Cudlee Creek fire recovery newsletter

Issue 18 | 8 March 2021

In this issue communities who have been part of both the From the Recovery Coordinator ...... 1 Local Recovery Committee and the Community Hills Major Funding Announcement ...... 2 Reference Group, to ensure this smooth One Year On ...... 2 transition. Regenerate Exhibition at Fabrik ...... 3 Affected communities will be advised on how to Bushfire Kids Connect BMX Jam ...... 4 access support for matters that arise after the CAMHS bushfire response team ...... 4 end of March 2021 in due course. Bushfire Expo on Show at ...... 5 Community Public Art Project ...... 6 Over the coming weeks, many recovery Festival of the Hills ...... 6 initiatives and events will be focused on bringing CFS online learning module for educators 7 your communities together and re-establishing, Upcoming grant deadlines ...... 7 and perhaps even improving, arrangements and Events ...... 8 support that was in place before 20 December Contact information ...... 8 2019. Dedicated mental health and wellbeing and business support services will be available after March 2021, and well into the future. From the Recovery Coordinator Miranda Hampton has taken up the position of As many of you would know Senior Community Resilience Officer in by now, there is a lot of work Hills Council, but will remain a familiar face and underway to prepare for the contact in the area as she plans to continue in transition to community-led her Community Recovery Officer role one day recovery. On 26 March, the per week. It has been an absolute pleasure Lobethal Recovery Centre will working with Miranda, as I’m sure you’d agree. close and my role as Local Our recovery is largely a testament to Miranda’s Recovery Coordinator will conclude. incredible work – thank you Miranda. Coordinating this transition and its timing has In more good news, Ksenija Bould will be been a significant task, involving many agencies continuing in the role of Community Recovery and individuals, but I am confident that affected Officer until the end of June this year to guide communities can now lead their own recovery and facilitate the Community Reference Group in following the support I’ve been privileged to their activities. Ksenija comes to us with provide these past 14 months. exceptional credentials and matching Until the end of March, we are focused on enthusiasm. working with relevant agencies, individuals and

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The next newsletter will be our last and will Lobethal and featured performances from local contain contact details of a variety of school children and speeches from community organisations and agencies to continue to assist members, the CFS and government you in your recovery in the months to come. representatives. The theme for the event was “Reclaim the Day” and was attended by people

from the local community and surrounding areas. Alex Zimmermann After the formal proceedings, people stayed and Local Recovery Coordinator socialised at the oval and club rooms. 0418 258 304 The Charleston community met at their local [email protected] community centre and spent time together over a

cup of tea and worked on a community art project while children enjoyed a range of games Hills Major Funding Announcement and activities. A progressive series of events were organised in Mt Torrens, including a community picnic, a local history walk down the main street and music and entertainment at the Mt Torrens oval and clubrooms. The Trinity Lutheran Church at Springhead held a Blue Christmas. The service offered attendees an opportunity to acknowledge their loss and grief. A community BBQ at the local post office was In a terrific win for local jobs, tourism, primary how the local Lenswood community spent time industry including horticulture and apiarists, together, while the Woodside community decided recreation and the arts, the Australian to focus on Christmas and celebration, putting Government recently announced a round of their energy into creating a festive and positive significant funding for based Christmas atmosphere. The Woodside projects. Fabrik and the Fox Creek Bike Park Commerce Association arranged for a roving were major winners, collecting $3m and $2.5m Santa to travel the local streets in a mustang and respectively via the Local Economic Recovery hand out goody bags to children. funding program. Many other bushfire impacted communities including Kangaroo Island and And there are many more stories of people further Hills based projects will also receive gathering in small groups to have dinners, BBQs much needed funding support for key projects. A and local picnics. further $8.9m being awarded via a collaborative The variety of community and local events package of projects to support rural landholders highlights just how unique recovery is. Things across the Hills and KI. For the full details go to may well be a year on, but for many, there is still Local Economic Recovery| National Bushfire a long road ahead. It is never too late to talk to Recovery Agency someone. If you would like some support, please see the wellbeing services that are available in One Year On the contacts information. The one year anniversary of the Cudlee Creek Thank you to all who assisted in organising bushfire was acknowledged by individuals and events for the community, friends and loved communities in their own way. For some people, ones. acknowledging the date in a formal way did not feel right; for some it was simply too overwhelming. For others, spending time with friends and family and the community brought comfort, an opportunity to reflect and to look to the future. Events ranged in size and formality, from community barbeques through to formal proceedings. The largest event was held at

