“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided”
When Dorothea
Mackellar said, “I love a sun burnt country” this was not what she meant. As I
write this, much of Northern New South Wales and Queensland is on fire. Our
country has become so dry that these fires are beyond our control. With no end
in sight, families are being forced to flee their homes, leave their memories,
their loved ones and their livelihoods behind to save themselves. In some areas, it is
too late to leave and home owners are left to defend themselves on the front
line against a raging beast – a battle many will not win. As at 10:30am on
Sunday 10th November, 70 fires are burning across New South Wales, with
half yet to be contained. 150+ homes have been destroyed, 3 people have died and it is estimated that over 75% of the Koala population in the area has been lost. Firefighters and Rural Fire Service volunteers are
working tirelessly to contain these fires and bring some good news to those
impacted by it.
This is not
the time for a political debate. It is not the time to place blame on any party
who may or may not done enough to prevent this from happening. It is not the
time to question the decision making that has left our country so dry, it is,
instead the time for action. People are suffering, this should be our priority
first and foremost. In the days that follow, when the fires are contained, the
humans impacted will return to their properties and start to clean up the mess
that has been left behind. This is when political speak comes in to play. This
is when we find ways to clean up our own messes, this is when we stand up and
make changes that prevent these tragedies from happening again. It is too late
for that now, and it is not productive to place blame in a time of crisis. Deal
with the mess on the front line, then the mess that has become of our country.
What I
wanted to discuss today was something a bit lighter than the way this blog post
started out. In the midst of the chaos that the North East of the country is
experiencing, there is so much good. There are so many people working so hard
to bring their community together and to lessen the burden on those who are
suffering so much in this crisis. Below are 7 stories of hope and inspiration coming out of all the bad in our country today!
1. The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital
opened a GoFundMe page to “Help Thirsty Koala’s Devastated by Recent Fires”. This
fund began with a goal of $25,000 and has, after less than a week, raised
$45,766. Every cent of this money will go into assisting the hospital’s efforts
to protect as many Koala’s as possible in the wake of the fires- giving them
the best chance of survival.
2. A crisis response page set up on
Facebook has provided a place for people to not only let their loved ones know
they are safe, but also a place where donations can be made to relief efforts.
This page has seen $3,594 raised since it was opened yesterday.
3. A former ABC presenter and
journalist was able to save the life of her Father and his partner when they
become trapped in a shed in the backyard of their partially fire destroyed property.
Taking to twitter to explain the situation, Carol Duncan was able to get in
touch with the Rural Fire Service who later obtained an address and managed to
get the pair to safety before fire destroyed what remained of their property.
4. Wildlife rescue centres have shared
the stories of volunteers working double shifts, unpaid and often unfed in
order to bring injured wildlife to safety where they can be treated and
returned to a safer part of bush land.
5. A Yarrowitch resident was able escape
with only minor burns when fire ravaged his home. His own ingenuity saved his life when he was able to hide within
his water tank until the flames passed through the area. He is in a stable condition in a Sydney hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
6. In convoys adults and children were
reunited with friends and family at the safety of a Salvation Army Evacuation Centre.
At one of the Glen Innes evacuation centres, volunteers spoke of the children “overcome
with joy" at escaping such horrific conditions.
7. On a Facebook support group
dedicated to providing help to those impacted by this tragedy, we have seen
the community spirit that Australia is so well known for shining through:
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One
user posted to offer free transport for livestock to escape from fire danger
zones.
-
Another
offered her backyard up for anyone needing a place to keep their pets safe.
-
One
Facebook user offered up her entire home for accommodation to anyone who has lost
their home in the tragedy.
-
Another
simply offered any volunteer help he could to the community in his
local area.
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One
photo shared the story of young boy who gathered his old toys to be donated to
an evacuation centre in Taree.
-
Other
posts consisted of thank-yous to neighbours, friends, family and complete
strangers who have sacrificed their own safety to help out in what can only be
called the worst of times.
These are
dark times, and there is no hiding behind a bit of hope that is going to take that
away. Weather reports tell us that even darker times lie ahead, with Catastrophic fire danger and a total fire ban in place for early next week. But in all the
darkness is a spark of hope from communities that are so strong in the face of hardship.
If you,
like me, are sitting at home today, reading the news and trying to find a way
that you can help, I implore you to jump online. Get onto rescue social media pages
or websites, onto support groups or just the NSWFires hashtag on twitter. Take
in the horror but don’t allow all the sadness to fill you up and drag you down. Find out how you
can help and do what you can. If you are close to the impacted areas stay safe,
check on your neighbours and your animals, keep an eye on news alerts, make
sure you have an evacuation plan and get out when you need to – don’t wait
until it is too late. If you, like myself, are stuck too far away to be able to provide the first hand help that these people deserve, keep them all in
your thoughts and prayers. Make sure friends and family know if you have a safe
place for them to stay, donate to the relief fund and don’t overuse water – you
don’t need it like they do today.
Remember
that we are only as strong as we are united. Look out for everyone and help
where you can. Don’t turn a blind eye to the suffering, don’t shut off because
it’s too hard to watch and don’t play the blame game- now is the time for
action not political debate.
Stay safe,
stay strong, your country is thinking of you and we are behind you every step of the way!
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