The scars of the bushfire still remain, but the Wairewa residents are busy re-establishing their properties and community.

Local CFA members Julian and Leanne Davies say recovery is moving along going and the community is moving forward.

Grocon contractors have finished the clearing of homes and shed sites, taking many months.

“It did take a long time, but the contractors had to do it by the book,” Julian, who is captain of the Wairewa CFA, said.

“All sites had to be treated as hazardous, which included double wrapping loads to be taken away.”

Julian was impressed with how respectful the contractors were to landholders.

Eleven homes were destroyed and 32 property owners were affected by fire. Some residents have chosen not to rebuild or have left the area, but many are now ready to build a new home.

“Two residents are in the process of looking at Anchor Homes to be brought in, but that is a problem as they will not fit under the railway bridge,” Julian said.

“There is an alternative route, but it has a bridge which may not be suitable.”

As has been reported in many other areas that have been burnt, the biggest hold-up has been obtaining permits.

“Getting permits and working out the restrictions and overlays has been taking too long,” Julian said.

Julian said Blaze Aid must be commended for their rapid and effective response. 

“Whether property owners had insurance or not, this organisation was there to rebuild perimeter fences and clean up,” he said.

Wairewa CFA has a membership of approximately 50 with a commendable 25 active members.

Like the majority of small brigades, it has struggled to get funding to improve its facilities and update equipment.

At the moment it only has the shed which houses the fire truck and field command vehicle, a meeting area and one toilet.

Wairewa CFA is part of the Orbost District CFA group and any combined trainings cannot be done at Wairewa due to lack of room.

“This means our members are constantly having to travel for group meetings and training sessions,” treasurer of the Wairewa CFA, Leanne Davies, said.

“We can’t even do a first aid course here and we no longer have the opportunity to host other brigades due to lack of facilities.”

Before the fires they were successful in receiving a grant to build a meeting room, disabled toilets and office area.

“At the moment we have to do all the administration work at our homes.”

Neil and Marie Geddes are two of the hard working members of the brigade.

Neil does all the maintenance on the equipment while Maree assists Leanne with grant applications and research.

“She has to do all this at her home, but with the new building all the administration will be central to the committee with easy access and disabled facilities,” Leanne said.

“We have also received a grant for a new water tank,” 

Julian commended all members who are working hard and doing the base work to get this project up and running.

In the future they hope to purchase a quick fill pump and update their field command vehicle.

With the experience of eight days without power after the fire, the committee is also keen to purchase a large generator.

“We had two small generators at the time, one of these was used at the station to run the pumps to fill the tankers and we took the other to the community hall where residents were sheltering,” Julian said.

The main fundraising effort for the brigade has been selling bagged firewood at the Nowa Nowa General Store.

“The store generously donates the bags we put the wood in so we get a 100 per cent profit,” Julian said.

The brigade has been humbled by the generosity and kindness of so many since the fires.

“We have had a grant for a new microwave, reverse cycle air conditioner, hot water urn and rangehood for the future building,” Julian said.

The Australian Islamic Centre donated a shipping container which has helped make more room in the shed.

“We have had people volunteer to paint the container to match the shed,” Julian said.

Westbury CFA, one of the brigades protecting the hall on the night of the fire, adopted the Wairewa CFA after the fires and has been enormously generous with their time and donations.

“A committee member of that CFA used his tow trucks to bring up fencing material and other donated material on three to four occasions at his own cost,” Julian said.

“They organised a night at the hall with a jumping castle for the kids and a blues band.

“They did all the catering, cooked everything up, we all went back the next day for breakfast as there was so much food. They wouldn’t even let us do the dishes.”

Although the community hall was not an official evacuation centre, many residents made their way there when the fires threatened.

“I radioed through to Vicfire and told them I was taking the tanker down to the hall as there were many people sheltering there,” Julian said.

“One strike team of four tankers came out and it took all five tankers to save the hall and the people sheltering inside.

“The fire was so ferocious, we were never going to save houses with just one tanker.” 

Since the fires the importance of the local hall has been highlighted and the hall committee saw a need to form a subcommittee to raise funds and organise events for the community to get together and talk.

“In the future we are looking at getting a new bathroom, a playground and most importantly a sprinkler system,” Leanne, who is also treasurer of the hall committee, said.

“We had a Berwick couple contact us after the fires asking what we needed for the hall.

“A new stove was suggested and the next week a six burner stainless steel oven turned up.

“People have just been so generous.”

After the fires passed through, the committee recognised the importance of keeping the community engaged and in contact with one another to help the healing.

They had organised soup nights and mosaic and whip making classes.

“We were also meeting up on Saturday mornings to cook up breakfast with all the food that had been donated, but COVID has put a stop to all that,” Leanne said.

The area the Wairewa brigade covers is extensive and with this in mind a second tanker is housed at the DEWLP in Nowa Nowa.

“We have members from Toorloo Arm and Nowa Nowa and they have bent over backwards to help our community,” Julian said.

“The next day after the fire they came out to do a welfare visit and they did a fantastic job, I was very emotional when I saw them.

“Within two days they were at the hall with a trailer full of food items, water and fresh fruit.

“Their generosity to this community is wonderful.

“I would also like to include Nowa Nowa General Store, it is a blessing to have that store, and Mingling Waters, who have both done a paid forward project, where people could pay money to the store and it was then used if Wairewa residents came in for any item.”

Julian said it was important people’s mental health was taken care of.

“Remember the Gippsland Lakes Complete Health and CFA Peer Support Program are there for you,” he said.

Julian and Leanne have also been through a tough time recently with Leanne suffering a stroke the day after an operation.

“I was recovering from an operation and then had a stroke and then had Bell’s Palsy,” she said.

She spent a month in hospital and is now home and slowly recuperating.

“In many ways you could say 2020 has been a terrible year,” she said.