The recent bushfires in the eastern states have caused extensive stock deaths and taken a toll on endangered species.
At the time of writing, the fires have burned more than 200,000ha of bush and agricultural land, devastating national parks and farms.
Stock losses are believed to be around 21,000 throughout NSW, Tasmania, Victoria and central Australia.
The animals are believed to be mostly sheep, though some cattle were also killed.
The cost of the stock losses is estimated to be between $2.5 million and $3 million.
Farm buildings, equipment, pasture, crops, fencing, supplies, power lines and telephone lines have also been damaged.
In Tasmania alone, 6000 km of fencing was lost.
State and Federal governments are providing aid for the areas worst hit.
The AVA has voiced fears that the fires have caused havoc for koalas, wombats and echidnas, whose are already under threat from habitat destruction and predation by feral animals.
It is believed that over 10,000 native animals were killed by Victoria’s Black Saturday fires in 2009.
SAM WORRAD