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The Mt Torrens Community gather for music and family entertainment at the oval on 20 December 2020. Regenerate Exhibition at Fabrik Regenerate shared ways that our community used creativity to respond and work through the impact of the Cudlee Creek fire. Works exhibited Photo credit Sally Harding included paintings from local schools and kindergartens, artworks made in workshops held at Fabrik, as well as items produced by individuals as a means of processing what they were experiencing. The exhibition demonstrated the diverse ways that people deal with their recovery and the way that the arts can be a means of grappling with this. While a number of people have been creating at home, Fabrik has been offering space since the week after the fire, for community members who have wanted to connect through creative activity. Some groups have explored creative journaling together, writing and sharing their reflections over the months, developing Photo credit Sam Oster close relationships along the way. Others have Pictured artists Grace Bird, Veronica Forsayeth, Sarina met during short workshops on mindful Waterman, Margaret Wilson, Rosie Rowland, Susan Bruce. photography, nature mandalas or ceramics. Another group meets regularly to knit and crochet garments for their community. For some people, creative activity was a way of documenting the recovery of the landscape, a way of noticing and celebrating the small changes that might otherwise go unnoticed, and deliberately focussing on the positive, while also living amongst a blackened landscape. For others, it was a way of stepping away from the loss, and immersing in a meditative activity, working with materials and colours they loved. For the participants in small groups that have Photo credit Sam Oster met regularly since the fires, creative activity was Image detail: Children’s artwork from local primary schools a focus to gather around, to chat and offer and receive support. The exhibition also played host to additional creative activity, including a wreath making workshop and daily Busy Kids activities, providing opportunities to create festive decorations to replace those that had been lost.

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The track was looking fantastic thanks to efforts from local volunteers. Everyone enjoyed a sausage sizzle, drinks and fruit thanks to the Red Cross and Love Woodside. The only challenge was getting the kids off the track at the end of their session! If you have children and would like to connect with bushfire kids connect to find out more about upcoming events, please contact Jocelyn at [email protected]

Photo credit Sam Oster

Photo credit Sam Oster

CAMHS bushfire response team Photo credit Sam Oster The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is a free community-based mental

health service provided through the Women's and Children's Health Network. Bushfire Kids Connect BMX Jam CAMHS provides services to infants, children, Woody Trails BMX track was packed on Sunday adolescents and families. CAMHS has 7 February with children, families and young established a Bushfire Response Team based in people for another great event with bushfire kids Mt Barker to assist children and families who connect families. were affected by the Adelaide Hills bushfires. Supported by Love Woodside, the Australian Our clinicians are able to meet with your child Red Cross, Youth and family to talk about current difficulties and Development Program and the Government of how we may be able to help you. recovery program, the event If you have concerns about your child that relate gave young people an opportunity to learn from to bushfires and would like to make a referral to Lighthouse Youth project’s experienced coaches our service, please call CAMHS Bushfire about safety, bike maintenance, and BMX Response Team on 8391 3922. For referrals techniques.

