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ABC News, 28 July 2020 by Kevin Nguyen, Philippa McDonald and Maryanne Taouk New videos of the "mega-blaze" at Gospers Mountain and first-hand accounts from operational commanders have shed new light on Australia's biggest ever bushfire. Firefighting chiefs, some speaking for the first time, describe the blaze as "a continuous beast" that could not be controlled. "There's not really any words that summarise the intensity of that fire," said NSW Rural Fire Service volunteer Stacey Kent, who spent much of the summer battling the blaze. "You don't forget the heat, the smoke, the noise of the fire coming towards you." Click here to watch the visual investigation

Resilience NSW, 30 June 2020 Learn more about the work of the NSW Government in supporting individuals, households, communities, business and industry to recover from the Black Summer bushfires. Click here to download the report

Liberal Party of Australia, 17 July 2020 Farmers, small businesses and regional communities recovering from the worst bushfire season in living memory will benefit from close to $5 million in Commonwealth funding for NSW’s legal assistance services. Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro said free legal support is playing an important role in how well people, businesses and communities recover from disasters. “Bushfires have devastated the homes, businesses and livelihoods of so many people across our regions and now anyone facing legal problems as a result will have access to more free legal support than ever before,” Mr Barilaro said. “Almost $3 million in funding will be directed to legal assistance services for individuals navigating insurance claims, tenancy issues, financial hardship, social security entitlements and other legal problems caused by the bushfires. “A further $2 million will be invested in legal services for small businesses and primary producers. This will allow Legal Aid NSW to launch a new grants program, enabling private lawyers to access grants of aid to deliver free legal services to local businesses impacted by bushfires.” Attorney General Mark Speakman said the funding will boost the capacity of Legal Aid, Community Legal Centres and the Aboriginal Legal Service to support individuals in bushfire affected areas across the State. “This is great news for anyone whose livelihood has been torn apart by the bushfires.  More pro bono solicitors and more legal assistance will be available for farmers and small businesses seeking assistance and advice on the financial issues they face, including credit, banking and debt,” Mr Speakman said. “From the South Coast, to the Snowy Valley, to the Southern Highlands and to the North and Mid-North Coasts – anyone facing legal problems as a result of the bushfires will have access to more free legal support than ever before.” Today’s $4.9 million Bushfire Funding Agreement is part of the Australian Government’s $2 billion response to the 2019-20 Bushfire Disaster over two years. The Agreement will deliver the following legal assistance supports: Individuals Boost Legal Aid’s Disaster Response Legal Service to provide advice and referrals on issues including insurance claims, financial hardship, accommodation and CentreLink entitlements. Additional staff at five generalist Community Legal Centres (CLCs) in bushfire affected communities and three specialist CLCs delivering services to bushfire affected individuals. Increase the capacity of the Aboriginal Legal Service to provide its services to individuals in bushfire affected communities. Businesses and primary producers Establish and promote a new grants policy for private practitioners to deliver legal services to small business and primary producers for bushfire related issues. Extend Justice Connect’s pro bono platform to link small business and primary producers with pro bono services. Support the Financial Rights Legal Centre to continue offering its services specialising in areas including consumer credit, banking, debt recovery and insurance to small business and primary producers. Source: https://nsw.liberal.org.au/BUSHFIRES-$5M-BOOST-FOR-FREE-LEGAL-HELP

ABC NSW, By Stephanie March and Sashka Koloff 6 July 2020 Almost one in three of Cobargo’s shops were burned down. The asbestos-riddled debris wasn’t cleared until June. Federal and state government funded clean-up contractors have swarmed the main street in recent months. Locals are frustrated this clean-up has taken so long. It’s a huge task — in the Bega Valley Shire alone there are more than 2,000 burnt buildings to remove, containing an enormous 32,000 tonnes of asbestos-contaminated material. The Cobargo showground is home to the town’s bushfire relief centre, where locals come for supplies and to get help navigating the maze of bureaucracy. Read more...

