Fences for farmers: Volunteers help Grampians recovery efforts

Tents and caravans have created a “little city” at Willaura Recreation Reserve, as volunteers travel to fire-affected areas to help farmers rebuild.

Volunteers have hit the road to help fire-affected farmers in the recovery efforts at the Grampians.

BlazeAid Willaura camp co-ordinator Simon Hardy said there were about 50 farmers who needed fencing so far, and about 54 volunteers.

BlazeAid Willaura camp co-ordinator Simon Hardy. Picture: Nicole Cleary

He believed the recovery efforts would take several months.

“There are some very big jobs, we’ve been delayed a bit while farmers wait for insurance assessors,” he said.

“Nonetheless we have work, cleaning up fencelines where we can and waiting to get into building mode.”

BlazeAid volunteer Steve Hemphill. Picture: Nicole Cleary

BlazeAid supports farmers after fire, flood and cyclone events, and Mr Hardy said they relied on donations of time, equipment and money.

“We sometimes get some fencing materials donated, but the basic way we operate is the farmers are responsible for the materials and we put up the fences for them.”

He said farmers often had insurance, which would cover materials, before volunteers installed the new fencing.

A team of BlazeAid volunteers, helping the Grampians fire recovery efforts. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Mr Hardy said the volunteer base camp at the Willaura Recreation Reserve looked like “a little city”.

“There are lots and lots of caravans, tents as well. The way we operate is providing those sites for them with support from the council and the local community,” he said.

“We feed them three meals a day, so they’ll come in for breakfast and make their lunches to take out with them, and a two-course meal with dinner.”

Mal Templeton at the BlazeAid initiative, Willaura. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Several volunteers were backpackers on their 88-day visa workloads, or families from across Australia.

“We have volunteers from all over the world, we have people from all over Australia from young grandkids to octogenarians,” Mr Hardy said.