National recognition for Council staff

When the call was made to councils seeking help with the recovery effort on Kangaroo Island after the devastating 2019-20 bushfires, Holdfast Bay’s Ian Matthews and Peter Tomsen didn’t hesitate to volunteer.

The pair from Council’s Field Services team were among dozens of council workers who joined the clean-up efforts after the largest bushfires ever recorded on the island.

Now, they each have a prestigious National Emergency Medal, which are awarded by the Governor-General to people who provide sustained or significant service during nationally significant emergencies.

Ian and Peter say they are honoured to be recognised for their efforts and were grateful to help make a difference where they could.

“I would not hesitate to assist again given the opportunity, and receiving this medal is truly a great honour for me,” said Ian.

Peter echoes Ian’s sentiments and said he too “would do it again in a heartbeat”.

“The locals were very appreciative of our assistance, and we were all proud to have been tasked with the job at hand,” Peter said.

“The accolades and national service medal that was received was truly an honour, though it is certainly not why we put our hands up to help”.

More than 220 council employees from 39 different councils supported the emergency response efforts, not just on Kangaroo Island but at Cudlee Creek and Duck Ponds after bushfires there.

The three fires collectively burned nearly 235,000 hectares of land, destroyed more than 140 homes and hundreds more buildings, and tragically claimed three lives along with devastating local wildlife populations.

Ian and Peter spent a week on Kangaroo Island clearing trees from the roadsides that had been burnt or severely damaged. Some trees were still on fire as they were tasked with clearing them.

“Some trees were still very much on fire on the inside of the tree and some rekindled as the oxygen was exposed to the embers as they fell,” Peter recalled.

“I will never forget that for almost all occasions, we were up to our knees in ash while undertaking any removal that was required.

“There was uncertainty present with every step that was taken as we couldn’t physically see what lay beneath.”

Ian said the sight and smell of “smoke, dead wildlife and livestock was ever present”.

“I vividly remember a burnt-out farmhouse and vehicles and a cluster of dead chickens - this sight is still with me today,” he said.

“At the base of one tree I saw two scorpions scurrying away and wondered how they had survived the inferno.”

Peter said the sound of silence on the island was unsettling.

“It was ‘true’ silence as no animal noises were present, no calling or noises of animals as they were all entirely dead.”

Both have been back to Kangaroo Island in recent years to see how the burnt landscape is now recovering.

SA Country Fire Service Chief Officer Brett Loughlin said the fires were unprecedented and left “an indelible mark” on all responders who stepped up and took action to protect and support their communities.

“When the focus shifted in the immediate aftermath from response to recovery, local government was there playing an amazing role in restoring normality and getting people back to living their lives,” he said.

“Everyone receiving a National Emergency Medal should wear them with honour, because they have earnt them – their contributions made a difference at a time when most people could only watch in horror as these events unfolded.”

Councils assisted emergency services through the Local Government Functional Support Group, which operates as part of the State Emergency Management Plan and is coordinated by LGA South Australia.