His owner Wendy Dalton wrote a poem to complement the occasion.

It's time to celebrate Australia Day,

From seas to mountains so far away,

Harley the patriotic pooch each year,

Is off to Berrima in his Aussie gear,

As this is the place in the Highlands to be,

To celebrate our Australia so free.

There's the citizens' special ceremony,

And music playing in true harmony,

With trucks and cars and the fire brigade,

The children enjoy the rides and the fun,

And stalls filled with goodies for everyone.

Harley will be near the rides in the park,

He loves to be patted and does not bark,

As his nature is gentle and he loves this day,

When all call out Oi! Oi! Oi! the Aussie way.

So come to Berrima and enjoy the fair,

With Harley and families the fun to share.

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Berrima to buzz with activities for Australia Day

I recently visited a Wildlife Sanctuary at Bundanoon that came perilously close to annihilation from the flames that lapped at the boundary of the property.

Fortunately apart from some damage to enclosures the operation is thankfully still intact.

Never have our poor defenceless and often forgotten wildlife needed places of retreat, safety and healing, as they do now.

Stories I have heard about stunned and injured wildlife totally disoriented and/or suffering physically from the horrendous fires has been very disturbing.

Our native wildlife is already and increasingly suffering far too much from the onslaught of development which continues to encroach into ever decreasing and fragmented habitats.

In so many ways these poor and vulnerable animals have been ring marked and as population expands into their space and development imposes upon their world they become more at risk.

The 10/50 rule, as practical as it may be for human habitation, is a death sentence for the complex chain of biodiversity.

The current bushfire crisis has emphasised the frailty, vulnerability and helplessness of our native wildlife. They are also in crisis.

Now more than ever they need our love and care.

Sanctuaries like Dimmocks Retreat Wildlife are desperately needed, so these animals can find safety, shelter, so they can recoup, heal and be reintroduced in to their natural habitat.

I also believe that our planning processes need to give local councils the autonomy to consider things like wildlife protection and that these considerations should be written into local planning provisions to ensure the retention of habitat to protect the future of our wildlife.

In so many ways we have a unique environment and biodiversity here which needs to be acknowledged, preserved, and respected.

I am humbled by the generosity shown by people and among that giving it has been shown that we have a love and empathy for our animals as well.

I am seeing this compassion growing and people really wanting to help.

If you are among these people, it may be worthwhile considering local wildlife sanctuaries like Dimmocks Retreat Wildlife that often fund their own way in an attempt to care for these helpless and sometimes forgotten local victims. https://www.dimmocksretreat.com.au/

In the piece on 'Faces behind the Firefront' (Southern Highland News, January 22) the public was counselled not to use scanners to keep abreast of what is happening (along fire fronts and within fire grounds).

I accept the reasoning behind this.

But, what is the alternative for members of the public in the Southern Highlands who, for days on end because of the smoke haze, could see nothing of the fires that may have got to within 10 or 15 kilometres on days that were hot and windy?

The Rural Fire Service Fires-near-me app gives general information about current fires but, with some of the fire grounds being upwards of sixty by sixty kilometres in extent, this tells nothing useful about what is (or at least has been happening say within the last 24 hours) locally.

It's very hard to address a possible threat without information.

The kind of detail on the map to which David Stimson is pointing in the piece would be so helpful for members of the public facing possible fire threats but it simply isn't available to the public, at least on the RFS website.

Perhaps it should be.