Revealed: Shocking number of Black Summer survivors still homeless

It’s been half a decade since the Black Summer bushfires ravaged Australia, yet for many survivors in the picturesque Victorian town of Mallacoota, the nightmare is far from over. While the nation has moved on, a crippling construction backlog and systemic failures mean countless residents are still living in makeshift homes, their dreams of rebuilding shattered by a bureaucratic maze and an overwhelmed industry.

Among them is musician Justin Brady who has been living in a makeshift home, nestled deep within the breathtaking Croajingolong National Park, since 2020.

He lost everything in the infernos of the Black Summer bushfires, according to an ABC news report and five years later, he’s still waiting for a permanent roof over his head.

Surrounded by the blackened trees, which still bear the scars of flames, Mr Brady’s current home – which resembles of a bush camp, includes a fully equipped camp kitchen, a makeshift music studio and a tent for guests.

“A few years ago, I was just totally all at sea and didn’t know what to look forward to because I was just still trying to deal with the grief of what I’d gone through,” he told the ABC.

MORE NEWS

My dog’s midnight gift: A Possum-pocalypse in my bed

Foreign buyer snaps Aus land size of Lebanon

Couple moves entire house to escape rising tides

Like so many other homeowners impacted by the Black Summer Bushfires, Mr Brady was uninsured and struggled to cope with the trauma.

And while an architect offered her work for free, he now can’t find the tradesman to build his new house.

“It’s a challenge…you’re trying to bring in builders to a remote area because all the builders in Mallacoota are pretty much tied up,” he said.

“There’s just so much work to do after the fires, and they are under the pump too.”

The building backlog nightmare

Mallacoota builder Andy Harris, a veteran in the region since 2017, confirms the dire situation facing the construction sector.

“There was enough work to keep everyone busy before the fires, but once the fires came it was way too much for the local tradesmen,” he tells the ABC.

“There were a series of things, from Covid to when the government put out a $20,000 grant if people built a new home, which virtually booked out builders for years and years.

“(It) meant that a lot of people who weren’t ready to build were put further down the queue.”

Mr Harris and his team understand the profound urgency felt by those desperate to return to their homes.

“It isn’t a nice feeling going to work and knowing that the next family is living in a caravan,” he admits.

“It’s been quite difficult – we are lucky to have work but it’s also quite overwhelming.”

A town almost lost

The Black Summer bushfires decimated swathes of eastern Victoria.

A Victorian government inquiry found that the fires destroyed more than a million hectares in East Gippsland and a staggering 316 homes, with 127 of those concentrated in and around Mallacoota.

The town became completely isolated when its only road was cut off, forcing locals and tourists alike to seek refuge on the beach as the flames encroached.

Images broadcast globally showed the sky above Mallacoota painted an apocalyptic red as residents huddled in the water.

The Australian Defence Force orchestrated the largest-ever maritime evacuation of Australian citizens in a natural disaster, rescuing 1,810 people.

An Emergency Recovery Victoria spokesman confirmed that over $600 million has been invested in recovery efforts following the 2019-20 eastern Victoria bushfires.

The post Revealed: Shocking number of Black Summer survivors still homeless appeared first on realestate.com.au.