Summer camps for as many as 800 youngsters have been postponed as the owners of the fire-ravaged Weekaway Recreational Camp near Lancefield work to get it up and running again.
Charlotte Burns, who runs the Kitchenhams Lane camp, said while buildings had not been damaged, most of the 21 hectares of bushland on the property had been burnt out by the recent fires.
“The first school group we had in after the fires was sent home after just three hours because it was just not safe for the kids,” Mrs Burns said.
Ten bookings for the coming months had now been cancelled because of the bushfire damage.
“We’re working in conjunction with other camps to relocate the kids so they don’t miss out on a camping experience this summer.
Safety first
“We’re getting it safe enough for reopening, and that involves a lot of work ahead of us.
“When a tree is affected by fire, that tree is no longer deemed safe,” Mrs Burns said. “It requires an arborist to come in and check it; either remove it or cut it back.”
Arborists have been busy around the area, but the long process of dealing with so many burnt trees on the property is yet to begin, Mrs Burns said.
“We can’t open until those trees are safe, so it’s a wait and see situation.
“At this stage, we’re hoping to reopen in late November, all going well, but it could be as late as next February before we’re fully functional again. The main thing is that the bush is safe, not only the trees, but that there’s no machinery working out there either.”
Mrs Burns said new camp activities were in the pipeline, including a maze with a climbing wall, to replace equipment that was burned. As well, there would be a giant swing in place of the damaged flying fox, and a nature trail.
“We’re doing all we can to make sure the camp is safe for the kids to come back.”
It is still not certain whether those affected by the fires will be compensated, after what was a planned burn destroyed 3100 hectares of land and five homes.
