THREE years after the devastating bushfires that swept through parts of the Latrobe Valley, communities are still working hard to rebuild their lives.
The rebuilding process has been challenging, with volunteers and residents admitting to fatigue and mental exhaustion, according to community members.
"Especially in a small community like ours, people are involved in more than one group; people do get very tired," Callignee Country Fire Authority captain Ian Ewart said.
"There is still a way to go for some people; some are still living in sheds or caravans, although the majority have rebuilt their homes.
"Sometimes, certain things trigger a memory and the anxiety comes back," he said.
"It's been like the process of grieving; you can accept it happened, but you can't get over it."
The Callignee community remembered those who died on Black Saturday with the unveiling of a memorial wall yesterday.
During the ceremony Premier Ted Baillieu said "there is no way that we will ever, ever forget the people who lost their lives in these awful fires".
Former Callignee Hall committee secretary Anita Charles, who is living in a shed, said people still felt insecure and anxious, especially on hot days.
"While people have been spending less time in committee groups (because of feelings of exhaustion), they are spending more time with each other on a more personal note," Ms Charles said.
Speaking about a sense of frustration in the community, she said many were struggling to keep their properties fire safe in light of the high germination rate of native species.
In Boolarra, former chair of the recovery committee Colin Brick said the community had, for most of the part, moved on.
"The massive difference (for Boolarra) was there was no loss of lives, although there was a lot of property damage and frustration," Mr Brick said.
"A landslip on Piggery Road occurred last year, which there is no doubt in people's minds is because of the destruction of native vegetation in the fire, but they couldn't get insurance coverage because it was not directly fire-related."
However, Mr Brick said the fires had brought the community closer, and things had improved in the past five months in terms of volunteer fatigue.
"Things are getting better," he said.
Meanwhile, the community of Mirboo North has "very clearly moved on", according to the former chair of the recovery committee, Ned Dennis, who is also the manager of community strengthening at South Gippsland Shire.
"No one has forgotten the fires; naturally we will think and talk about it, but people are focused on getting on with business," Mr Dennis said.
Citing a larger community to draw on for human resources during the recovery period, and a good management of volunteers, Mr Dennis said volunteer fatigue was managed successfully.
"We will never forget how having more resources during the fires, which took place the weekend before Black Saturday, meant more homes and maybe lives were saved because resources weren't spread as thin," he said.
"I don't think we will ever get back to where we were before the fires, but we are certainly on track."
Earlier this month, a new research report by Women's Health Goulburn North East revealed incidences of domestic violence increased in bushfire-ravaged communities including those in the Mitchell and Murrindindi shires.
Trauma psychologist Dr Rob Gordon, a consultant to the Victorian Emergency Recovery Plan and Red Cross, was quoted by The Age in saying increased contact between couples, often in shared accommodation, coupled with financial difficulty, loss of employment and feelings of guilt and frustration often built up to dangerous levels.
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