Cherry Gardens bushfire recovery

The Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board provided support for landholders impacted by the 2021 Cherry Gardens bushfire, through the State Government’s Catchment Recovery funding. 

The Cherry Gardens bushfire broke out on Monday 25 January 2021. By the time it was brought under control, the fire had swept through 2565 hectares of rural land and bushland, and burnt down two houses. Since the fire, the landscape has experienced a mass germination of fire-driven weeds including broom, lucerne tree, African feather-grass, boneseed and the locally invasive sydney golden wattle.

While the regenerating effects of fire on bushland are evident, the recovery of native vegetation was hindered by rabbits and increasing kangaroo and deer populations. It was important that landholders work together to address these fire-driven pest plant and animal issues.

Through the Catchment Recovery project, landholders affected by the Cherry Gardens fire accessed support to prepare Bushfire Recovery Action Plans (BRAPs). The BRAP is a to-do list for bushfire recovery activities at the individual property scale. Once the BRAP was written and signed off, Catchment Recovery funding was available for several actions within these plans including rabbit control, fencing of creeks and regenerating bushland areas, weed control, and revegetation.

This opportunity helped fire-affected landholders reconnect with their land, work together with their neighbours, sort through land management priorities, and build resilience to climate change. Fire-affected landholders accessed the knowledge and expertise of Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu’s Bushfire Recovery Team to help with the BRAP process.