BackTrack Works Team on the Ground in Orara Valley

A team of young people from the not-for-profit organisation BackTrack are providing important bushfire recovery assistance with practical fencing repairs and replacement at properties in Nana Glen that were impacted by the 2019 bushfires.

“They are a great team of young people who are delivering an invaluable service to bushfire-affected residents and playing an important role in the local recovery process.  Being a social enterprise program, the outcomes for the young people involved are as important as the physical work they provide. They are making a really positive impact locally already,” said Melinda Brooks, Coffs Harbour City Council’s Community Recovery Officer – Bushfires.

BackTrack is an organisation that enables young people who have lost their way to reconnect with education and training, become work ready and secure meaningful employment. The BackTrack Works project employs a team of qualified supervisors and trainees who deliver sub-contracting and labour hire services to help their young participants work on real jobs that give them job-ready skills and accreditation.

Steve Bramley from BackTrack Youth Works said: “We are extremely pleased to be able to come to the Nana Glen area which was heavily impacted by the bushfires and help with the rebuilding of assets, particularly fences. Not only will the fences get rebuilt but our young people get invaluable opportunities to work, gain new skills, help a community and aid with helping the whole community feel more positive. We’ve been going hard since January all around Northern NSW and had a fantastic result not only with the fences but the social outcomes.”

Council, BlazeAid, BackTrack and the Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour are all involved in helping property owners repair and replace fencing following the Liberation Trail bushfires that swept through Nana Glen in November 2019. A team from BlazeAid worked in the area from February to June 2020 and have generously donated much of the fencing material to be used by BackTrack. The Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour has also kindly donated locally-raised funds to support the fencing program.

The BackTrack team will be working on local properties in and around Nana Glen for the next couple of months. For more information on BackTrack and its work, go to backtrack.org.au