Bushfires

Bushfire support

Get information on how to prepare for and reduce your bushfire risk, plus recovery support after a bushfire event.

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Find out about the programs, services and funding available to help communities, regions and primary producers recover from bushfire events.

Transcript

- As an emergency response agency under the emergency management arrangements in the state, we're responsible for immediate animal relief and agricultural relief.

And then following that, we identify recovery needs and implement recovery programs.

- We are the peak body that represents local producers, lots of different industries on the island.

A lot of advocacy, talking to government, talking to other peak bodies.

- As an organisation, Livestock SA was established in 2013, representing the sheep, cattle, and goat industries.

We've always had a connection since that time with PIRSA representing those producers.

In regard to areas of work like this, such as responding to disasters, it just brings the relationship closer together.

- We partner with industry, because they have the critical relationships with the growers in the regions.

They understand their needs, and then we can design programs, you know, to address the needs that our industry partners have identified.

- Working with industries and communities impacted is really critical to our role.

Initially, we work with industry on identifying short-term relief and recovery needs, things like access to fodder, access to secure water, access to fence posts to get people back to business.

- The Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, just like other landscape boards across the state, really, I think in my view, have two key partners across government, and that is the Department for Environment and Water and PIRSA.

And through the role that PIRSA plays in the state emergency response, there was some resources through that fund that found its way into Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, and we were able to roll that money out to support landholders in the recovery efforts in that landscape.

- It's an incredibly close partnership, PIRSA is really strong on their work with landholders, we're really strong on our work with landholders.

We come to it from slightly different angles, we meet in the middle.

- We've worked with PIRSA for many years, AgKI is over 25 years old now, and we've been working with PIRSA the whole time.

But yeah, really stepped up after the fires, because there was a lot more work to do, being half the island being lost to the fire, and PIRSA really wanted to help.

So we were able to really use those connections we already had to really make effective change and really helped farmers on the ground.

- The relationship with PIRSA began immediately after the fire.

We had a conference pulled together within 48 hours, I think, it was really very rapid.

That relationship with them became one of constant phone calls.

We were talking to them probably three or four times a day as we started to talk through what was going to be needed for our members to, first of all, clean up, and then, start thinking about how they began the very long process of recovery.

- As soon as the fire came through, PIRSA's expertise was really good.

They put FaB workers out there and went and called on all the farmers.

- PIRSA and all other people in investing into Kangaroo Island post bushfire, the level of community need on every different angle was absolute.

And having two government agencies work hand in fist to deliver an outcomes-focused agenda that was based on creating positive environmental, social, economic outcomes, I think couldn't have been more valuable for the community.

- We've had the opportunity to be quite creative in how we achieve what we think are the needs of our members within this space.

It's not just about recovering from the flames or recovering even from the smoke, it's about building resilience ongoing.

- Working with PIRSA has been great.

AgKI, really, we know everyone and we know what's going on the ground, but we don't have the resources, where PIRSA can come in and provide those government resources.

It's a really good partnership, our strengths really worked well together.

- From the outset, I would say this was a really unique partnership.

It was very clear that these were people who were coming to us, this was not a faceless government department, we knew their names straight away, they were on the phone with us, they were up at our offices, they wanted to meet our members.

- We're gonna maintain and build on the relationships we've developed through these programs and aim to build resilience in these communities to future events.

They might be bush fires, but there might be other events like flooding, hailstorms, those sort of things.

Watch more bushfire recovery videos.

PIRSA Recovery Hotline

If you are living with drought or affected by emergency events, our experienced staff are dedicated to helping with funding applications, discussing your situation, and finding the support you need.

9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday

Freecall 1800 931 314
Page last reviewed: 05 Dec 2023

 


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