Liaison officer Major Cameron Jamieson told The Daily Advertiser that the 15-tonne vehicles, which are made in Bendigo, had proven ideal for navigating the dangers of a fire ground.

"The Protected Mobility Vehicles have been excellent in moving troops out in route clearances. They are hardened against explosives and are useful to have around falling timber," he said.

"They also have excellent cross-country mobility."

The Brisbane-based 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment Task Group NSW, along with the Royal Australian Air Force, currently has 88 personnel in Tumut and 77 in Cooma.

The regiment is part of Joint Task Force 1110, one of three joint task forces that have been raised to assist with bushfires across Australia.

Major Jamieson said emergency services, councils and the forestry corporation were the primary agencies leading the bushfire response.

"What we do is offer what we have got available and help wherever we can," he said.

READ MORE:

Defence personnel were working in a variety of roles to aid in the recovery and restore vital services.

"We have got a range of skills. At the moment on of our main efforts is a heavy bulldozer team working up in the Bondo State Forest to the north of Tumut," Major Jamieson said.

"They are putting in a section of a containment line to protect the remaining timber.

"I understand they have lost about 30,000 hectares of pine plantation to the south out Batlow way to Tumbarumba, so they have got to protect the remaining 60,000 to keep the industry viable here."

Major Jamieson said army engineers were out clearing routes for chainsaw teams to remove fallen trees from roads.

"Towards Adelong out at Ellerslie they have been clearing trees from the fence-line to prevent cattle from straying onto the Snowy Mountains Highway," he said. "There is a medical team at Tumbarumba at the moment and they are putting in a medical clinic each morning at Batlow.

"We are moving fodder to Tumbarumba and Batlow and we have a team of tradesmen arrive [on Wednesday] in Tumut with carpenters and plumbers."