Interviewer: 60 Minutes presents a live interview with Ross and Rebecca Buchanan.
Interviewer: Rebecca and Ross thank you for talking to us tonight, in our live online chat room, to talk about what has been a devastating experience.
Rebecca: Thank you for having us tonight
Ross: Yes thanks for having us to chat with you.
Interviewer: Now we will go to the questions from our guests.
amicus says: Rebecca and Ross, I cant imagine what you have gone through, where was your home?
Rebecca: It's at Pheasant Creek, about 15kms away from Kinglake.
andyem3 says: You are so inspirational. Don't know how I'd be if the same happened but I hope I'd be as dignified. Is laughing as important as crying?
Rebecca: yes it is very much so.
jaffarabbit says: My daughter almost died in fact she stop breathing one of her lungs was half full goop and she went to ICU for two week . I was a mess I couldn't bare the thought of losing my baby. People like you have so much strength. The community where you live must be SO strong?
Rebecca: if it wasn't for the community I don't think we would stay here as they are being so supportive. So yes it's a lot to do with community strength.
Ross: This is the difference between bush and suburbia, community is stronger in the bush.
devannah says: I would just like to ask if you have received adequate assistance emotionally and financially through the red cross fund?
Rebecca: The Red Cross has been helpful but we have had more support from our friends in the community. There was concert, my niece organised that raised $14,000 and she's only 11, she was amazing. All the money handed out so far has been to those who lost homes, or businesses etc. We struggle financially as there's no grants or assistance available to those who have lost children. There has been funding given to children who lost their parents also.
Rebecca: I'd like a breakdown of where the funding has gone not specifically the people but the areas of the community that has received assistance.
Ross: I agree with Rebecca we've received more support from friends and family than from the Red Cross.
coleo says: Has the money Australians have donated been spent wisely have you received help?
Ross: I'm not sure but I don't believe so.
Rebecca: I think people who donated may be a bit disappointed where the money has been spent, but nobody is really 100% sure where it's gone and we would love some accountability.
Healer says: Have you started to rebuild in terms of commencing building your home again and what help have you been receiving from the bushfire funds and government?
Rebecca: My mum and dad have signed a contract and we have picked out a house to rebuild and we are awaiting Council permits.
Rebecca: If you recall our house was saved from the fire it was my parents house that was burnt down.
trex_ange says: Great Interview - moved me to tears just as it did when it happened, can't imagine losing my children in anyway. Just like to ask do you like people visiting the area again? I have always visited these areas but don't want to feel like a tourist looking at the devastation.
Rebecca: I don't mind the person coming to have a look but you don't need to go down one way roads, it's best to stay on the main road. Better still go to our local coffee shop and have a coffee and spend some money and give something to the community that needs it so much.
Ross: Please come to visit, and watch a local footie game while you're there. You can buy merchandise from the Club while your there which again supports the area.
tanyam255 says: Your interview mentioned that you had another two children, how are they handling all of this? Is there enough provided in regards to counselling?
Rebecca: There is a lot of counselling available. My 18 year old believes he's done what he needs to, my 13 year old still needs help.
Ross: There will obviously be some who will slip through the net.
Rebecca: My 18yr old goes back to TAFE in July. The 13 year old still suffers a lot from the memories, nothing is too safe for him right now.
Tim_Holland says: Ross, Sorry to hear of your devastating loss. What was/is the first positive thought you have had in relation to the future?
Ross: When my mother-in-law came out of the ICU would have been the first positive.
Layt says: Ross how important is the Kinglake football club to you both in terms of support in the healing process ?
Ross: It is important because they led the way in how to recover. I'm a sponsor of the Club and I've had a lot to do with the Junior Football Club and just after the fires the thought was they wouldn't be able to continue on for the season, but they had an extraordinary meeting and it was decided that to continue on would be best for the community. I think they led the way in the fact that they brought in an outside person to run the club. It was good they brought someone who wasn't involved in the community prior to this but who wanted to see things move forward. The people on the committee, like all of us weren't clear thinking at the time so having someone from outside coming in to take over helped us move forward with the Club. Perhaps bringing others in from outside to help run things may have helped in other areas.
