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"But now they're realising that they do need help … So we’re seeing that even in the last few weeks, that there's a lot of people that still need assistance,” he says. “If anyone needs help, well, there's plenty of help there."
Thanks to generous donors, Red Cross has been able to give Richard a grant to help rebuild his home. “I've got somewhere to live now, [thanks] to Red Cross and other entities. That’s helped, otherwise, I don’t know, the way you think about things would be a lot different."
Richard reckons for himself it’s going to take a couple of years “before things get back to [where] you don’t have to fix something that was burned by the fire”.
The clean-up alone took a lot of time, he says. “I didn’t even have a hammer after the fire … just simple little things to fix, [because] something was gone, you were left not being able to do a thing.”
Because of demand, it was 16 weeks before he could get a new water tank, he has yet to get internet again, and there are some things that can simply never be replaced. “I don’t think you'd ever replace 40 years of collecting tools.”
He knows for some recovery will take even longer. “I'd imagine Christmas is going to come and people are still going to be trying to work out if they build a new house. What they can afford, were they underinsured, are they going to end up with a lot smaller, is it better just to sell?
“You're seeing this daily, people are still trying to sift through what the insurances have covered … and then you’ve got the DA [Development Application] process.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has added a new layer of complications that will impact recovery, he says. “Getting tradesmen down here, and there’s only a certain amount in New South Wales. The borders are not opening up yet so some family members [who] live interstate they can't come and help.”
Richard says he is very grateful for the support he and his community have received. “It was difficult just after the fires. I'm a pretty hard person, and put up with a lot of things over the years, but to have someone give you a chainsaw, it brought tears to your eyes".
“[The] generosity of people – whether it’s in a form of some funds or whether it’s to come and give you a hand for the day or even a couple of hours – makes a big difference,” he says. “Without their support and their kindness we wouldn’t be where we are now.”
He would like to find a way to thank everyone who has helped. “I'm hoping we can give back to people, internationally and within Australia, some form of a big thank you. If they're ever in the area just drop in and I'm sure everyone will be happy to see them.”
Richard says, six-plus months on, he is tired and there’s still a lot to do but he is getting there. “It makes you feel a lot better you’ve got somewhere, the light turns on and you’ve got cold food and the roof doesn’t leak anymore …
“Every day is another day and you get a bit closer to getting things to the way it was.”
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