It’s been six months since fatal bushfires hit the NSW town of Cobargo, but it is still an all too clear memory for survivor Zoey Salucci-McDermott.
The 21-year-old – who was pregnant at the time – was left homeless when her rental property was destroyed in the blaze.
“The shock and the trauma is very much evident in all of us still. You know, the main street was only cleared three weeks ago, from memory, so we’ve only now just started that recovery,” she told SBS News.
“I've noticed there's a lot of sadness, especially myself, I have a lot of sadness.”
Ms Salucci-McDermott made international headlines when she refused to shake hands with Prime Minister Scott Morrison during his visit to the town in the aftermath of the bushfires.
Zoey Salucci-McDermott gave birth to son Phoenix in April. Source: SBS News
Video of the visit showed Mr Morrison appearing to make Ms Salucci-McDermott and an RFS volunteer shake his hand, as well as residents heckling the prime minister.
Months on from the incident, Ms Salucci-McDermott has challenged Mr Morrison to visit the town again.
"Come and visit this area and see who is missing out and who is receiving. I've heard a few businesses aren't eligible for grants even though they've been burnt out," she said.
“What I would say is, come back and see how we're doing, healing and recovery-wise, and then go from there.
"There has been a lot of depression and there have been some real sad events that have come from the fires ... [but] we are really helping each other out."
For some voters in Cobargo, the painful memories from the summer bushfires are still raw and will be front of mind when they vote in the Eden-Monaro by-election on Saturday.
The by-election in the marginal electorate was triggered after Labor MP Mike Kelly announced his retirement due to ongoing health issues.
It will be the first electoral test for Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison since the election in May last year.
The once bellwether seat – meaning whichever way it falls determines the government – is vast, covering areas from the Yass Valley to the Bega Valley and parts of the New South Wales-Victoria border.
As well as Cobargo, several other bushfire-affected towns including Adaminaby, Batlow and Eden are also in the electorate.
As mayor of the Bega Valley Shire Council, Kristy McBain led the local response to the fires. She is Labor’s candidate in the by-election.
Labor's candidate and mayor of the Bega Valley Shire Council Kristy McBain. Source: SBS News
“I think what I learnt from that period is that local leadership really matters and people want to see their leaders on the ground. They want to know that you know exactly what they're going through,” she said.
“Bushfire recovery is a huge one and we've been impacted by bushfire in Eden-Monaro probably more than any other region, with over a million hectares burnt.”
The region has been hit by drought, bushfires and now the economic devastation from COVID-19.
While Ms McBain said the impact from the bushfires will be a factor at Saturday’s poll, it’s not the only issue for voters.
“We've got a whole range of businesses right across the electorate that are really feeling the pinch, not only from the bushfires but also from COVID,” she said.
Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs, a former teacher and army reservist, was unsuccessful in the last election and hopes to win the seat back for the Coalition.
“This is a really large electorate and it's a very diverse electorate with diverse needs, but across the electorate there are two key things; one is about rebuilding, particularly following the bushfires, floods, the drought ... and COVID-19,” she said. “And the other is about rebuilding our economy and just growing our economy.”
Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs is a former teacher and army reservist. Source: SBS News
It would be an extraordinary victory if Ms Kotvojs wins, as an opposition party hasn’t lost a by-election to the government in a century.
At the last election, Labor held onto the seat with a margin just under one per cent. And while there are 14 candidates running, it’s likely to be a tight race between the two front runners.
The Nationals have also put forward a candidate after a public spat between Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro, who sought pre-selection for the seat.
Local Queanbeyan-Palerang regional councillor Trevor Hicks is running for The Nationals and has downplayed the infighting.
“Look, it hasn't affected my chances, all the Nationals Party members have been very supportive of me and without their huge support I'd probably be less confident,” he said.
“Bushfires have scarred their mind with what's come along, but now that COVID has come along and small businesses are struggling ... because it's such a wide electorate it's difficult to pinpoint one issue.”
As a close result is expected, the main candidates aren’t anticipating to know the winner on election night.
Local Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional councillor Trevor Hicks. Source: SBS News
“It will obviously be a tight race," Ms McBain said. "Eden-Monaro is a marginal seat and always has been, and so whether we get a result on Saturday and into the next week, I don’t know.”
“I think it will be very close," Ms Kotvojs said. "It was close last time, it's going to be even closer, I believe, this time and it's going to be very slow.”
