Some landholders still reeling from the effects of the Black Summer bushfires have been receiving a helping hand on the South Coast.
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Wildlife sanctuary owner Rae Harvey who operates Wild 2 Free a 27-hectare sanctuary in the Mogo State Forest is one such owner, getting help from the Great Eastern Ranges (GER) group.
Funded by the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, GER is helping landowners regenerate their land and build future resilience to further climate disasters.
Rae and her volunteer Karen had to be rescued via boat by her neighbour when the fires hit on New Year's Eve in 2019.
They returned shortly after to care for any animals who had survived, despite the property having no power, water or septic running and only a fire-damaged cabin to shelter in.
"No one was prepared or ready for what happened that night," Ms Harvey said.
"The fire entered Mogo at 4am and skipped us, so we thought we were in the clear, especially after a few false alarms.
"We had also worked really hard to prepare the property for fire. And then the southerly came and we were suddenly surrounded by flames."
Though some areas of the sanctuary have naturally regenerated, Ms Harvey said she welcomed the additional support and funding to assist with managing weeds and planting to reconnect habitat and food for the greater gliders, black cockatoos, powerful owls and other wildlife that inhabit the area.
This includes the animals that she releases back into the wild after rescuing and rehabilitating them.
"Being a wildlife carer, I am particularly sensitive to the environment and what we have lost. I get upset when people say that the bush has come back so it's all okay," Ms Harvey said.
"Yes, some of it has returned but where are the glossy black cockatoos and the she oaks? It's come back, but it hasn't come back right."
To encourage glossy black cockatoos back and support other local wildlife including her beloved roos, Rae requested that lots of species of flowering trees and shrubs be planted around her homestead as part of the GER project.
Wild 2 Free's neighbours are also being supported through the project with work on their land focused on reconnecting habitat for woodland birds.
In addition to helping landholders, the project has stimulated local employment opportunities with Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Lands Council's (LALC) Walbanja ranger team and Campbell Page EcoCrews funded to assist with bush regeneration.
The work is building on existing on-ground efforts in the region.
GER CEO Gary Howling said the South Coast was one of the hardest impacted regions of Australia and GER had heard the community's calls for help.
"A lot of the initial focus and funding for the recovery effort was directed at northern NSW to the detriment of other regions. but the NSW South Coast was one of the areas that was the most severely impacted by the bushfires," he said.
"We developed the project in direct response to appeals from local landholders who lacked the funding, knowledge and resources to respond to a bushfire crisis of that scale themselves. We were able to provide that targeted assistance through our regional partnerships."
