Bega Council seeks caravan approval as 2020 bushfire recovery continues
Black Summer bushfire victims are still living in caravans and other temporary accommodation and will likely endure two more homeless winters because of creaking bureaucracy.
NSW
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Hundreds of bushfire victims living in caravans and shipping containers will likely endure two more homeless winters because of creaking bureaucracy, insurance delays and onerous planning rules.
A year on from the March 3 2020 end of the Black Summer bushfires on the south coast, only 13 of the 466 homes destroyed have been rebuilt.
The Sunday Telegraph can also reveal the NSW Government plans to expedite a pending request to extend a two-year ruling allowing bushfire victims to live for extended periods in temporary accommodation on either their property or in caravan parks.
“When it was first implemented I didn’t think they would need an extension on those two years, but I would say COVID-19 extended it out,” Bega Valley Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick said.
“The recovery is pretty slow and it’s no fault of anyone but that is just the economic climate we are in.”
A total of 92 development applications have been lodged and 80 approved by Bega Valley Council, which covers the epicentre of the disaster.
The state and federal government disaster funding has reached $4.4 billion, however critics say much of that money has been slow to get on the ground.
Peter Dunn, former commissioner of the emergency services authority ACT, who until recently lived in Lake Conjola, said “the government has been slow in coming through”.
“Red Cross, Lions and Rotary’s rollout has been a lot faster,” he said.
Australian Capital Equity and Seven Group Holdings have already provided $5.5 million towards equipment, temporary accommodation, mental health and education needs.
SGH CEO Ryan Stokes said “We can understand that frustration with people in the community given that it is more than one year on the fires. It’s quite concerning to us that even today one of the areas we are contributing in is for accommodation.
“It’s accommodation that is usually used for building work sites and now is being used as primary accommodation 12 months on.”
Disability pensioner Cath Healy lost her Bemboka home in the NYE inferno.
She is in the middle of rebuilding – hoping to finish in May – but currently living in a caravan.
“All I want is to not spend another winter in a caravan,” the horse lover said.
“It’s like living in third-world conditions. I broke my back in two places seven years ago. “The cold weather comes through and my back screams at me.”
A buyback scheme to compensate victims who lost their unauthorised “shanty homes” in the fires is tipped to be discussed at the highest level next week.
Mr Fitzpatrick has approached Bega State Liberal MP Andrew Constance about how they can help 25 south coast property owners who originally built their homes without council approval.
Mr Fitzpatrick said those people want to rebuild on their land but the council can’t approve a development application because they’d never comply with planning rules.
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