Cudlee Creek fire recovery newsletter | Issue 18 | 8 March 2021 4 unrelated to bushfires, please call CAMHS Chris said his initial idea was a smaller scale Connect on 1300 222 647 (1300 2 CAMHS). exhibition but this quickly up-scaled, after speaking to a few people and said phone didn’t Bushfire Expo on Show at Lobethal stop ringing after word had spread. Volunteers from Lobethal and surrounding “Within 21 days, the event was built, assembled, communities proved once again their ability to marketed and held,” he said. get things done with the hosting of a Bushfire Chris said an indirect benefit of the expo is that it Expo with just three weeks’ notice. promoted community conversations and “In the first ten days everyone said it couldn’t be information-sharing at all levels and gave those done,” according to organiser, Chris March. “I who were impacted by the Cudlee Creek told them, don’t you worry about the timeframe, bushfire an opportunity to come together. just come”. Other key organisers of the event included fellow “Once the final vision came to light we met every volunteers Adam Weinert, Marcus Batty, Erica single one of our expectations and exceeded Davis and Karen Davies, of Green, Green Grass many of them,” he said. Communications. Held at the recreation ground last month in “No one came to ‘judge’ the event on the day,” preparation for the fire season, the Bushfire Chris said. “Everyone came with a mind for what Expo showcased over a dozen manufacturers, next year’s might look like”. suppliers and retailers of fire safety equipment, along with several community and government entities, including Forestry SA, local CFS brigades and Community Engagement, NBN co, Disaster Relief Australia and Red Cross. “We had around a thousand people through the gate and raised $600 from gold coin donations for the CFS Foundation”, Chris said. A former restauranteur, best known in the Hills for establishing Locovore, in Stirling, Chris currently operates a fire safety equipment business and works at Tomich Wines, which was impacted by the Cudlee Creek fire.

“I left early in the morning in a semi-trailer to do a Photo Credit Sally Harding delivery in the city in case of fire and by 9.30am it was too late to return. I drove back in the morning and the enormity, you couldn’t imagine it until you drove into it,” Chris said. “One thing that came out of the expo was that a hundred per cent of people had a story. Everybody was affected,” he said. In the weeks and months after the fire, Chris’ marketing and business instincts kicked in and he identified a need for greater awareness of bushfire safety equipment as well as a platform for new products and inventions. “The first thing I noticed was that some Photo Credit Sally Harding businesses and manufacturers needed a way to get product to market and also find out what consumers wanted,” he said. “Part of that is having a holistic conversation. There is no one product and no common solution. You need to have variety”.

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Feedback from locals noted how lovely it was to experience live music locally again. Local Community Public Art Project businesses noted plenty of locals in attendance as well as visitors, describing their venues as Artist Emma Still is talking to the community well patronised, reaching COVID-safe capacities about home. Home means something different to and noting increased takings for the day. One everyone. A sense of home could be a person, business described the event as sensational. place, thing or feeling. A workshop was recently held with community members at Fabrik, to Country SA Primary Health Networks (CSAPHN) generate ideas to inspire the sculpture’s design. was a proud co-funder of the Hills Strum and Ideas raised in the workshop included visual Stroll event, with Bushfire Response Coordinator symbols and physical objects that represented Sally Patten attending the February 20 event. people’s recovery journeys and materials and “It was incredible to see the Main Street of colours that resonated with people’s Lobethal and Mill Square buzzing with music, experiences. Hope, connection and looking to laughter, excited children and people from all the future were also some of the ideas that the walks of life coming together after such a group wanted this piece of public art to challenging 2020." said Sally Patten, represent. CSAPHN Bushfire Response Coordinator Emma would like more people to share their "To sit amongst families both young and old and ideas and reflections about what home means to to watch people relax and enjoy the feeling of them to help inspire the creation of this public art connecting as a community was a reminder of piece. the importance of these opportunities for all You can share your thoughts by emailing Emma involved." at [email protected], or by "To know that CSAPHN played a part in enabling joining the next workshop at The Cottage – an event that supported not only the ongoing Fabrik Arts and Heritage on mental health and wellbeing of our communities, Saturday March 13 9:30-11am. but also the economic recovery of our local small Email [email protected] business is truly wonderful. Congratulations to all to book your place. involved, it was a truly successful event’, said This project is funded by the Sally Commonwealth and Government Mayor Jan-Claire Wisdom notes the value of of South Australia under the the three-day series, stating that it has "shone a Disaster Recovery funding light on the value of free community events as an and supported by Adelaide essential part of the wellbeing and recovery Hills. process from the pain and disruption of recent bushfire and pandemic events." The event provided opportunities for everyone to relax, recover, and raise the spirits of the wider Adelaide Hills community. "Resilience, joy and positivity was seen and heard everywhere," said Mayor Wisdom. "It demonstrated that those who play together in the good times will stay together in the difficult Festival of the Hills times." Our beautiful hills townships were bustling with The Strum and Stroll was also funded by the bands and bikes as two Festival of the Hills Commonwealth and the Government of South events played their way into our local cafes, Australia under the Disaster Recovery funding squares, main streets and bikeways. arrangements and Adelaide Hills Council. Musicians filled eight local Lobethal venues and To wrap up the weekend the Amy Gillett Bikeway eateries with live music, while Mill Square offered was activated from Gillman Reserve in Oakbank a creative zone with Twining Arts making 170 right through to the Mount Torrens Oval for cardboard rock star guitars with children and Discover, Play, Bikeway! parents, so they too could rock out on the day.

