Two-and-a-half years after Black Summer bushfires, these survivors still don't have a home
It has been two-and-a-half years since the tragic Black Summer bushfires that tore through parts of north-east Victoria and Gippsland and for some, recovery has not gone to plan.
Greg Albert and his wife Alice are in the process of rebuilding after losing most of their possessions when their Cudgewa home was completely destroyed in the 2019-20 bushfires.
The couple was on a silo art tour in Bendigo when word of the fire reached them.
"We got a call from our daughter-in-law to say the fire was coming," Mr Albert said.
"I drove seven hours home and spoke to the coordinator and she said to get in the fire truck and get your boots and gear on and I drove until I couldn't drive anymore."
While defending his property with the help of a few others from town, the sheep shearer recalled the moment he knew his property couldn't be saved.
"It was all alight, 360 degrees around us," he said.
"I had 130 rolls of hay along the fence and they just went 'poof'. They didn't even burn, they were just gone.
"I said, 'it's time to go otherwise we won't be going'."
Mrs Albert had left for safety earlier.
"I know how dangerous it can get so we just knew to get out and that's what we had planned to do," she said.
"There were no flames, nothing … It was really brown and grey, there was no glow [when I left]."
The couple was reunited sometime later, which is when Mrs Albert learnt the news of their home.
"He didn't have to say anything, I knew the house was gone," she said.
The couple lived in a caravan on their property before moving into the shearing shed, which miraculously was untouched by the fire.
"I didn't want to go anywhere else, I wanted to go home," Mr Albert said.
About six months later, as part of a Victorian government initiative, the pair received a one-bedroom modular home, which is where they have lived ever since.
"I knew if we didn't have [the modular home] we'd be still in the shearing shed because there'd be no way Greg was leaving here," Mrs Albert said.
They signed building contracts before the year was out and in June 2020 the slab was cut ready for their new home to be built.
They expected it to be complete and to be living in it six months ago but have been hit with constant delays and issues facing the building industry.
"It hasn't gone to plan," Mr Albert said.
"The modular has been very handy for us but our house is in limbo.
"We have some people come and do a bit, then we don't see them for four or so weeks. The house is in the mid-stream of nowhere."
This week, Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes visited the Alberts' property, where she listened to their story and said she knew they were not alone.
"There has been a lot of consequences, whether it's pandemic-related or just shortage of materials, inability to get tradespeople, particularly in remote areas of Victoria, it's an ongoing challenge," she said.
While the couple expected to be in the modular home for some time to come, the government was already looking at its potential future purpose.
"They are government assets so community use is going to be front of mind," Ms Symes said.
She said local councils have proposed using them to as short-term accommodation to combat labour issues and the shortage of skilled workers or for crisis accommodation for people escaping family violence or experiencing homelessness.
"Wherever they go, they'll continue to provide community benefit," Ms Symes said.
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