It's been more than two years since Cath Egan's home on the New South Wales south coast home went up in smoke, changing her life forever.
She is in the process of rebuilding her home in Rosedale, south of Batemans Bay with her husband Jack, after the Currowan fire swept through their property on New Year's Eve in 2019.
"I saw this giant firestorm about 50 metres away from the front of our house and I took one look at it, went straight into fight or flight mode and I picked up the dog and ran," Ms Egan said.
She found safety at the nearest beach, while her husband stayed to defend their home.
When they finally reunited on the beach, Ms Egan said it was like a scene from a movie.
"I saw the unmistakable figure of Jack and I started running with the dressing gown waving in the distance and my goodness, it was so good."
'I couldn't have survived without support'
For 18 months, Ms Egan felt numb and did not fully comprehend the loss of her home or the trauma she had endured.
"All the emotions came much later for me, but it was always going to happen and it was kind of inevitable."
Amid the chaos of rebuilding her new home and living in a pandemic, halfway through 2021, she had "a complete breakdown" and had to be hospitalised.
"It was too much for me, I just sort of lost it, I lost a lot of weight and couldn't eat or sleep.".
Ms Egan was able to connect with a psychiatrist in Melbourne via telehealth.
She said her mental health support for bushfire survivors had taken a back seat in this federal election.
"All they talk about is the economy, so it's not really front of mind, is it?"
'Partisanship is not the answer'
Fiona Phillips is the Labor candidate and has been the Gilmore MP since 2019. She said Labor has committed to making mental health a priority — promising a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Batemans Bay.
Ms Phillips criticised the Morrison government for axing the Medicare Item 288 rebate, which provides an incentive for psychiatrists to provide telehealth in regional areas.
"An Albanese Labor government would reverse that cruel cut."
But Liberal candidate for Gilmore, Andrew Constance said mental health hasn't featured prominently enough throughout this campaign.
"Partisanship in mental health spaces is not the answer and I think both major parties have failed mental health for years."
Mr Constance fought to save his Malua Bay home during the Black Summer fires.
"One of the strongest things we can do on a local level to strengthen mental health is making sure we have good community engagement to provide the wraparound supports for people."
