It’s been half a decade since the Black Summer bushfires ravaged Australia, yet for many survivors in the picturesque Victorian town of Mallacoota, the nightmare is far from over. While the nation has moved on, a crippling construction backlog and systemic failures mean countless residents are still living in makeshift homes, their dreams of rebuilding shattered by a bureaucratic maze and an overwhelmed industry.

Among them is musician Justin Brady who has been living in a makeshift home, nestled deep within the breathtaking Croajingolong National Park, since 2020.

He lost everything in the infernos of the Black Summer bushfires, according to an ABC news report and five years later, he’s still waiting for a permanent roof over his head.

Surrounded by the blackened trees, which still b

See Full Page