Pinery fire recovery newsletter
Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
In this issue
Gals Aloud ..............................................1
Asbestos.................................................2
BlazeAid closes in Roseworthy ...............2
Meet Mary-Anne Young ..........................2
Resilience ...............................................3
Nominate a volunteer..............................3
Pinery Fire Recovery Centre...................3
Controlling rabbits...................................3
Have soils been sterilised? .....................4
Supporting those who support us............4
Communication between the sexes ..........5
Domestic violence and disasters.............5
Managing Aleppo pines ..........................6
Events ....................................................7
Contact information ................................8
Gals Aloud
The Freeling Recreation Centre became a
bustling hub of ideas recently when 58 local
ladies turned up to Gals Aloud, a free
workshop designed to give women the
opportunity to share their ideas and provide
input into future recovery events.
Image courtesy DEWNR
The event was more than just a valuable
brainstorming session. Guest speaker and
primary producer Georgie Keynes shared the
story of her recovery following the Eden Valley
fires in 2013, showing the women that
positives can be drawn from traumatic
circumstances.
Ag Consulting Co, Partners in Grain, Rural
Business Support, Department of
Environment, Water and Natural Resources
(DEWNR), and Primary Industries and
Regions SA (PIRSA) collaborated with the
Department for Communities and Social
Inclusion (DCSI) to bring the event to fruition.
Special thanks to Rural Business Support for
their assistance with catering for the event.
Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to get
together. We are planning to hold more events
like this down the track so please keep an eye
on the events section in future editions of this
newsletter for details as they become
available.
The ideas flowed thick and fast. Just some of
the potential projects raised included helping
with revegetation of the landscape - home
gardens in particular, projects supporting
children, the formation of support groups,
emergency preparedness training, and a
published book of women’s stories.
Sharon Honner from Ag Consulting Co kindly
donated her time to facilitate the event and
noted the positive vibe and great energy in the
room.
Pinery fire recovery newsletter | Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
A rewarding day at Gals Aloud in Freeling
1
Asbestos
Fire Damage
Domestic buildings constructed before 1990
are likely to have used materials containing
asbestos. These include products such as floor
tiles, sheeting (fibro) used in walls and ceilings,
and corrugated roofing and fences.
When materials containing asbestos are
exposed to fire and high temperatures, they
may suddenly crack and break into small
chips, flakes or splinters, which usually occurs
in the early stages of a fire. This can cause a
release of fibres, however, these
concentrations are well below typical
background levels (all air has low levels of
asbestos fibres).
Health Risks
To cause a health risk, asbestos fibres must
not only be released into the air, but also be of
a sufficiently small size and inhaled in
sufficient quantities to cause a risk to human
health.
Testing and monitoring of airborne asbestos
fibres during and after fire indicates that they
are not generated in significant quantities, and
do not exceed typical background levels once
the fire is extinguished.
Analysis of dust and debris after fires,
including during fire simulations, has found
that, although bundles of asbestos fibres are
present within the debris and ash, there is little
evidence of loose, breathable sized asbestos
fibres.
Site assessment and clean up
Care should be taken to prevent disturbance of
the damaged building. Unless the fire debris is
significantly disturbed, the risk of exposure to
airborne asbestos fibres above normal
background levels is low. The likelihood of
asbestos fibres being blown off-site in levels
likely to cause asbestos-related disease is
extremely low.
Nevertheless, the presence of fire damaged
asbestos may cause anxiety to people living
nearby. Therefore it is recommended to gently
wet down any rubble or material containing
asbestos and secure it firmly with a tarp cover.
Appropriate protective equipment should be
worn.
Clean up or demolition of a fire-damaged
building containing asbestos is best
Pinery fire recovery newsletter | Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
undertaken by a licensed asbestos removalist
to ensure that the level of asbestos fibres in
the air is kept very low.
For more information on the safe handling and
removal of asbestos visit
www.asbestos.sa.gov.au.
BlazeAid closes in Roseworthy
The BlazeAid Roseworthy camp will close on
Friday 29 April. Their team has made a huge
impact during their stay, starting work on 99
properties and completing 68 so far. Their
team of 343 volunteers have cleared 260km of
fence lines and rebuilt more than 105km of
fencing.
We sincerely thank them for their incredible
contribution to the recovery effort. They are still
looking for additional volunteers to complete
this important work in time.
If you are able to contribute please phone
Wendy on 0467 999 909.
Meet Mary-Anne Young
Mary-Anne Young is a
Soils and Land
Management
Consultant with
Primary Industries
and Regions SA
(PIRSA), based in
their Jamestown
office.
