General News
19 April, 2026
BlazeAid pushes on with Skipton recovery
BLAZEAID volunteers are continuing their monumental recovery effort in the Skipton district with hundreds of kilometres of fencing already cleared and rebuilt following the recent fires.
Over the past three months, teams have been working across locals farms, helping landholders begin the long road to recovery.
Skipton Camp Co-ordinator Christine Male said while significant progress had been made, there was still more work ahead.
“We are going well, we are very happy. We realise we’ve still got quite a bit of work ahead of us, but we are just continuing to do our best to make our way through it,” she said.
“We’ve cleared over 350 kilometres of burnt and damaged fencing and we’ve rebuilt 130 kilometres. It’s an outstanding effort, but we’ve had good volunteer support, and the terrain is reasonably friendly.”
Around 15 volunteers are currently on the ground assisting with the rebuild.
Ms Male said the hands-on nature of the work made it especially rewarding.
“It’s so satisfying and rewarding that you are working with the people you are helping. It’s not just a case of putting money in a bank account, you get that instant feedback from the farmer,” she said.
“There’s nothing better than a smile on a farmer’s face when a fence is finished and a paddock is created.”
She said volunteering also provided a strong sense of purpose for herself as well as every volunteer that has spent time at Skipton regardless of demographic.
“Gosh, I’m proud of volunteers, they are an extraordinary group of people. We’ve had every walk of life you can think of cross paths with a BlazeAid tent.”
Volunteer Jen Weightman, originally from Mildura, has spent the past three months helping with recovery efforts.
“I was with the CFA for about 20 years, pulled myself off active service this year and thought I still need to help people, this, to me, seemed to be the logical next step,” she said.
“It’s been great to meet the farmers. You know you’re doing a lot to help them, easing their minds as well just by putting up a fence.”
Ms Weightman said some properties required extensive rebuilding.
“We worked on a farm that needed 100 kilometres of fencing, that’s an awful lot of fencing and an awful cost to them as well,” she said.
“Despite having no prior fencing experience, she said the supportive environment made it easy to get involved. “Everyone is willing to get in and help you,” she said.
Adelaide-based volunteer Russell Bone, who has been involved with BlazeAid for five years, said the work had become a passion. “I love it. I like going home feeling like I’ve done some good in the world. There’s a mob of great, like-minded people that just want to do some good,” he said. “It becomes a hobby, a passion.”
Local volunteer Richard Benson, from Penshurst, said being part of the recovery effort had been incredibly rewarding.
“I started in the Grampians last year at Willaura, spent six months there and really enjoyed it, so I got involved again this year,” he said.
“It’s amazing to be on the recovery side of things, just to see a fence there at the end of the day when there was nothing there.”
Mr Benson said the camaraderie among volunteers was a highlight.
“It’s a good community of people. It’s hard work, but it’s good fun at the end of the day,” he said.
“We are here because we want to be, not because we have to be, that’s the big thing.”
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