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"Discover, Play Bikeway! was a celebration of Designed for teachers and educators, the the joy of bike riding, with market stalls, module will introduce participants to the different entertainment and bikes for hire or bring your ways that bushfire information can be own, with a focus on cycling safety too," said incorporated into lessons. It also provides links Mayor Wisdom. to resources and tips on how to develop your own bushfire lessons that are linked to the "It's a fabulous way to connect the communities Australian or SACE Curricula. of Oakbank, Woodside, Charleston and Mount Torrens, and show off the natural beauty of the landscape." The module can be found on the CFS website: http://bit.ly/resilienceeducation

More resources can be found at: https://cfs.sa.gov.au/resources/child-and-youth/ and https://www.schools.aidr.org.au/

Upcoming grant deadlines A number of grants are closing soon. Please don’t wait. Check with the Recovery Centre for guidance, and for assistance with your application.

Nancy Bates performs at Emma and Ivy in Lobethal. Photo credit Andrew Dundon  Applications for round four of SA Healthy Towns Challenge Grant close on 26 March. Grants are available for up to $50,000 for rural or regional towns to develop preventative health programs. Visit http://bit.ly/healthytownschallenge  NAB Foundation Community Grants are for Charities, social enterprises or organisations with a charitable purpose to support a project, program or initiative that helps communities prepare for natural disasters, support long-term recovery and build resilience for future disasters. Grants are for up to $10,000. Applications close 30 July. Runebilly Rattle performing in Lobethal’s Mill Square Visit http://bit.ly/comgrantsnatdis Photo credit Andrew Dundon  Youth Education and Workplace Pathways Grant. $3000. For young people aged 15-25 in bushfire affected communities to support CFS online learning module for educational development and further educators workplace aspirations. Visit http://bit.ly/salvedgrant The CFS, with the help of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) has developed a For more information on all grants, and to apply, new online learning module on Disaster visit https://www.recovery.sa.gov.au/2019-20- Resilience Education and Bushfires. bushfires/recovery-services/grants-and-financial- The module takes around 20 minutes to assistance complete and provides an overview of the benefits of Disaster Resilience Education for young people and their communities.