She is PIRSA’s recovery facilitator for the
Pinery fire and liaises with primary producers,
agribusiness and primary industry
organisations to help identify their needs and
source the appropriate support. As a member
of the Local Recovery Committee, she works
with other agencies, volunteer organisations
and community members to provide a wide
range of coordinated support services for the
community.
As a soils officer, Mary-Anne works with
primary producers, farmer and community
groups, and industry and Natural Resource
Management agencies to help them protect
and use soils sustainably in agriculture. In
Emergency Management, she is PIRSA’s
Animal and Agriculture Functional Services
Liaison Officer in the Yorke and Mid-North
Zone Emergency Centre and was called into
the centre for both the Pinery and Bangor fires.
2
Resilience
An Acrostic poem by Carolyn Cordon
Relish every moment, to make bad good
Every experience is a chance to learn
Savour the good in your life when it comes
Imagine it happening, to help make it so
Live your life truly, don’t merely exist
Innovation can make old ways better ways
Ever felt bliss? Remember, feel it again
Negativity has no place in a good life
Creativity can be your greatest gift
Experience life and treasure it, always!
Carolyn’s writing group is currently accepting
submissions for a writing anthology based
around the Pinery fire titled Winged Pods –
New Life Rising. Proceeds will go to those
impacted by the fire. The group is looking for
poetry, short fiction or non-fiction (up to 600
words) and other short writing formats.
Submissions close on Saturday 30 April and
can be emailed to Carolyn Cordon at
[email protected]. For more information,
visit the group’s Facebook page at
www.facebook.com (Adelaide Plains Chapter
and Verse) or phone Carolyn on 0418 806 490.
 ‘The Andamooka’ Community Project Award
– for a volunteer community project that has
had a significant community benefit.
Anyone can nominate recipients for these
awards and self-nominations are also
accepted. Nominations will be announced at a
special Volunteers Day event in June 2016.
Guidelines and online nomination forms are
available from the Office for Volunteers
website at www.ofv.sa.gov.au. For more
information phone 1300 014 712.
Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 22 April
2016.
Pinery Fire Recovery Centre
Have you
called into the
Pinery Fire
Recovery
Centre yet?
Located in
Gawler, the
Recovery
Centre team is
on hand to support you and connect you to a
range of services and information, including
grants and other assistance for which you may
be eligible.
Traumatic experiences can often bring out the
best in people and, since the fire, there have
been some truly humbling examples of people
in the community donating their time and
resources to support others whose lives have
been impacted.
If you have already stopped by, it is worth
coming in again for a coffee and a chat, so
they can ensure that you have the latest
recovery information and are aware of
upcoming community events. The staff are
passionate about supporting everyone during
their individual journey to recovery and there’s
no such thing as a silly question.
The Office for Volunteers is offering an
opportunity to acknowledge these incredible
contributions through the 2016 South
Australian Volunteer Awards.
The Pinery Fire Recovery Centre is located at
Gawler TAFE campus at 43 High Street,
Gawler, or alternatively you can phone the staff
with any queries on 0477 744 258.
Nominations are now open for the following
categories:
Controlling rabbits
Nominate a volunteer
 The Joy Noble Medal – South Australia’s
highest distinction for an individual
volunteer, open to all individual volunteers
across the state.
 The Premier’s Award for Corporate Social
Responsibility – recognising the strong
contribution the corporate sector makes to
our communities through philanthropy,
partnerships and corporate volunteering.
Pinery fire recovery newsletter | Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
Native vegetation has begun to regenerate in
the fire affected area and, with recent rains,
other native plants, pastures and crops will
soon begin to germinate. This recovering
vegetation is vulnerable to damage from
browsing animals, such as rabbits, for many
months while food resources remain scarce
across the burnt area.
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As few as one or two rabbits per hectare can
selectively remove all native tree and shrub
seedlings, effectively preventing any new
regeneration after the fire. While larger trees
may recover, new trees or the regenerating
shrub layer will be lost.
In fact, any sign of rabbit activity is an
indication that vegetation is already being lost
or damaged.
Rabbits will also cause damage by:
 eating crops and pasture
 grazing on palatable species and promoting
and spreading weeds
 causing or promoting soil erosion
 ring-barking trees and shrubs and causing
die-back.
Summer and autumn are ideal months to carry
out rabbit control as numbers are generally at
their lowest.
Rabbits need protection from the elements (hot
conditions) to survive and so their numbers
can be reduced by baiting, and warrens
destroyed by fumigation and ripping. After the
fire, rabbit warrens in scrubs and on roadsides
are relatively easy to locate and much easier
to treat.
Have soils been sterilised?
