Recovery slow going after iconic Binna Burra Lodge and 11 homes at Beechmont destroyed in 2019 Gold Coast hinterland bushfires
The landscape is slowly returning to normal – but the mental and emotional scars of those who faced the disaster are here to stay
Gold Coast
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SAPLINGS have sprung to life, grass has overtaken charred earth, the screeching of cockatoos echoes through the ranges and torched homes are slowly being replaced one year after a “tsunami of fire” tore through the parched Gold Coast hinterland.
But the mental and emotional scars of those who faced the natural disaster are here to stay and the threat of bushfires still looms large this season.
The fires last September gutted the historic Binna Burra Lodge and 11 homes in Beechmont, caused an estimated $60 million economic loss and scorched more than 5000ha of land – a sorry chain of events sparked when teenagers discarded a cigarette at Sarabah.
Pamela and Stewart Skeen lost their home of more than 25 years as fire roared up the top of the range and engulfed a string of properties on Timbarra Drive.
The couple fled with just a family photo, the clothes on their back and 15 pet canaries.
One year on, the Skeens are days away from their long-awaited homecoming, the remnants of their old timber home all but erased and a new besser block structure standing in its place.
The couple have been staying in a cottage kindly offered up by the boss of a local nursery, but Mrs Skeen cannot wait to get back in the kitchen to test out her shiny new oven.
The keen baker has been aching to return to her “little piece of paradise” since her life was turned upside down after she evacuated on September 6, 2019.
“I’m over the moon. The house is up, the electricians are still working at the moment. We’re very close to getting in but we’re not there yet,” she explained.
“The kitchen is ready and it’s just lovely. I’m really eager to get in now. I’m over it.
“Our insurer was great, we had the money within a week. To walk into a brand new house, that’s mind boggling to me.”
The Skeen residence is one of only two homes rebuilt, the other abode belonging to elderly neighbour Peter Barton-Eckett.
The struggle to rebuild can be attributed to tougher building regulations, financial woes and, for some, a reluctance to return after witnessing their home aflame.
Mrs Skeen said the trauma of the disaster would stick with the community for years to come.
“It’s still raw and it won’t leave us for a long, long time. I’m just glad no one was killed in the whole thing,” the 74-year-old said.
“We have our days and we have our moments. The hardest thing is when we go back home. We’re having moments where we’re missing something and realise ‘oh, it’s gone in the fire’.
“But we’ll take it day by day – that’s how we’re looking at everything.
“Everyone who was in it like us is the same. It’s going to take a long time mentally to accept what has taken place.”
The Skeens have been buoyed by “fantastic neighbours and the whole community”.
“I can honestly say we’ve made a lot of friends. Strangers chipped in. People we didn’t know came on scene and it was just fantastic. This is what life is all about,” she said.
“One thing I find hard is: how do you help the people that have helped you? I’m getting a brand new house out of this. I wonder if I deserve it.
“We’re still hearing some people are having trouble with insurers and that’s totally wrong in my eyes. I feel for those people, I really do.”
She struggled to find the words to thank those who helped the hinterland in its darkest days.
Her husband admitted in the months that followed the fires he “was just so angry”.
“But what can you get angry at? Mother Nature?” Mr Skeen shrugged.
Now, the 71-year-old is simply thrilled to come home atop the hill, where the screeches of the black cockatoos are a welcome sign of the native animals which have also returned.
Lodge chairman and Beechmont Rural Fire Brigade member Steve Noakes is still in awe of the massive firefighting effort that saved hundreds of homes and part of his iconic rainforest getaway, a popular haunt for visitors from far and wide.
He vividly described the peak of the disaster in early September as a “tsunami of fire”.
Similarly terrifying comparisons were made by Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen, who spoke of “a wall of floating fire” descending on firefighters on September 6, 2019.