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Events Brukunga Community Barbeque

Horses – fire preparation and what worked Free activities including Animals Anonymous and after the fire Face Painting, Free BBQ, drinks available. Bring your family, connect with your community and Learn more about having your property bushfire share your ideas for future community programs. ready and your action plan in place. Hear about the lived experience of the Cudlee Creek fires When: Sat 27 March 4-6 pm and what worked in caring for impacted horses in Where: Brukunga Hall the aftermath. Cost: FREE Bookings: (essential) When: Wed 10 March 7- 9:30pm www.mtbcc.eventbrite.com or call Mount Barker Where: Woodside Institute Hall 30 Onkaparinga Community Centre 8391 2747 Valley Rd Woodside Bookings: http://bit.ly/horseprep

Reflection of Home – Community workshop

Join artist Emma Still for a community workshop Contact information and explore ideas and themes to inspire the design of a public piece of art.

When: Sat 13 March 9:30-11am Recovery assistance Where: The Cottage at Fabrik Arts and Heritage Cost: FREE Bookings: [email protected] Local Recovery Coordinator Alex Zimmermann: [email protected] 0418 258 304 Hills Bushfire Groups present ‘Over Covid’ One-Day Rock n Roll Event Lobethal Recovery Centre: 0418 213 269 Fabrik Arts + Heritage - Old Woollen Mill Five great bands featuring The Masters and 1 Lobethal Road, Lobethal Apprentices, The Matt Hawkins 4, Workin’ Overtime, The Runaway Boys and The Cudlee Creek Fire Recovery website Crosstown Ramblers. BYO chairs and picnic https://www.recovery.sa.gov.au/active- rugs. Local produce including wine and craft recoveries/Cudlee-Creek beer from fire-affected communities available for purchase. Cudlee Creek Fire Recovery Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CudleeCreekF When: Sun 14 March 12-9:30pm (gates open ireRecovery 11am) Where: Lenswood Oval Cost: $20 SA Recovery Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sarecoveryinfo/ For more information visit: Recovery Hotline: 1800 302 787 http://www.facebook.com/HillsValleyArts/

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Financial assistance and grants: Waste management

Full range of bushfire grants and assistance Green Industries SA: 7071 3723 https://www.recovery.sa.gov.au/2019-20- https://www.greenindustries.sa.gov.au/bushfires bushfires/recovery-services/grants-and-financial- assistance Volunteering

Financial Counselling, Salvation Army, Lobethal Volunteering SA&NT: 1300 135 545 Recovery Centre: 1800 722 363 https://www.volunteeringsa-nt.org.au/

Habitat for Humanity assistance: 0419 823 137 Small business support

Bushfire assistance for small business Legal assistance https://business.sa.gov.au/ Legal Services Commission helpline: 1300 366 424

COVID-19 assistance for small business bit.ly/SAbusiness. Health and wellbeing

Rural Business Support SA Regional Access: 1300 032 186 www.ruralbusinesssupport.org.au Headspace: 8398 4262

Agriculture and livestock Summit Health: 8406 7700 Adelaide Hills Community Mental Health: PIRSA: 1800 931 314 8393 1636 https://www.pir.sa.gov.au/ Livestock SA: 8297 2299 Lifeline (Bushfire Recovery): 13 43 57 https://livestocksa.org.au/ Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 Landscape SA (former NRM) 1800Respect: 1800 737 732 Hills and Fleurieu: 8391 7500 https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/hf/home Mensline: 1300 787 978

Landscape SA (former NRM) National Coronavirus Hotline: 1800 020 080 Murraylands and Riverland: 8532 9100 SA COVID-19 information: https://www.covid- https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/mr/home 19.sa.gov.au/ Local councils SA COVID-19 Information line - 1800 253 787 SA COVID-19 Mental Health Support Line: 1800 632 753 Adelaide Hills Council: 8408 0400 https://www.ahc.sa.gov.au/ Aboriginal heritage

Mount Barker District Council: 8391 7200 Taa wika: 8226 8900 https://www.mountbarker.sa.gov.au/ https://taawika.sa.gov.au/public/home

Mid-Murray Council: 8569 0100 Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation: 8303 0752 https://www.mid-murray.sa.gov.au/

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