Cudlee Creek Fire Recovery Newsletter
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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 Lobethal .......... 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 Adelaide 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 Cudlee Creek fire recovery newsletter | Issue 18 | 5 March 2021 1 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 Adelaide Hills 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 Cudlee Creek fire recovery newsletter | Issue 18 | 8 March 2021 2 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. Cudlee Creek fire recovery newsletter | Issue 18 | 8 March 2021 3 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