They include hundreds of people along the coasts of NSW and Victoria, in the High Country, and on Kangaroo Island, who are waiting to find permanent accommodation after their homes were burnt.

Individuals and families have experienced delays with insurance settlements, accessing relief, and even just lining up contractors to clear blocks so it might be possible to begin building anew "down the track".

Many have copped a double whammy, surviving the fires only to find their jobs have disappeared as a result of COVID-19.

Canberrans who may think they are doing it tough with COVID-19 should spare a thought for families in tents and caravans, dependent on JobSeeker and, until a few weeks ago, trying to home school. And, to make matters even worse, winter has arrived bringing some very low temperatures.

There is no doubt that for many Australians 2020 is a year they will never forget.

Humans aren't the only ones suffering. Because of the sheer scale and intensity of the fires it is feared some native creatures including some possum species and bandicoots have been wiped out in some regions and will have to be reintroduced at a later date.

It has been estimated that as many as 800 million animals were killed in blazes that one expert, Dr Michael-Shawn Fletcher, a paleontologist and a Wiradjuri man, said were without precedent.

He had been unable to find traces of any "comparable fires that stretched from Queensland to Victoria present in the geological record".

None of this will come as a surprise to anybody who has made the drive down the Clyde recently. While it is good to see shoots of green on many of the charred gumtrees lining the Kings Highway, it is impossible not to despair at the kilometre after kilometre of devastation the inferno left in its wake.

It is also impossible not to give the sincerest thanks to the brave firefighters who ventured into the very belly of the beast to protect lives and property. Australia should never forget those who gave their lives as part of this amazing effort.

And all the recent while the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements continues taking evidence. It is unfortunate that while this worthy enterprise will certainly help Australians prepare better for the future, it is not capable of doing much right here, and right now, for the victims of the events of the recent past.

While it has been told about issues with the distribution of relief funds, with delays in clearing blocks, arranging temporary housing, and getting new home builds underway, these are not things it has the power to fix.

While it might be cathartic for many of those who have been affected to tell their stories the reality is that once they switch off their phones, computers or tablets, they are still pretty much on their own.

While it is not unnatural for many of us to have moved on from the events of six months ago as a result of the coronavirus, the reality is that life for many of those who were directly impacted is now like swimming in treacle or Groundhog Day.

They are trapped in a moment in time, their needs overtaken by subsequent events, and still struggling to cope.

While the first half of 2020 has been tough on all Australians some are doing it much harder than most.

This is not the time for the rest of the country to either forget about them or to erroneously assume they are travelling well.