Queensland Fire Emergency Service (QFES) Assistant Commissioner Kevin Walsh revealed he had “never seen anything as bad” as the “ferocious” conditions fuelled by 90km/h wind gusts.
Hazard reduction burns by rural firies in August evolved into heroic battles on the frontline come September and dragged into exhausting spot fire control into December.
Eyes reddened from smoke and sheer exhaustion were a common sight – there was never time to slow down, never time to take stock of the unfolding disaster.
Infrastructure was lost but the hard work of determined responders, no doubt aided by a stroke of luck, meant no lives were lost.
“The firefighters are pretty modest people, but you hear horrendous stories. One group was in a fire field and a tree they reversed past fell down 30 seconds later,” Mr Noakes said.
“It would have killed them. Those sort of stories are very common. We were incredibly lucky.
“When you’ve got 80-90km/h winds fuelling a tsunami of fire it can go anywhere.”
Mr Noakes said many in the community were now startled by the smell of smoke and the unease was palpable when a bushfire recently broke out at Springbrook.
“Of those who lost their houses, some are coming to terms and moving on, but it’s still quite raw,” he said.
“It’s interesting, the psychology. The memories of anniversaries trigger something in people. They can bring back some sadness, anxiety or depression.”
Mr Noakes was aware of at least three more rebuilds likely to proceed, but said “there’s a couple of people who lost their homes who won’t come back to the area”.
“It’s just too much for them,” he sighed.
Mr Noakes said the Country Women’s Association and other grassroots groups “were going 24/7, seven days a week” feeding firies – just one example of a tireless response to the bushfires from everyday heroes. Support also flowed into the community from across the nation.
The scenes in the hinterland saw media flock to town and Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tour the fire grounds.
Interstate firefighters and other emergency services raced to the area and packages of support were trucked in from across Australia.
Canungra Sports and Recreation Ground burst into a flurry of activity.
Natural disasters always bring communities together and nowhere was this clearer than inside the showground, where piles of food and other essentials were stacked higher by the minute.
Cr Christensen said he couldn’t have been more proud of his community, or appreciative of the kindness of strangers.
“There are people who certainly have a level of emotional stress and uncertainty,” he said.
“Myself, I’m not so much worried about smoke in the air, but the last week and a half has been a challenging time, just in terms of reflecting on the trauma of loss of property, the loss of Binna Burra and the uncertainty we were facing day-in, day-out.”
Cr Christensen admitted “tossing and turning” at night.
“I remember all those faces who lost their homes, I’ve had them cry on my shoulder, my wife’s had them cry on her shoulder – it’s personal for us. None of us walk through any of this alone.”
Worryingly, Cr Christensen warned the hinterland faced a renewed fire threat — more rain is needed, there has been heavy regrowth and forest corridors could act as fuel.
“We’re fully leaned forward for this fire season. We’re not relaxing yet. I would love some consistent rain to ease us through the year.
“We have seen a targeted investment in our area, with our steep country. QFES have put in an additional fleet of Yankees, little four-wheeler units, which are much more agile. That will give us a more rapid response. If you get there early you can cut off some of these fires.
“Council has also been working with QFES to get bores in remote parts of the region to ensure we have a reliable water supply. We were in drought (last year) and we had to tanker water long distances.”
Property owners have been urged to manage their own risk and fireproof their properties.
On the bright side, hinterland businesses have enjoyed a boom as Queensland tourists holiday at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve come out of the back of our COVID lockdown period and so much of our visitor economy is going gangbusters,” Cr Christensen said.
“I’ve got businesses who are recording highest ever daily turnovers.
“I think we’ve shown that resilience is more than survival. Resilience is about being able to thrive off the back of adversity.”
BY THE NUMBERS
- Homes: 11 destroyed, four badly damaged.
- Commercial buildings: Five destroyed, three badly damaged.
- People: 1337 personnel, including 627 from RFS.
- Vehicles: 224 appliances
- Air support: 88 dispatches using 16 aircraft.
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