Plasma solution- Kinglake men are looking for answers and for help — Wally Spezza (left) with Rodney Elwers, Cameron Caine and John Dowdle. 51572

By Kath Gannaway
“EVERY caravan has a plasma television in it … but people can’t afford to rebuild.” Kinglake resident Wally Spezza says it is just one powerful statement about what the future is for many Kinglake residents.
Mr Spezza was one of around 25 people who met at the local football club rooms on a cold Wednesday night in the lead up to the release of the Bushfires Royal Commission Report.
The meeting was called by former local policeman and football club president, and candidate for McEwen, Cameron Caine in the hope the truth about Kinglake’s lack of recovery would not become yesterday’s news in the face of the media focus on the report’s recommendations.
The atmosphere in the room was a patchwork of frustration, despair, anger and panic.
Most disturbing were the personal stories of relationship breakdowns, a growing culture of alcoholism and youth problems, and of threatened, attempted and actual suicides, people walking away from what they once believed were realistic hopes of rebuilding and an overwhelming sense of abandonment from government.
One woman is close to tears as she tells of having to sell her block because the Bushfire Assessment Level was so high she couldn’t afford to rebuild. With a builder ready to start, she has been waiting, she says, for six weeks to have a septic plan stamped. “The person who can do that is away ill,” she said.
Another tells of the renters who are stuck in the ‘temporary’ village. Landlords have rebuilt but the tenants who were paying $150 a week for an often sub-standard roof over their heads, can’t afford to pay the new rents.
There are stories of youth and other services provided through outreach from Alexandra and Yea that don’t meet the needs.
“Youth workers are here for a couple of hours a day, a couple of days a week during the day, when the youth are at school. They don’t get back on the mountain until after five,” said Mr Spezza.
“It’s the blokes who are affected most. There’s no work and a lot of men are unreliable anyway because of their mental situation,” he says.
“I can tell you of the massive number of relationship breakdowns since the fires and it’s leading to self-harm and alcoholism.
“It’s at night when it kicks in and men have nowhere to go but the pub, or to drink with mates. The kids see that and when they have issues they think that is the answer.”
“No-one is here when we need them most.”
Mr Spezza’s observations and views are supported by former Murrindindi Mayor Lyn Gunter.
She was at the meeting.
“The reality is that the majority of people are too tired, tired of hitting their heads against a brick wall so they are not coming out any more.
“So you have this small group saying ‘we’re not going to just let this go’.
“They are not a vocal minority, they are speaking out on behalf of so many who cannot stand up and speak for themselves,” she said.
Before anything else, Mr Spezza says the truth must be exposed.
“I would challenge any media organisation and the state and federal governments to sit down in an open forum in Kinglake and not only ask us about what the problems are, but listen to what we need,” Mr Spezza said.
“If there was nothing to expose, that would happen.”