Carolyn’s shed full of trouble

By Kath Gannaway
AS Steels Creek resident Carolyn Kelmar waits for a decision on whether she can rebuild her hay-shed, the construction cost, and the frustration, creeps up and up.
Ms Kelmar, who lost the shed along with $48,000 worth of newly harvested hay in the Black Saturday bushfire, needs a permit from power supplier SP AusNet to replace the shed which was adjacent to powerlines.
Ms Kelmar applied in July for a planning permit from the Shire of Yarra Ranges which she said went straight through.
“They just pulled out an aerial photo which showed how it used to be and said I could just go ahead and re-build,” she said.
Ms Kelmar was then advised however that she needed two additional permits, one through the Building Commission, and one from SP AusNet.
“What I’ve now been told that because it’s on an electricity easement, and because of new regulations which came in in March which say buildings are not supposed to be within 16 metres of powerlines, the whole thing has been held up again,” Ms Kelmar said.
The topography of the property, much of which is flood-prone, or extremely steep hillside, makes it impractical to build the shed in another spot.
The situation is critical for Ms Kelmar who has battled for the past 16 years to run the farm after an accident in 1994 left her with a permanent disability.
“At the best of times it is a struggle,” she said. “I changed over last year from breeding cattle to fatten steers and grow hay. The hay was burnt and the cattle were stressed out and became skinny steers,” she says trying to put a brave face on what is a mounting wall of problems. Five got stolen,” she adds.
Ms Kelmar has not been able to farm at all this year, with the boundary fences burnt in the fire only partially re-built and no place to store the hay.
She says she feels despondent at the lack of progress, frustrated that she is being required to play to new rules, simply because of her misfortune, and worried that the money she received to help her get back on track, was being eaten away.
“It’s going to cost $1000 just to get a meter box in for the bore and now the government wants $670 for a permit. I am worried that by the time I get a permit, the cost of building the shed will put it out of reach,’ she said.
A spokesperson for SP AusNet said the types of buildings that could be built on easements were strictly controlled to ensure public safety and the reliability of the network.
She confirmed Ms Kelmar’s property had a 13-metre wide easement which caters for an electricity line which was built in 1970.
She said SP AusNet had inspected the property on Friday.
“Crews will now conduct further investigations with surveyors to determine if a shed can be built within a safe distance of the electricity easement,” she said.
She said they would discuss the outcome with Ms Kelmar in the coming weeks.
The further delay adds to the frustration for Ms Kelmar who says it is heartbreaking to see the farm deteriorating before her eyes.
“If I am having this much trouble for a hay shed, what are others going through who are trying to rebuild their houses?” she asks.