A group of Highlands men have put their carpentry skills to work to deal with a housing crisis.
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Their efforts have been prompted by the recent bushfires which have ripped through many parts of Australia since September 2019, including the Southern Highlands.
The devastation of the blazes have resulted in the death of more than 24 people, more than 15.6 million acres burnt and more than over 1400 homes destroyed.
And according to Chris Dickman, a biodiversity expert at the University of Sydney an estimated one billion animals have been killed with 480 million in NSW alone.
Many wild, domestic and farm animals have been incinerated by the flames. Other animals died due to the destruction of their natural environment, which they rely on for food and shelter. The survivors are in shock, thirsty, hungry and now homeless.
But some Southern Highlands locals have decided to do what they can to help displaced animals.
Mittagong SES volunteers Robert Ellis and Paul Syniuta - who had been busy in recent weeks delivering meals and undertaking various tasks to assist the RFS and the NSW Fire and Rescue - got together in their spare time, with John Matters from Hill Top Men's Shed, to create possum boxes.
It was an initiative that enabled Robert to expand his creative skills.
The keen Hill Top Men's Shed member has long enjoyed making bird feeders and bird houses so he drew on those skills to help make some possum boxes.
With the generous donation of materials from Bunnings Mittagong, 13 boxes were made in a couple of days by members of the Hill Top Men's Shed.
Richard Woodman from Wildlife Rescue South Coast Inc (based in Robertson) was contacted and he gladly accepted the boxes as they already had a few possums in care that would require new homes.
The group's transporter, John, when calling to collect the boxes was quick to offer praise.
"They are a great size, useful for all the possum species," he said.
That was good news for all involved who learned that there were 27 different types of possums and gliders in Australia.