Rebecca: The Football club had a big charity ball and gave $90,000 to all the little community groups. The healing process isn't just for us, but for all the communities.
devannah says: Is there any sort of online support group or online community that has been set up to help everyone? I feel helpless being in QLD and could only give money, whereas it would be good to be able to offer places to stay for those who need to get away etc etc
Rebecca: There are a couple of groups like that who would be happy to take information they can pass on to families for a holiday. If you would like to leave your details we can pass them on to the right people. The Kinglake Football Club also has a website were you can contact them with details of how you could help, say for a holiday in Queensland it's http://kinglakefc.com.au
gymjunkie says: Bless you Ross and Rebecca, I am still in tears over your loss. How have you found the strength?
Rebecca: I have two other children, if I didn't have them and my mum who I had to look after I'd not have coped and been in a box myself.
debbie_t says: Have you been involved with the Royal Commission at all?
Rebecca: No, not at all.
darielle says: Do you think the Royal Commission will achieve changes to make it safer in the bush environment?
Ross: No, not really.
Rebecca: When you choose to live in the bush you take a lot of that responsibility on yourself. We can only hope they will find something new or better.
hapidaze says: I’m interested to know what Ross and Rebecca wants, if anything, from Australians. Yes, we all gave a lot of money, but what now? Sympathy? Money? Understanding? How do we help them get through this, if anything?
Rebecca: I think understanding that our world has crumbled around us and it will take a bit of time to get back on our feet. We really could do with financial help, it's hard to get back to work (my work burnt down). It's just we do need understanding to know that we are struggling.
Ross: What people can do is ensure the continuation of mateship which is what this country has been founded on.
K-Lila says: Is there any particular spiritual understanding that helps you to move forward with your loss? I myself was a burns survivor as a child, and I remember how difficult it was to adjust but I haven't really had an opportunity to ask others about their understanding of the process.
Rebecca: The only place that gave me some peace was when I went to the Buddhist Temple Service that they put on day 49 after the fires and that was really peaceful and very nice.
Ross: I had a spiritual moment with the East Arnhem Aboriginals. They came and did a ceremony and I ended up playing some music with them and eating with them. Although we didn’t' speak the same language the whole evening we actually understood each other.
Rebecca: nobody has any idea how to deal with grief, we are told by counsellors how to cope but everyone has a different way of doing things. Take Darren for example, he lost his wife his children and was badly burned and his way of coping with the grief was very different from ours. He was in a coma for a month, we did the same as Darren and kept talking about it but we are getting through that now, he still is progressing.
Ross: There is no rule book on how to deal with grief.
traceyr068 says: Rebecca I have contacted people from the reconstruction but they do not return my calls do you have the same problem?
Rebecca: Yes you do have trouble getting back any information. It's not about what you know but who you know. Red tape puts locked doors in front of you everywhere.
sassafras says: In terms of rebuilding what measures are people taking? i.e. bunker, sprinkler systems, dam etc.
Ross: There are people who died running to their bunkers. It's an option and you can do it but I wouldn't. In the circumstances that we were delivered there were not many people who were safe. There was no rhyme or reason as to who would be safe and who would be affected.
Rebecca: Sprinkler system helped to save our house. I don't believe a bunker will save you either. If it's a really bad day like we had, back up and leave the house.
Ross: If it's a dangerous day to stay home, go to the movies perhaps. Use the funds you would spend on a bunker in that way instead.
razzler says: How are you trying to get back to a "normal life"? Actually, is there such a thing as a normal life after such going through such an experience?
Rebecca: There will never be a normal life for us with the loss of the kids and my brother. Personally there is no normal life for me again. Our famous words are "I don't know" because we don't know, we have to take each day as it comes.
Rebecca: I struggle with do I have another child, and I don't know, or do I go and get another job and I don't know. It's just a struggle still.
Ross: We are living a nightmare that we'll never wake up from.
Rebecca: Each day we get up and try to think of one thing to do and hopefully other things happen to keep us busy and going forward.
Interviewer: Unfortunately, we are out of time, do you have anything else you would like to share before we finish tonight?
Ross: On behalf of our community we're grateful for the efforts and donations and thoughts that people have given. Please know that it's appreciated.
Rebecca: I want to say that if it wasn't for my family, my friends and people like the nurses at the 6 West, Alfred Hospital, the police and our emergency services on the mountain they did a brilliant job and have stood by us and helped us all the way. We'll remember them forever along with our children and our brother.
Interviewer: Ross and Rebecca, once again thank you. There have been many well wishes and expressions of sympathy tonight, unfortunately we can’t display them all here.
Interviewer: This concludes our chat with Ross and Rebecca Buchanan, Sunday June 7, 2009.
