A landscape often referred to as "God's Country" was left bruised and defeated, where the surface of Mt Mittamatite, despite its efforts to recover, lay a constant reminder of the devastation to which our community endured.

However, it is becoming more prominent that as the world continues to progress, the degree to which this despair impacts on ourselves will eventually fade; our small achievements have opened new possibilities, drawing parallels to the way in which new vegetation has begun to bloom and entwine itself amongst the burnt debris - harbouring an environment for resilience to not only be strengthened, but established.

But after the fires, there were moments when it felt as if there was no time to heal.

The pandemic, as you all know, created an even greater challenge for any recovery to occur; and we lost too many young men in our community throughout this whole period of time also, which, since Corryong is a small place, really affected everyone.

The youth in this town had just gone through a major shock, and were expected to know how they were feeling, when they were still trying to process everything that had just happened.

People need time to heal, and everyone's way of reconciling their emotions is different, and we know this. We know that the way one person perceives something could be entirely different to how another person perceives the same thing.

So, who's to decide what's best for the youth of today if no one's asking the youth themselves?

Corryong's establishment of the youth working group, which derived through the Corryong Neighbourhood Centre, created an opportunity for the youth in town to share any concerns that they may have, as well a chance to navigate how any grant money should be spent.

My interest in joining the youth working group stemmed from the desire to learn more about what the recovery process entailed, as well as to get a better understanding of how the mental health services available were operating.

The recovery process also gave me an opportunity to involve myself with the Youth Affairs Council Victoria, where their desire to share the importance of acknowledging youth advocacy, influenced me to branch out and consider a whole other concept of issues that I normally wouldn't think about.

YACVic's development of the 'Seat at the Table' guide provided me with much-needed reassurance that my opinion was valid and not just wanted, but also needed.

With an acknowledgement that the mental health within the town had become fragile, a lot of members in the community wanted to help; yet, despite their methods of support coming from the best of places, at times, it came across as somewhat degrading.

There was an immense yearning for things to be like they were before the fires, for people to heal immediately, with a lack of understanding that people take time to heal and overcome adversities.

Rather than just telling the youth it's 'Ok to not be Ok' and allowing them to discover what works best for them with the support of these services, as well as providing them with an opportunity such as the one YACVic offered me, may enable an individual to gain a better perspective on issues relevant to their own, which in turn, may provoke greater cause of action regarding these issues.

The YACVic's Seat at the Table guide provides individuals wanting to help, a reference point to support youth alongside them, instead of simply deciding what should be done without any consultations.

Corryong's youth working group, by following this approach, has continuously encouraged youth to bring forward their own prospects with the knowledge that their ideas will be considered and pursued.

Establishing a platform where resilience can be strengthened through the town's progression and productivity, as youth become more aware of what the process of recovery entails; provokes discussion surrounding the fact that there will be more disasters in the future, but now, with less uncertainty about 'what will happen', and instead discussion about what can be done first.

Check out YACVic's disaster recovery and youth resources here: yacvic.org.au/bushfire-recovery