in the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Together they have completed 6700 volunteer hours and helped rebuild more than 200km of fencing and other structures that have been damaged or destroyed by the Adelaide Hills blaze.

Mates for life: The Loberthal Blazaid crew on their last day fixing a fence on a Woodside property. L-R John McKenzie, Carl Jooste, Peter Rolloff, Ken Herbig, Russell Bone, Steve Murphy and Coordinator Andy O'Donahue. Picture: Mark Brake

“It’s important and rewarding work that goes beyond fencing as we often spent time just talking and counselling people who have lost everything,” Mr O’Donohue said.

“In fact, one of the hardest things we had to do was give the property owners confidence … to let them know that we were there to get their life back on track and I think we achieved that.”

But there’s been also milestones for the group.

“The average age for our volunteers has been 68,” he said.

“A lot of these guys are retired or out of work, and volunteering has given them purpose.

“It also allowed them to make new friends and have a laugh – in fact, I think that’s what we’ll miss the most, all the friendly banter and jokes.

“Being part of this, it makes you part of a much better community and a better human being.”

Hahndorf local John McKenzie said his first time volunteering was something that he will never forget.

“I joined as soon as the camp opened in January and the experience has been very rewarding,” he said.

“In the early days, you’d see a tenseness in the property owner when we arrived but would be completely different people by the end of the day as they saw things starting to happen.

“I think seeing that has been our reward and something I will never forget,” said Mr McKenzie.

Property owners with fencing repair needs should contact the Lobethal Recovery Centre on 1800 302 787.