Bushfire-affected landowners are reaching out to a farm charity for help, as many are left to foot the bill for rebuilding hundreds of kilometres of fences.
Current legislation allows Crown-owned land to be exempt when it comes to sharing the cost of boundary fences and the Forestry Corporation has ruled out making a "goodwill gesture".
While some farmers will be able to make an insurance claim or will be eligible for a government bushfire subsidy of up to $75,000, others are turning to BlazeAid for help.
Snowy Valleys mayor James Hayes said he has been suggesting bushfire-affected landowners get in touch with BlazeAid, which currently has a camp set up at Adelong. Up to 150 volunteers a day are being deployed to help landowners to rebuild after the fires.
BlazeAid founder Rhonda Butler said the cost of replacing fences was as much as $10,000 per kilometre.
"BlazeAid has got a program, thanks to donors who have contributed, to pay for a percentage of fencing. That percentage is determined by the co-ordinator, depending on whether the farmer has any insurance or how badly a landowner has been devastated," she said.
According to a spokesperson for the Forestry Corporation, state forests have tens of thousands of kilometres of boundaries with private properties, including many impacted by the fires.
"State forests are free to access and Forestry Corporation does not require fences for its own purposes, such as along roads or adjoining other public land," the spokesperson said.
"In line with other public land managers, in some instances Forestry Corporation makes a voluntary contribution towards fencing materials as a community service.
"However the scale of the fires this year means unfortunately Forestry Corporation is unable to make a voluntary contribution to all the neighbours affected.
"The NSW government has some grants in place to assist farmers impacted by fire and Forestry Corporation continues to look at the fencing issue and any avenues of assistance."
Member for Wagga Joe McGirr said he believed the government should accept responsibility for assisting landowners with the cost of replacing fences.
He said he had heard concerns from a number of people about the issue.
After a shadow cabinet meeting in Tumut, the state opposition called for a raft of changes in response to the effect of the bushfires on the softwood industry. One of those changes was a call for government to contribute to the cost of fencing repair for land adjoining Forestry Corporation property.
The Shooters, Farmers and Fishers party is also planning to move amendments to the Dividing Fences Act, which allows Crown land to be exempted.
A spokesperson for Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the current legislation already allowed for managers of Crown Land to provide contributions to assist with fencing, and agencies such as Forestry Corporation, had provided materials and assistance in the past where possible.
"We are looking at ways to build on this in the future," the spokesperson said.
"Forestry Corporation is also a designated firefighting authority which can provide a rapid response for adjoining landholders in the event of bushfires.
