We are climate change refugees. That, of course, is a bit of an exaggeration but it has a semblance of truth. We lived in the Indigo Valley for 18 years on a 53-hectare property that had a covenant on the title to protect the native vegetation. Although we were only 10 minutes from the Hume Freeway, the property was relatively remote. No-one put a gun to our head to move there. We enjoyed the solitude. A year after we moved there, we experienced a bushfire that swept in from Eldorado. We stayed and defended our house, although the property took a hiding. We did not receive, or expect, any fire trucks to help us. There was very little government assistance to speak of in those days, although several environmental agencies and our own hard work helped to rehabilitate the land. Over the years, we gradually cut down trees around the house, sacrificing shade for safety and established a large clear area around the house. We prepared meticulously for a fire we never thought we'd experience again. Then, in December 2015 - on a 45-degree day - another bushfire roared in from Chiltern. We were advised it was too late to leave, so again we defended our little house, taking shelter inside as the fire front hit. Our precautions had saved us, but the property was devastated once more - not just the land but the native animals too. I suppose it was a microcosm of what has happened across Australia recently. More government and community help this time, but the emotional scars wouldn't heal. Last summer, record heatwaves and numerous dry lightning storms kept us glued to the emergency networks. Several times, we evacuated. You simply cannot live like this, so a decision was made to move into Wodonga. This scenario will be played out many times before this fire season is over. People will be making decisions to rebuild if they have lost their homes. But many will question if they really want to risk living in remote and rural areas now that climate change has magnified the danger of bushfires. We left our property reluctantly, but years of climate change denial and significant lack of action left us vulnerable. This summer has been described as unprecedented - policies and attitudes have to change.
SCARRED: Alan Hewett and Joan Jones made the decision to leave the Indigo Valley.
We are climate change refugees. That, of course, is a bit of an exaggeration but it has a semblance of truth.
We lived in the Indigo Valley for 18 years on a 53-hectare property that had a covenant on the title to protect the native vegetation.
Although we were only 10 minutes from the Hume Freeway, the property was relatively remote.
No-one put a gun to our head to move there. We enjoyed the solitude.
A year after we moved there, we experienced a bushfire that swept in from Eldorado.
We stayed and defended our house, although the property took a hiding. We did not receive, or expect, any fire trucks to help us.
There was very little government assistance to speak of in those days, although several environmental agencies and our own hard work helped to rehabilitate the land.
Over the years, we gradually cut down trees around the house, sacrificing shade for safety and established a large clear area around the house.
We prepared meticulously for a fire we never thought we'd experience again.
Then, in December 2015 - on a 45-degree day - another bushfire roared in from Chiltern.
We were advised it was too late to leave, so again we defended our little house, taking shelter inside as the fire front hit.
Our precautions had saved us, but the property was devastated once more - not just the land but the native animals too.
I suppose it was a microcosm of what has happened across Australia recently.
More government and community help this time, but the emotional scars wouldn't heal.
Last summer, record heatwaves and numerous dry lightning storms kept us glued to the emergency networks. Several times, we evacuated.
You simply cannot live like this, so a decision was made to move into Wodonga.
This scenario will be played out many times before this fire season is over. People will be making decisions to rebuild if they have lost their homes. But many will question if they really want to risk living in remote and rural areas now that climate change has magnified the danger of bushfires.
We left our property reluctantly, but years of climate change denial and significant lack of action left us vulnerable.
This summer has been described as unprecedented - policies and attitudes have to change.
