NSW bushfires, Minderoo Foundation: First temporary houses rolled out after fire

Stefan Talmatzky lost almost everything when fire tore through his off-grid home, nestled in forest southwest of Wallaga Lake. He was lost for words when he became one of the first people to be given a temporary housing pod to live in.

Stefan Talmatzky, Coolagolite, is one of the first people to receive temporary accommodation pods courtesy of the NSW Government and Minderoo Foundation.

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The healing process for an elderly Coolagolite man who lost his rural home on the Far South Coast has been infused with hope after he became one of the first bushfire victims to receive temporary housing.

Minderoo Foundation and the NSW Government have teamed up to deliver and install up to 100 recovery pods across the state for fire impacted residents.

Some of the first shipping containers turned emergency accommodation are being rolled out across the Far South Coast this week.

Stefan Talmatzky was lost for words on Wednesday when the dust settled on his new humble abode that has been loaned to him for two years. The 20-foot converted shipping containers feature four bunk beds, a dishwasher, gas cooktop, bathroom and an awning.

Stefan Talmatzky lived in his rural home for 33 years before it was destroyed by the Badja Forest Road fire on January 23.

Mr Talmatzky’s uninsured off-grid property, nestled in forest southwest of Wallaga Lake, was destroyed by the Badja Forest Road fire on January 23. Solar panels, water pipes and his home all burst, melted or crumpled under the intense heat.

“The fire came in a weird way, like candles dropping near my house,” he said.

“That's when I freaked because it wasn't hot. There were the weirdest winds before that. Twisters, which I've never seen here in the 33 years. They were like white sheets, a pointy cone going up to nearly four metres.

“While I was repacking the car, which was nearly fully packed, I turned around to the car and saw a cone on the drive of my bend. I only have one exit and that's when my system went totally on adrenaline and I actually freaked like I've never done before. I forgot important things and just left because that was ghostly to me. It was the ghostliness because it wasn't hot.”

This is all that remains of his kitchen.

Now, three and a half months later, he can return to his property and continue the long road to rebuilding his home.

The German national celebrated the occasion with a toast to new beginnings beside friends including Danielle Murphy of the Cobargo Bushfire Relief Centre and Mal James of Minderoo Foundation Fire Fund.

“I am actually overwhelmed, I don’t have words for this,” he said to the South Coast News.

“All these other people coming (to the delivery) and being happy for me.”

Minderoo Foundation Fire Fund’s Mal James (right) recalled meeting Stefan when he evacuated to the Bermagui Hotel car park.

The part-time homoeopathy practitioner has practised in the Bermagui and Cobargo regions for 33 years.

Apart from 10 days in emergency accommodation, supported through the Red Cross, Mr Talmatzky had lived with former patients who are now friends in south Bermagui. He admits since retiring, he has lived a reclusive life.

“A lady called me a ‘caveman’. So this fire got my arse out of the bush,” he said. “It got me going, meeting nice people.”

Mr Talmatzky praised the support he has received over the past few months from volunteers, friends and people on the frontline from Red Cross.

“The groundspeople, they are just tops. They should be running the country,” he said.

South Coast crane operators and Minderoo Foundation staff deliver one of 100 emergency pods to the Far South Coast.

The 20-foot converted shipping containers feature four bunk beds, a dishwasher, gas cooktop, bathroom and an awning.

As the sun set, Mr Talmatzsky collected sticks for a small fire. He points out the “kiln-fired” mud bricks that were supposed to be used for his library to house the thousands of books that perished in the blaze.

He has plans to use some for a mud brick outdoor fireplace.

“It’s will be my bum-warmer,” he joked.

Stefan Talmatzky has been given a temporary housing pod to live in after the fires.

Despite the dire situation and long rebuild, he insists you must maintain a sense of humour.

“There’s a quote, ‘if you don’t have a sense of tumour you’ll get a tumour’.”

The Minderoo Foundation Fire Fund plans to roll out all the shipping containers by June. They are planning to deliver some to residents in the Eurobodalla, Shoalhaven and fire ravaged districts of the north coast of NSW.