Clearing the rubble ahead of rebuild – Tumut and Adelong Times

Property owner Nina Adams in front of her Pioneer Street home burnt during the Dunns Road Fire. Clean-up by Laing ORourke began on Wednesday and was expected to be completed in two days.

Nina Adams, who lost her home in Batlow during the Dunns Road Fire in January, was finally able to see the clean-up process begin on Wednesday when contractors with Laing ORourke and Aboriginal Beata Terra began clearing the property. She said that this first step in the recovery and rebuilding process has provided her with a great deal of closure.

Mrs Adams home was first built in the 50sas a butchers, and the building has a rich history in Batlow and could beconsidered quite iconic. The January blaze burnt the home so badly that itunfortunately needed to be completely torn down, cleared and rebuilt.

When the Dunns Road Fire first hit andbegan developing, Mrs Adams said she and her family held off as long as theycould, evacuating only after a town meeting in which they were told everyoneneeded to leave.

We were seeing the glow in the sky andeverything, so we knew that it was time to go, she said.

We packed up and we headed over to Waggaand sat there and listened to the scanner and let it all unfold and waiteduntil we could come back.

Mrs Adams said that upon returning to herhome, she was absolutely horrified.

I didnt expect it to go, she admitted.I think a lot of people were like that, they just didnt expect their housesto burn. Its quite a shock.

Mrs Adams husband was in the army andunfortunately lost all of his memorabilia in the fires.

Despite losing her home, Mrs Adams hasnothing but the utmost of praise for the firefighters who battled the fires inBatlow tirelessly.

The firies were amazing. Once my place wasgoing up and they knew they couldnt save it, they put the water on [myneighbours] house as well, so it was good that they saved her house cause shehas a lot of memories there.

Theyve done an amazing job.

After the fires, Mrs Adams and her familystayed with her mother-in-law, and then with another woman in Batlow for a fewweeks. Eventually they wanted somewhere to call home again, and moved intotheir own place in Adelong.

When the clearing has been completed, MrsAdams plans to have a new house built on the land. She and her husband willremain in Adelong, most likely moving their mother-in-law into the new home.

Well keep the link here. Were still partof the community, she said.

Because of the fires, Mrs Adams lost herjob at the Batlow Hotel. However, she was extremely pleased to be offered a jobwith Laing ORourke in their office.

Im so grateful I got the opportunity todo it, she said.

When Im working in the office and I seeall the properties that were cleaning up and everything you just put itinto place, you know, okay were going to get this done and were going toclean up and rebuild and be our little town again.

James Stephens, a contractor withAboriginal Beata Terra involved with the clean up in Batlow, expressed howeye-opening yet rewarding the process has been, full of mixed emotions.

We were here approximately three weeks agolooking at the various properties, and looking at the damage that was done wasa real eye-opener for us, and were really trying to treat this with the utmostrespect especially for the people that have lost their houses, Mr Stephenssaid.

He said the project has been unlike anyother construction project he has been involved with in the past. Overall, ithas been far more rewarding.

Its rewarding in the fact that we arehere and helping people get on with their lives, he said.

Once their properties [are] cleared, atleast theyve got something to start from again.

With around 25 properties signed up so far,Mr Stephens said they hope to have completed the clean-up by June. There arestill a lot of variables that could affect this, particularly the rain weveexperienced recently, which can slow the process down.

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Clearing the rubble ahead of rebuild - Tumut and Adelong Times