25 November 2020

Flags at half-mast for bushfire anniversary

| Kim Treasure
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The Currowan Fire

The Currowan Fire burning just along the Kings Highway west of Batemans Bay this week. Photo: Ulladulla Fire and Rescue.

Eurobodalla Shire Council flags will fly at half-mast today (26 November) to mark the anniversary of the start of the Currowan bushfire.

Extreme weather conditions saw the Black Summer fires devastate 79 per cent of the shire’s landscape, with the loss of three lives and more than 500 homes.

Mayor Liz Innes said after a traumatic year, the coming weeks will be tough for many in the community.

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“We have certainly been tested this year, but this community has shown its strength and it’s lovely to see a quiet optimism starting to shine through,” she said.

“I don’t underestimate the reality of our situation, however.”

Cr Innes said case managers at Eurobodalla’s Bushfire Recovery Service were supporting hundreds of local people.

“There are still people doing it very tough and they must be our priority,” she said. “The anniversary will be particularly difficult for some of our residents.”

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Cr Innes will unveil a plaque on 9 December in a small ceremony on the Council Chambers forecourt to commemorate the first anniversary.

“At this time of reflection, there is also gratitude. We thank the firefighters and emergency workers who protected us, and we honour the courage of so many residents who worked together to provide safety and comfort in those dark days,” she said.

Council’s flags will fly at half-mast again on 4 March 2021, signalling the day the fires were declared extinguished in Eurobodalla.

READ ALSO Six months on, bushfire scars remain

For support, contact Eurobodalla’s Bushfire Recovery Service, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday to Friday.

Phone 4474 7434, or drop by the shopfront, beside the pharmacy on the highway in Moruya.

Council’s website also provides recovery information.

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