While temperatures above ground in stubble
paddocks would have been around 5000C
during the fire, temperatures would have been
less than 1000C down to 1 cm below the soil
surface, with very little if any heating beneath
this level. This is due to the insulating
properties of soil.
Dr Gurjeet Gill from the University of Adelaide
presented this information at the Grains
Research and Development Corporation’s
recent Farming After Fire workshops.
In some paddocks, the butts of cereal plants
could be seen on the surface, which shows
that there was no burning below the soil
surface.
The greatest damage to the soil has been the
loss of the topsoil through erosion, as this
contains most of the soil’s organic matter and
nutrients, particularly the finest dust fraction.
Farmers concerned about soil fertility following
the fire and erosion can phone PIRSA Soils
and Land Management officers: David
Woodard on 0417 803 525, Brian Hughes on
0429 691 468 or Mary-Anne Young on
0418 897 775.
The effectiveness of control can be increased
by working with neighbours and talking to staff
from Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount
Lofty Ranges about effective control
measures.
For more information on managing rabbits or
to arrange a free property visit, contact Natural
Resources AMLR at Gawler: (08) 8523 7700,
8 Adelaide Road or Natural Resources
Northern and Yorke at Clare: (08) 8841 3400,
Unit 2/17 Lennon Street.
www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au.
Unburnt cereal plant butts. Image courtesy PIRSA
Supporting those who support us
Working and volunteering in recovery can be
challenging. It is important to understand the
psychosocial impacts on those who support
fire-affected people, including community
leaders.
Red Cross is offering training and workshops
on psychological first aid, communicating with
affected people, self-care, vicarious trauma
and burnout, and managing teams exposed to
stress. Sessions are free for organisations and
groups supporting the Pinery fire recovery and
Image courtesy DEWNR
Pinery fire recovery newsletter | Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
4
can be tailored for different groups, depending
on the roles and needs of participants.
For more information on how to book a
session, contact Collette Brown, Disaster
Recovery Coordinator with Red Cross on
0428 428 089 or email
[email protected].
Communication between the sexes
By Dr John Ashfield
Biology is ingenious in
attracting men and women to
each other physically, but
what of the chaos that so
often follows? Countless
thousands of relationships are
beached on the bleached
sands of men and women’s mutual
incomprehension. Though poor communication
may deserve some of the blame, it is often
men and women’s characteristically different
ways of communicating that seem to cause
most problems.
Most women like verbal communication,
whereas most men prefer verbal economy.
These largely “hardwired” communication
styles - a throw-back to our hunter/gatherer
past - reinforced by cultural conditioning, have
had considerable survival value when the
chips are down: when men must urgently
attend to protecting the group, and women
must urgently attend to its emotional welfare.
These aptitudes still have relevance to the
kinds of roles and tasks that men and women
generally gravitate towards and perform: men
concerning themselves more with producing
and providing, and women with relationships,
social rapport, and the upbringing, cultural
preparation and welfare of children.
These fundamental differences also reflect in
men’s tendency to use more assertive,
commanding and straightforward language –
the language of action and getting things done;
and women’s tendency to favour language that
is more subtle, nuanced, aimed at building
rapport and relationships, and achieving
consensus. Another contrast is how women
favour the verbal expression of emotion and
explicit “feeling” words, whereas men tend to
encode emotion and make it known through
metaphors and even humour.
Differences are also evident in the way men
and women tend to deal with personal
Pinery fire recovery newsletter | Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
problems, with women chiefly valuing empathy,
and men preferring problem solving. Women
may resent men responding to their troubles
by suggesting a solution, more often preferring
to have someone offer a story of matching
trouble: “Yes, when that happened to me I
felt…” Conversely, men can feel belittled by
this kind of response, which for them indicates
not that a partner cares, but that there is a
competition for sympathy. It also galls men
when women seem only to want empathy, and
not to immediately solve the problem they are
complaining about. For men, a verbalised
problem or complaint invites a problem solving
response and constructive action. Though both
men and women value being understood,
women prefer to savor it, whereas men use it
as a more immediate springboard for action. Is
it any wonder that men and women
misunderstand each other?
Admittedly, some men do need to better adapt
to the changing nature of relationships, to be a
bit more forthcoming in their communication,
and to practice subtler forms of
communication. Relationships rarely survive in
any satisfying way without meaningful
communication. Give and take is the important
principle here. Men and women will have their
preferences, but these need to be reasonably
negotiated, based on an understanding of
communication differences, and on what will
help a relationship to function and thrive.
Country and Outback Health is providing
free and confidential counselling services
in response to the Pinery fire. For
assistance, phone (08) 8209 0700.
