As time strides towards the third year anniversary of the Black Summer Bushfires, the pain of not being able to move on from the horrific fires is palpable for Wiseleigh residents, Jane and Mark Oakley.
The couple lost their home in Howards Road, where they have lived for more than a quarter of a century, after the bushfire turned nasty on December 30 in 2019 and swept through their 10-acre property.
Undeterred, the Oakleys quickly had another house design drawn up in anticipation of rebuilding near the same site.
That’s when their heartache truly began.
East Gippsland Shire Council wouldn’t issue a planning permit for the house to be built near its original location after being advised by Melbourne-based fire bureaucrats that it wasn’t suitable.
Instead the Oakleys were told they could rebuild on a site 240 metres away from their original house.
IMAGE: Jane and Mark Oakley, of Wiseleigh, are still living in temporary accommodation on their property following the Black Summer Bushfires. K296-7654 (2)