Inspector-General for the Emergency Department, 17 June 2020 The examination of Victoria’s preparedness, response, relief and recovery concerning the 2019-20 fire season. On 14 January 2020 the government announced an independent inquiry into the 2019-2020 Victorian fire season would be conducted by the Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM). Through this Inquiry, IGEM will examine Victoria’s preparedness for the fire season, response to fires in large parts of Victoria's North East, Gippsland, and Alpine regions, and will review relief and recovery efforts. The Inquiry is being conducted over two phases: Phase 1: The Inquiry concluded its information collection focusing on Victoria’s preparedness for and response to the 2019-20 fire season on 30 April, to allow their consideration in the first report. Submissions relating to Phase 1 of the inquiry can continue to be provided, however these will inform an addendum to the Phase 2 report. Phase 2: The second report will focus on relief and recovery, and submissions on these topics will be considered until April 2021. Views and experiences may change over time, particularly as communities recover from the impacts of last summer’s fires. For this reason individuals and organisations are welcome to make more than one submission throughout the Inquiry. Community participation - sharing your views To ensure the Inquiry considers the views and experiences of the Victorian community before, during and after the fires, the Inspector-General will offer communities opportunities contribute. The more views and experiences the Inspector-General hears, the more informed he will be to make recommendations that - if implemented - will bring better outcomes for Victorians. Click here for more information and/or to make a submission

Australian Bushfire Help, 9 June 2020 The Victorian and Commonwealth Governments have announced support programs for primary producers and small businesses impacted by the Victorian Bushfires commencing 21 November 2019. The support includes: Emergency Bushfire Primary Industries Grants up to $75,000 Victorian Bushfire Emergency Transport Support Program up to $15,000 Victorian Bushfires Concessional Loans up to $500,000 Small Business Bushfire Support Grant $10,000 Wine Grape Testing Rebate up to $1,200 Applications will be assessed in order of receipt against the eligibility criteria. Applications for the Emergency Bushfire Primary Industries Grant and Emergency Transport Support Program close on 31 December 2020.​ Applications for the Victorian Bushfires Concessional Loans close on 31 December 2020. Applications for the Small Business Bushfire Support Grant close on 31 December 2020. Applications for the Wine Grape Testing Rebate close on 31 October 2020. Click Here for Additional Information The Victorian Small Business Bushfire Support Grant The Victorian and Commonwealth Governments have announced Small Business Bushfire Support Grants of $10,000 to support small businesses (including primary producers) who have experienced a significant loss of income due to the Victorian bushfires that commenced 21 November 2019. To be eligible for the grant, you must: be a small business owner hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the eligible disaster have been engaged in carrying on the small business in the defined disaster area when you were affected by the eligible disaster have suffered a decline in revenue of 40% or more in a 3-month period, compared to the same period in the previous year, as a result of the eligible disaster be located in one of the following LGAs: - Alpine (including the Alpine resorts) - East Gippsland - Towong - Wellington - Indigo - Mansfield - Wangaratta Grant assistance is also available to small businesses who work within the eligible disaster areas on a regular basis, provided they can demonstrate significant impact. Read more...

ABC South East NSW, 4 June 2020 as told to Vanessa Milton, Rosie King and Kerrin Thomas It was the most unrelenting disaster in Australia's recent history. From the first significant outbreak of bushfires in July 2019 until the rains finally came in February 2020, firefighters put their jobs, families and lives on hold, battling blazes that consumed millions of hectares and destroyed thousands of homes. Some of those firefighters now find themselves among an overwhelming number of Australians sifting through the ruins of their own homes as they come to terms with the overwhelming tragedy of the 2019-2020 bushfires. Across Australia, more than 300 firefighters and brigade volunteers lost or sustained damage to their own homes in the fires, which also claimed the lives of six firefighters. Some of the firefighters left homeless by the fires shared their story with the ABC. Read more...

Australian Bushfire Help, 27 May 2020 Re-establishment Grant The new grant is available to both home-owners and renters who lost their primary place of residence in the bushfires to provide somewhere safe to live in the medium-to-long term. It is open to home owners whose primary place of residence was destroyed, people who were renting homes that were destroyed and people who were living in non-permanent structures such as caravans or mobile homes that were destroyed in the fires. The new grant means that home-owners who lost their primary residence are now eligible for up to $50,000 in grants ($20,000 Emergency Grant + up to $30,000 Re-Establishment Grant). Renters who lost their primary residence are eligible for up to $30,000 in grants ($20,000 Emergency Grant + up to $10,000 Re-Establishment Grant). Primary place of residence includes houses and also non-permanent structures such as caravans and mobile homes. Applications close 31st August 2020. People who have already received emergency grants will be contacted to apply for the top up. For more information, contact the Red Cross Grants Team at: 1800 733 276 or Click Here This is due to the support and generosity of Australian and overseas donors during the 2019/20 bushfire season.