Domestic violence and disasters
Disasters such as bushfires can have a
profound effect on families and communities.
Physical and emotional landscapes can go
through significant changes during these
times, as men, women and children
experience a shake-up of every aspect of life.
Once the immediate danger has passed, a
general feeling of unease and powerlessness
can persist.
Women’s Health Goulburn North East write
that “increased violence against women is
characteristic of a post-disaster recovery.” This
is supported by the World Health Organisation,
which identifies intimate partner and sexual
violence as forms of violence that may
increase following a disaster. Following the
5
earthquake in New Zealand in 2010, there was
an increase of up to 50% in reporting of
domestic violence incidents.
Following a disaster, domestic violence is not
inevitable. Many families and relationships
survive these tumultuous events. However, it is
important to acknowledge that domestic and
family violence is a serious issue and that
disasters increase the risk of it occurring. This
can be a continuation of, or increase in,
previously occurring violence, or it can happen
for the first time.
The disruption to everyday life that a disaster
presents can mean that support networks,
programs and services are less available or
unavailable; that victims become more reliant
on perpetrators; and that domestic and family
violence can be seen as less important than
other issues that may be seen as more
pressing.
In times of disaster, victims may be more
reluctant than usual to report instances of
domestic and family violence, and this can be
for a variety of reasons. Examples include a
belief that the violence was ‘out of character’
and temporary; feelings of a lack of capacity to
deal with further stress and trauma; community
acceptance and justification of violence and
abuse as a legitimate response to trauma; or a
wish not to appear disloyal to their partner.
There is no justification for domestic and family
violence, regardless of the circumstances.
If you or someone you know has experienced
domestic or family violence, please call the
national 24/7 counselling phone line
1800RESPECT or visit
www.1800respect.org.au. The Domestic and
Family Violence Gateway in South Australia
can be contacted on 1800 800 098.
Breast screening event
Light Regional Council is supporting women to
access the BreastScreen SA mobile screening
unit based at Tanunda by offering free
community bus trips. Council has made
arrangements with BreastScreen SA for 11 set
appointment times to be available between
11am and 12.30pm for Light Regional Council
residents.
BreastScreen SA is encouraging all women
aged 50-74 years to have a free screening
mammogram. Screening takes less than 10
Pinery fire recovery newsletter | Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
minutes and is currently the only way to detect
breast cancer early, before symptoms develop.
To book your seat on the bus please contact
the Council’s Community Development Officer,
Lorinda Bayley on 0428 947 479 or email
[email protected].
When: Monday 18 April, 10.30am
Where: The bus will depart the Freeling
Institute car park in Clarke Street, Freeling and
travels to the mobile screening unit based at
Tanunda. The bus will depart Tanunda at
2.30pm, allowing time for lunch and a browse
around the town.
The mobile screening unit will be based at
Tanunda until June 2016, located in the rear
car park at the Soldiers Memorial Hall on
Basedow Road.
For further information about the mobile
screening unit phone BreastScreen SA on
13 20 50.
Managing Aleppo pines
We continue to look at options for managing
burnt Aleppo pines and seek to understand the
scale of the issue. If fire-damaged or felled
trees are an ongoing problem on your property,
please send an email with your contact details
to [email protected] inclduding the
following information:
 Aleppo pines. Approximately how many of
these (fallen and standing burnt) trees need
to be removed from your property?
 Non-pine tree debris. If you have piles of
tree debris to be burnt, and we can set up
an arrangement with service clubs, would
you like them to enter your property to
remove wood suitable for household wood
fires to reduce the amount you need to
burn? If you agree, they will be required to
contact you prior to their visit.
At this stage we are gathering information to
gauge the needs of the community and will
assess the responses to determine how or
whether we can assist.
Please provide your
feedback by 7 May
2016.
An update will be
provided once more
information is available.
6
Events
How to be prepared for an emergency
Gain valuable advice from Helen Hennessy,
from the Country Fire Service (CFS).
Presented by Long Plains Red Cross Branch
Wednesday 13 April, 12.30pm
Long Plains Hall.
An afternoon tea will follow the session.
RSVP to Gwen Secomb on (08) 8529 2036 or
Alison Pym on (08) 8862 7025.
People and communities – how do they
react and recover after fire?
With psychologist Dr Rob Gordon.
Mallala:
Wednesday 6 April, 7.30pm to 9pm
Mallala Institute
Sausage sizzle at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start
Tarlee:
Thursday 7 April, 9.15am to 10:45am
Tarlee Institute
This session will focus on the needs of children
Wasleys:
Thursday 7 April, 1pm to 3pm
Wasleys Insitute
Owen:
Thursday 7 April, 7.30pm to 9pm
Owen Institute
Sausage sizzle at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start
Contact the Pinery Fire Recovery Centre on
0477 744 258 for any queries.
