Australian Defence Force helps with bushfire clean-up in Victoria, NSW
ADF members and their heavy machinery are being used to assist with the enormous task of clearing roads and dropping supplies to isolated communities across East Gippsland.
VIC News
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A mass clean-up of fire-ravaged Victoria is ramping up as every bushfire-affected family is given a support worker to help them through the crisis.
Cooler weather forecast over coming days will ease the fire danger, but hundreds of people still can’t return to their homes.
Heavy machinery and army equipment is being brought in to clear roads while tonnes of desperately needed supplies are being trucked in to accessible areas.
Gippsland federal MP Darren Chester called for the Princes Highway, which has been closed between Orbost and the NSW border for 12 days, to be cleared as a priority to connect with Mallacoota and other isolated communities in the far east.
Two Army Bushmaster vehicles have pushed through the debris-riddled highway from Orbost to Mallacoota.
In other developments:
DEDICATED support co-ordinators will be deployed to help affected families get back on their feet in a new $14.4 million state government program;
MINING millionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest was due to fly into Mallacoota and Bairnsdale by private helicopter to see how his donated millions could be spent;
EMERGENCY services workers and residents will get 10 extra federal government-subsidised psychologist sessions to help recover from the unprecedented disaster; and
VICTORIA Police’s heavy vehicle unit delivered much-needed hay to livestock into Brodribb River, Newmerella, Omeo and Buchan.
More than 1000 firefighters, supported by more than 60 aircraft, were last night fighting 19 fires.
As authorities began the massive clean-up, the Great Alpine Rd to Omeo from the south and Gelantipy Rd to Murrindal were opened for residents only.
In Omeo, residents returned to blue skies after the fire threat subsided and overnight showers cleared a smoke haze that had blanketed the town for weeks.
Nat O’Connell, 34, and her daughters Holly, 5, and Chloe, 3, evacuated from the town on Wednesday, travelling to Melbourne as authorities warned of potentially deadly fire conditions on Friday.
“With the looming weather and the issue of smoke we decided to go,” Ms O’Connell said.
“The air quality, they said, was like smoking four cigarettes at once so the girls couldn’t go outside.
“When you are a parent, all you care about is their safety.”
Her father, Rod O’Connell, 64, a CFA volunteer for more than three decades, stayed to defend the town, in particular the hospital and nursing home.
“My wife and my father are in there, so I’m quite in tune with the vulnerability of the place,” he said.
It had been challenging times for the community, with two major threats and evacuations in a week.
“We’ve definitely dodged a bullet this time,” Mr O’Connell said.
The fire threat has not completely gone, with blazes in the area expected to not be under control for weeks.
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In East Gippsland, emergency services told residents to stop attempting to cut and clear their way out of hazardous closed areas.
A total of 4900km of roads in the region were to be assessed.
About 3000 army personnel, including 2016 reservists, were involved in the national response.
National co-ordinator Major General Jake Ellwood said the defence force yesterday delivered 4000 litres of unleaded, 10,800 litres of diesel and 108 45kg LPG bottles to Mallacoota.
“Diesel was the absolute priority because the generator for the town’s power runs on diesel, so we were able to ensure that it received what it required,” he said.
Victoria’s State of Disaster declaration ended at midnight.