THE DAY THE APOCALYPSE CAME TO BATEMANS BAY New Year’s Eve 2019 was shaping up to be a busy summer’s day at Malua Bay on the NSW Far South Coast. The forecast was for hot weather and holidaymakers were preparing to hit the beach to cool off.
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ateman’s Bay Surf Life Saving Club volunteers couldn’t have anticipated the bushfires that would ravage their community that day and the pivotal role they would play in saving thousands of lives. By 10am bushfires were bearing down on Malua Bay and thousands of people, pets and livestock were seeking refuge on the beach. The surf club had become an evacuation centre and volunteer surf lifesavers had mobilised a response team. Bateman’s Bay Club Captain Anthony Bellette said the first warning he got about the unfolding disaster was a text message from Emergency Services telling residents to evacuate to the beach and seek shelter there. “I had a look at the wind direction and it was then that I thought this could get real. It was at that point that I sent a message to our callout team asking for them to come to the club because I thought we could become an evacuation point,” said Anthony “Straight away we had cars pulling up to the surf club. We had too many cars in the car park so we distributed highvis vests and club radios and started trying to control the traffic. Soon we had hundreds of cars overflowing into the park opposite the club. “I sent a message to some clubbies who were on their way and asked them to get food and water for 500 people. They said ‘how do we cater for 500 people?’ I said we’re going to need everything! We’re going to need nappies, baby wipes – everything!
