Fencers Without Boundaries winds up

After another very successful year the UGLN fire recovery fencing program 'Fencers Without Boundaries' (FWB) has finally come to an end.

SA Rotary volunteers fencing at Kinglake (2011)

Victorian Mobile Landcare Group (2010)

FWB stalwarts John Belfio and Alan Stafford at Sunday Creek (2011)

Fire affected landowners provided the fencing materials and UGLN provided the volunteer labour. For over three years volunteers with our fencing program contributed 3580 days to rebuild 246 KM of new fencing and remove 87.3 KM of burnt and damaged fencing on properties throughout Murrindindi and Mitchell Shires. 


Fencing off a wetland at Glenburn with CVA volunteers (2012)

Benalla High School students with
Uniting Church volunteers (2010)



International Bible Study volunteers with Alan helping to
fence off  the Spring Creek at Flowerdale (2012)

Funded by the Federal Governments 'Caring for our Country' and the 'Recycling for Recovery'
program, we were able to put tens of thousands of dollars back into the local community and small business' by sourcing local hotel and bunkhouse accommodation, catering and meals for our hardworking volunteers, quality tools and hardware from local suppliers, safety wear and PPE, the list goes on. 


Four Wheel drivers Marg, Geoff, Fred, Mitch and Ron. (2010)

We sourced volunteers from many areas and have been well supported by the Uniting Church, 4WD Clubs of Victoria, SA Rotary, Green Corp, Victorian Mobile Landcare Group, Benalla Secondary College, Hughes Creek Catchment Collaborative, Marcellin College, Conservation Volunteers Australia and International Bible Study Group Australia. As well as many corporate groups including NAB, ANZ, Earnst and Young, GPT Group, CPA and Cadbury.

NAB fencing at Kilmore East (2011)

ANZ volunteers removing burnt fences (2010)

Special mention must also go to the following individuals for the many, many days they volunteered towards our project: Alan Stafford, John Belfio, Neil Ireland, Lance Morrisby, Alan Diak, Tom Maddern, Chris Renwick, Rev. David Howie, all the Shepparton boys including Howard, Peter, Don, John E and John C, 4W drivers Geoff, Ron, Fred, Marg and Mitch, SA Rotarians Tony, Jannine, Brian, Kevin and Shirley and very sadly the late Glen Clement.

Shepparton boys having a break for lunch (2010)

Fencing volunteers and landowners at a 2011 get together.

In 2012 our priority was for fencing to protect native habitats such as waterways, native vegetation and revegetation sites. We built 31.8 KM of fencing on private land to protect riparian areas along the King Parrot, Spring, Mountain and Stony Creeks and also to protect over 20 hectares of remnant vegetation across the Kinglake Ranges.

Our equipment and volunteers are still being put to good use helping the Strath Creek Landcare Group with the fencing component of there biodiversity project.


Kevin Roberts (SA Rotary), Alan Stafford (Uniting Church) and Chris Cobern (UGLN)

Fencers Without Boundaries - Still bounding along



Terry Hubbard thanking our volunteers

We recently said goodbye and thank you to two of our stalwart fencing teams SA Rotary and the 4WD drivers at a bbq in Strath Creek (pictured left). Between the two teams they have rebuilt 62km of fencing as part of UGLN's Fencers Without Boundaries (FWB) fire recovery fencing program.

This is by no means the end of FWB.
UGLN is committed to the program until the end of 2011. With the continued assistance of the Uniting Church, our loyal volunteers from Shepparton and Melbourne and corporate groups such as NAB and Earnst & Young, all ably lead by our fencing team leader Alan Stafford.
We will continue to assist landowners rebuild their fences.

Alan Stafford and UGLN Coordinator Chris Cobern

Volunteers from  E&Y.

Fire Recovery Fencing Blitz

The last few months of 2010 was a fencing blitz for the fire affected people of Glenburn, Kinglake, Flowerdale and Pheasant Creek.

The volunteers kept coming. We had individual volunteers from Reservoir, Wallan and Belgrave; the Uniting Church boys from Shepparton and Benalla, Green Corps from Seymour, 4WD club from Melbourne, a corporate group from Earnst and Young and even a team of Rotarians from SA.

We're all having a well earned rest over January but will be back into it in February. This time helping those patient residents of Clonbinane and Wandong who have had their names down on my list since early 2010.

Photo's include the Shep boys being well fed by Des and De Cash of Kinglake West, the SA Rotarians at a Kinglake property and E & Y at Flowerdale.