Helpers working on flood fence fixes

IN the wake of last year’s floods that affected many parts of the region, volunteers and organisations have been helping those in need.

One such organisation is BlazeAid which focuses on repairing fences destroyed or damaged during natural disasters.

Kangaroo Flat couple Lyn and Stan Rasmussen have been stationed at the BlazeAid satellite camp out of Lockington for the last few months.

Mr Rasmussen said volunteering on flood-affected properties had been an eye-opening experience seeing how the farmers and communities rebuild following a natural disaster.

“The farmer’s worst fear, with floods especially, is when the next one’s going to happen,” he said.

“You straighten up all these fences, fix them all up, and they could be down again in three months.

“But we have learned so much about the areas, the people, and how they’re run. It’s fantastic and these communities are unbelievable.”

The Rasmussens have been volunteering for BlazeAid since 2019 and have worked on both fire and flood-affected farms, and Ms Rasmussen said the two jobs were different.

“Fires take everything,” she said. “The work’s dirty, you are covered in ash, but you’ve got a clean slate. But with the floods, you’ve got all that rubbish to remove.”

From the Lockington camp, the Rasmussens and other volunteers have finished up work on 41 properties, clearing 34.5 kilometres of fence line and repairing or replacing another 37.5 kilometres.

The work is hard and the days long, but Mr Rasmussen said the effort was worth it.

“We get as much out of it as what the farmers do, just to see the look on their faces,” he said.

“You walk in at the first meeting, and they are down in the dumps, and they feel lousy.

“By the time you leave, they can say, ‘well we can put our sheep or cattle back in a paddock now’ and they’ve got a smile on their face again.”