Recovering from the Pinery fire - Andrew Barr 2020 - Landscape SA
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Recovering from the Pinery
fire
Andrew Barr
2020
A life of limited stress…….until 2015
Stress index
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Our fire story • Immediate post fire – water, electricity, shelter • Limiting soil erosion • Insurance • Planning farm • Designing house • Coping with help • Applying for assistance • Planning and planting new garden and shelter belts • Having a holiday • Long term planning
Karawatha pre fire
The fire approaching …..
The fire approaching …..
This is how we found our house (L) and Ed & Belinda’s house (R) when we were able to return after the passing of the fire front
This is how we found our house (L) and our daughters house (R) when we were able to return after the passing of the fire front
Karawatha post fire
A panorama of devastation in our farm land
My newest tractor – the field bin contained 20 tonnes wheat which also burnt for many days
My harvester and chaff cart – before and after
A forlorn sight ….
The view from harvester cabin after
Belinda and Ed’s house after the fire went out and the dust storms start
Belinda and Ed’s house after the fire went out and the dust storms start
Our garden before and after
Our garden before and after
Our garden before and after
Our house and garden after the fire
The cleanup ……
Looking through to back yard from south side gate
View down driveway before pine tree removal and house demolition
Murray Gregor and I cleaning up fencelines cleared by Blaze Aid using Greg Halls tractor and Rubber Daniels truck
Piles of burnt fence materials collected after Blaze aid it pulled up – Two wells scrappy has now taken the lot !
Cmerls and Gus cut loose on the garden to prune off the dead wood and remove dead plants
Looking through to back yard from south side gate
A new farm base …..
Day 1 ; “Club Med” in the shed takes shape
From this …..
The sewerage system nearly finished with the team
Saving the soil ……
Sowing sandhills in Finch back block Feb 1
32 mm rain saved the cover crops and doubled their growth – now on March 25 we have to kill it to prepare for a new winter crop. Overall a success as no erosion on sandhills since end of January.
Poo spreading
Dealing with insurance • Read the policy summary and PDS • Compile your own valuations of major items • Use the special allocations • Demolition 20% • Professional fees 20% – architectural, engineering, legal, financial • Garden $5000 • Accomodation allowance - Rental vs lump sum • Farm continuation expenses –eg emergency tillage, plant hire, etc
Repairing/replacing machinery
Re-designing the farm …..
Key design principles Farm Yard Farm • Shed area – large clear rubbled • Larger paddocks areas • More efficient interior roadways • Multiple rather than mega sheds • Replant roadside areas • More fire water storage • Inner and outer roadways • Colorbond fencing around house yard • Change shelterbelt trees • Firefighting without mains power or water
Karawatha pre fire 2014
Karawatha 2016
Karawatha 2018
Karawatha 2020
1000 tonne Sand fill to level and 900 tonne rubble base with help from the Konzag’s and Irish’s
Fencing ….. • Removing old stuff – Blazeaid, hydraulic spinners, land plane • New stuff – vignerons donations, steel dropper fences
1000 tonne Sand fill to level and 900 tonne rubble base with help from the Konzag’s and Irish’s
Designing your house • Use the professional fees allowance in your insurance • Looked at over 100 display homes (and they dont fit !) • Set up OneNote for extended family • Draft concept to architect • Fire features • Energy features • Light • Farm office
Fire features
More radical approaches …… Paul Lush Derek Tiller Simon Maddocks
Michael Warnes, Owen
Paul Lush – the golf course solution ……
To go the next level….
And then the fun bit - A Saturday working bee with the Hoppies, Nan & Pa, Belinda and the job is done with roll out Santa Anna
Job finished !
Our fire story • Immediate post fire – water, electricity, shelter • Limiting soil erosion • Insurance • Planning farm • Designing house • Coping with help • Applying for assistance • Planning and planting new garden and shelter belts • Having a holiday • Long term planning
Some surprisingly difficult bits …….. Coping with help Applying for assistance
New garden
Lessons from Kinglake and Scott Creek …….
2016 2018
Ed and the Hendos and Helen at work on the fruit trees
Fish pond has tadpoles and mossie larvae (again)
2019
Generate some income !
Fast forward to July 2016 and the view from the shed where our caravan is parked …….
A screen shot of our yield monitor in our durum wheat – it set a new all time farm yield record with an average of 6.8 t ha –here a patch even better !!!
A screen shot of our yield monitor in our durum wheat – it set a new all time farm yield record with an average of 6.8 t ha –here a patch even better !!!
What works for me ….
Things we haven’t done • Fencing not finished • Fire sprinklers not installed • Soil rebuild a work in progress ….
End
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