Australian Bushfire Help, 7 May 2020 A simple fence post is saving kangaroos and other Australian wildlife from extinction, after one billion animals were killed during the bushfire crisis. Australia's wildlife need this now more than ever. Residents complained to Sunshine Coast Council about roadkill and the Council 'listened and acted' rolling out virtual fencing in response. Australia has a significant roadkill issue and several endemic species that are vulnerable to roadkill. An estimate toll of 4 million Australian mammals killed per year on Australian roads, is conservative according to the CSIRO. Female marsupial casualties can have surviving young in their pouches, producing an estimated 560 000 orphans per year. A conservative estimate is that under 10% (up to 50 000) of these orphans are rescued, rehabilitated, and released by volunteer wildlife carers. Most people would not give it a second thought, but what if we started putting markers on the side of roads, to mark the death of an animal? It wouldn’t take to long to send a message home, that this needs to change. Surely, we need to start protecting our biodiversity from this unacceptable death toll. Germany uses wildlife crossings, giving wildlife, rite of passage along major highways. Local residents complained to Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland, about roadkill and the Council 'listened and acted' rolling out virtual fencing in response. 'Most collisions occur because of the surprise element for both the driver and the kangaroo,' a Council statement at the time read. Sunshine Coast Council purchased this equipment from an Australian company called Wildlife Safety Solutions and installed it at three separate locations across their region. Dubbed a 'virtual fence', the electronic signs are designed to change both kangaroo and driver behaviour. These posts are activated by car headlights shining on them and emit a loud buzzing sound thereby deterring wildlife from crossing the road. With this equipment, kangaroos are alerted to oncoming cars or motorbikes before crossing and correspondingly the cars and motorbikes are warned to slow down. With Australia holding the highest mammal extinction rate in the world, many unique mammal species no longer found in the wild on mainland Australia are still found in Tasmania, making mitigating roadkill hotspots an important conservation tool to help maintain presence of these species in their last remaining stronghold. In 2018, a 3 year trial by the CSIRO in Tasmania concluded a reduction in total roadkill rate, and in the most commonly affected species, by 50%, suggested that these devices have enormous potential to substantially reduce roadkill rates. They further stated that Road Managers, including Councils, in other Australian States that suffer from high rates of wildlife roadkill may benefit from the knowledge of the results of this trial. Here is some further information on the virtual fence solution available from Wildlife Safety Solutions: • The devices are solar-powered and detect oncoming headlights • When triggered, they sound a short alarm and flash lights • They have been shown to hold a kangaroo’s attention momentarily while the traffic passes • They work best on long, straight roads with a speed limit <90km/hr For further information on virtual fencing please contact Wildlife Safety Solutions: https://www.wildlifesafetysolutions.com.au/ Tyron de Kauwe, the Natural Areas Conservation Officer at Sunshine Coast Regional Council encourages anyone that is interested in this solution, to contact their Council directly and share the product information, so that it is definitely on their radar. You can also help right now: please don’t throw organic waste out the window, like apple cores or banana peels - it attracts wildlife to the sides of busy highways. In regional and wildlife areas please keep your eyes open, and SLOW DOWN.

Friday 17 April 2020 Australian Bushfire Help is here to help Australians. It is to a directory of where to find assistance during the bushfire recovery, after the National bushfire disaster...& it is growing daily! So many people are assisting with recovery efforts & if you cannot find what you need here, please contact me & I will point do my best to point you in the direction where you can find the information & resources you may be seeking. I went through the bushfire crisis with communities since the fires began in 2019. Having friends & family in regions impacted from the get go of this disastrous bushfire season. My hope is that Australian Bushfire Help will save you time & effort & help you to get on your way to recovery & restoration for yourself, friends & loved ones & also help Australian bushland & wildlife, that have been so severely impacted. You can find the Recovery Assistance directory here: Recovery Assistance For anyone that would like to help the bushfire recovery efforts - check out the Take Action page with Facebook groups you can follow & join & there are also volunteering opportunities. We also have a Bushfire Recovery Appeal for the Dunns Road Fire & 'We Are Conjola' documentary, which you can read more about here: Take Action If you are visiting Australian Bushfire Help website, please take some time to look around. There's lots of information - news, community groups, ways to help & if you would like to subscribe to our News Feed & updates please do so in the website footer!

BBC News, 31 January 2020. Record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought have fuelled a series of massive bushfires across Australia. Although recent cooler conditions and rain have brought some respite, more than 50 fires are still burning in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. Hot and windy conditions are forecast to return to many parts of New South Wales this weekend and authorities in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) have declared a state of emergency as massive bushfires rage south of Canberra. At least 33 people have been killed - including four firefighters - and more than 11 million hectares (110,000 sq km or 27.2 million acres) of bush, forest and parks across Australia has burned. Read More...