Hamley Bridge 2-in-1 event
These two events are calling for expressions of
interest from owners of utes and expo stall
holders.
Sunday 24 April, 10am to 4pm
Inaugural Adelaide Plains Ute roundup
Hamley Bridge Oval
Funds raised for CFS Hamley Bridge
Phone Peter on 0429 777 727.
April Showers Expo and Market
Hamley Bridge Institute
Funds raised for Hamley Bridge Institute
Phone Wendy on 0402 657 536.
Pinery fire recovery newsletter | Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
Wasleys bushfire fundraiser family day
Saturday 9 April, 11am to 4pm
Wasleys Institute and Supper Hall
The event includes band performances, dance
demonstrations, bouncy castles, face painting
and plenty of food. Entry by gold coin or folded
note donation.
Pinery bushfire relief concert
Kathryn Zerk and Jamie Cock present a
selection of songs, arias and piano solos.
A raffle will also be run with prizes totalling
more than $1500.
Evanston South:
Saturday 30 April, 7pm
Trinity College Chapel
Alexander Avenue, Evanston South (enter off
Greening Drive)
Tickets: www.trybooking.com/KTRT
Balaklava:
Sunday 1 May, 3pm
Balaklava Town Hall
Tickets: www.trybooking.com/KTSR
Horse owners get together
Hear from guest speakers, share ideas and
network with other horse owners.
Thursday 28 April, 7pm
Thursday 26 May, 7pm
University of Adelaide Roseworthy campus
For more information, email
[email protected] or phone Julie on
0402 488 306. Register at
www.surveymonkey.com/r/HDHWDVJ
Horse welfare indoor farm walk
Take a virtual horse property walk, with a focus
on horse welfare in the outdoors, followed by a
practical group session. Registrations are
essential as places are limited.
Wednesday 4 May, 7pm
Gawler Sports and Community Centre
Nixon Terrace, Gawler
Please bring along:
 Paddock grasses and weeds for ID
 Soil sample for pH testing
 Farm water for salinity testing
 Bisuit of hay for group discussion
Register: www.surveymonkey.com/r/M3G7P3R
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Contact information
Waste management
Recovery details
Environment Protection Authority:
(08) 8204 2004 or 1800 623 445
Recovery Hotline:
1800 302 787
Pinery Fire Recovery Centre:
0477 744 258
TAFE Gawler campus - 43 High Street, Gawler
Pinery Fire Recovery website:
www.sa.gov.au/recovery
SA Bushfire Recovery Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/SABushfireRecovery
Local Councils
Wakefield Regional Council: (08) 8862 0800
www.wakefieldrc.sa.gov.au
District Council of Mallala: (08) 8527 0200
www.mallala.sa.gov.au
Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council:
(08) 8842 6400
www.claregilbertvalleys.sa.gov.au
Light Regional Council: (08) 8525 3200
www.light.sa.gov.au
Health
Northern Health Network:
(08) 8209 0700
Counselling services
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Youth Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Mens Line Australia: 1300 789 978
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
National counselling helpline: 1800RESPECT
or www.1800respect.org.au
Country Health SA Clinical Counselling
Service: Angaston (08) 8563 8544 or Gawler
(08) 8521 2080
Volunteering
Volunteering SA&NT: 1300 135 545
www.volunteeringsa.org.au
Business support
Rural Business Support: 1800 836 211
www.ruralbusinesssupport.org.au
Natural Resources
Agriculture and livestock
For assistance with property recovery, pest
plant/animal control, revegetation, stock
management and whole farm planning.
PIRSA:
(08) 8207 7847
Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty
Ranges, Gawler Office: (08) 8523 7700
Livestock SA and Primary Producers SA:
(08) 8297 2299
Disaster recovery assistance
Commonwealth Government Information
Hotline: 180 22 66
State Emergency Relief Fund (SERF):
(08) 8463 6405 or email:
[email protected]
ov.au
Pinery Fire Relief Appeal:
www.sa.gov.au/recovery (Pinery fire appeal
page)
Pinery fire recovery newsletter | Issue 13 | April 6, 2016
Natural Resources Northern and Yorke, Clare
Office: (08) 8841 3400
www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au then click on
‘Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges’ > ‘Pinery fire
recovery’.
Community support
BlazeAid: 0467 999 909 or 0477 330 488
www.blazeaid.com
Habitat for Humanity: (08) 8344 6009 or email:
[email protected]
Information and referal
Women’s Information Service: (08) 8303 0590
8