A prisoner from Beechworth Correctional Centre builds a fence in the fire zone.
Just as Dhurringile Prison inmates helped Shepparton residents during their flood recovery in 2022, prisoners from Beechworth Correctional Centre have stepped up to help victims of January’s Longwood bushfire rebuild fences and feed their stock.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The Landmate program, a partnership between the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, has been running for 25 years.
Its Beechworth crew members have now clocked up more than 50 days working on bushfire-affected properties in Longwood, clearing burnt debris and fallen trees.
They have also reconstructed more than 30km of fencing since first starting work in the area in late February.
The crews include up to eight supervised prisoners, who use specialised vehicles, trailers and equipment to carry out their work.
“The Landmate program is a great example of prisons partnering with local organisations for the benefit of the community,” Corrections Victoria Commissioner Larissa Strong said.
“By helping farmers to repair the land after the devastating summer bushfires, prisoners are learning valuable skills they can use in the future.”
Prisoners learn how to operate equipment and to work in teams, which helps to support their rehabilitation and increases their chances of finding employment when they’re released.
Prisoners are learning how to use equipment and work in teams.
“It’s great to provide a helping hand to farmers affected by the bushfires and know that we’re giving back to the local community,” a Landmate crew member said.
“Being able to use the practical skills we’ve learned in prison is a rewarding experience.”
Earlier this year, Landmate crews donated 170 bales of hay to bushfire-affected farmers in Longwood and Stoneleigh to boost livestock feed reserves.
The hay is grown, cut, raked and baled on-site at Langi Kal Kal Prison, near Ballarat.
“In providing this critical support to landowners, our Landmate crew is demonstrating how skills they learn from our Prison Industries programs can be translated to real-world situations,” Landmate and agriculture manager Andrew Marx said.
“These are experiences that will set these men up for employment after they finish their sentences.”
The Landmate program has a lengthy history of responding to natural disasters with help from its crews.
During Shepparton’s 2022 floods, crews were tasked with preparatory work, such as sandbagging, and later helped remove debris and re-fence flood-affected properties.
Landmate crews operate across Beechworth, Middleton, Tarrengower, Langi Kal Kal and Hopkins prisons and will continue to deliver recovery support within 100km of bushfire-affected areas throughout the year.
