Norm Sharp is a fifth-generation farmer and has made a living off the land his entire life.
When 90 per cent of his property was burnt out in the New Year’s Eve fires that devastated north-east Victoria, the last person he expected to help him rebuild was an English backpacker.
But, he says, he couldn’t have done it without them.
“They’ve been astronomical, they work their hearts out, we wouldn’t be able to do anything without them,” he told SBS News.
Ninety per cent of his property was destroyed and he lost machinery, sheds, most of his cattle, and 15 kilometres of fencing.
Farmer Norm Sharp and his wife are grateful for the support. Source: SBS
But travellers volunteering with BlazeAid, an organisation that helps communities rebuild after natural disasters, have become regular visitors.
While BlazeAid is currently adapting to the COVID-19 crisis - which means establishing no new camps, not accepting volunteers over 75, and practising social distancing measures - work is still underway where possible.
Mr Sharp says rates on the unusable land still need to be paid and he’s hoping the new fences being built by the volunteers will help get the farm back into business.
“In other circumstances, we’d have no hope of doing the fencing that needs doing, you’d never get around to it all with just family and friends. These people are local heroes as far as I’m concerned.”
Paige McGuiness is from Sheffield in England and didn’t have much fencing experience, but three weeks on the land has taught her it’s about more than pickets and wiring.
Mr Sharp with some of the BlazeAid volunteers. Source: SBS
“It’s not just putting up a fence, it’s giving a farmer their livelihood back, their work back, it’s making a difference to that farmer and when they see what you’ve done - the appreciation, you can just see it on their face.”
About 10 backpackers from the US, UK and Europe are currently volunteering with BlazeAid, as they approach the end of their working visas. The current travel restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 do not impact this group as they are currently volunteering as they await their second working visa to be able to stay in the country.
They need to complete 88 days of regional work to qualify for the visa and a recent change to backpacker regulations means they can earn it volunteering in bushfire recovery.
Ms McGuiness says, for her, it was a no-brainer.
“Having to do regional work, we thought well if we can make it beneficial to Australians and give back to people from the country we want to live in, then why not. We could’ve gone fruit picking or other farm work, but we thought no, let’s give back.”
BlazeAid says the recent influx of backpackers has reinvigorated its volunteer fleet.
Fencing in the Upper Murray was destroyed by the bushfires. Source: SBS
Corryong BlazeAid leader Bill Gerritsen says most of those helping out are typically retirees.
“The backpackers have been delightful. Having those young people here has dropped the average age of our volunteers down significantly.”
He says the backpackers are providing some much-needed support in terms of labour, but they’re also offering a unique opportunity for farmers to talk about their struggles.
“Farmers won’t talk to their mates here because they know they’re in the same boat. But when there’s a stranger coming to give them a hand, the farmers talk.”
For the Australian Sikh Support volunteers, it’s a case of farmer helping out farmer.
Dozens of Sikhs have been present in the Upper Murray since January, handing out food and assisting in the clean-up.
Volunteers from Australian Sikh Support (pictured earlier in the year) have been helping the community. Source: SBS
President of Australian Sikh Support Manpreet Singh says most of those helping out were farmers in India.
He says while they did draw a few looks from the locals to begin with, they’ve been welcomed with open arms.
“Before, I think, they don’t know too much about us, who we are, who the Sikh is. Now they know us too much and we are getting too much love and support.”
Hundreds of kilometres of fencing need to be replaced in north-east Victoria, and Sikh volunteer Gurjit Singh says they’ll be here until the last post is in.
“We will always stand with them no matter how long it will take, we’ll always be with them,” he said.
For ex-defence force veteran Jamie Wolf, the recovery effort is about getting boots on the ground.
He organised an inaugural statewide working bee of professional tradies to volunteer their skills in remote fire-affected regions
Jamie Wolf Source: SBS
“Having all those kind of guys, the fencers, the carpenters, anyone can pop in and say 'hey, I need some power wired up, I need a shed wired up', and we’re all here to do it.”
The goal of operations is to get as much work done as possible in a short amount of time. With winter fast approaching, Mr Wolf says he wants to make sure bushfire affected communities aren’t left out in the cold.
“A lot of these guys are living in caravans, some are living in tents and they just don’t have the ability to build a shed themselves or a home they can live in through winter.”
