The NSW floods were bad enough. But then came the mould, and getting rid of it in winter is ‘almost impossible'
Nadia Zarb can already see, and smell, the mould in her art gallery in Taree. The building on Victoria Street was inundated during flooding that hit the Hunter and mid-north coast of New South Wales at the end of May.
Water filled the storage space below ground, the art supply store on the ground floor, and the loft exhibition space, reaching to just below Zarb's home on the top level.
Water and mud still lies thick on the lower levels while her property is now filled with spores.
Mould is forming on her art supplies, Zarb says, texting through pictures of wooden art models covered in black and grey mould. It's also in the walls, and areas she can't access.
'While it's cold and damp, it's really difficult to dry things and then you start to get that damp smell and that musty, mouldy odour,' she says.
Experts are warning about the 'huge problem' of mould in homes and businesses affected by the recent floods. Because they happened in winter, it will be 'almost impossible' for many homeowners to dry out their properties and eradicate the dangerous spores, they say.
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'This flood is badly timed for mould. That's going to be a huge problem,' says Ian Wright, associate professor in environmental science at Western Sydney University.
'Because it's so cool now … and because you're down low in the landscape, so the dew point [is low], it's going to be almost impossible to get rid of that moisture. If this flood had happened a couple months ago in early autumn, there [would have been] much better prospects of drying out.
'But mould absorption into timber, particularly, or chipboard or plasterboard – almost everyone is going to have problems with mould.
'It will make some places unsafe to live in. It makes me feel sick to think about it, actually.'
Lab research published in the CSIRO journal Microbiology Australia in 2023 found there was an increased risk of fungi and mould after flood events, because of conditions such as high humidity, and 'an extra nutritional load comprising of debris, vegetation, dead animals, wet surface soils and other displaced materials'.
The research found that the mould could colonise surfaces and 'penetrate deep into buildings', leading to 'a host of well documented associated health risks', including respiratory infections and poisoning from mycotoxins, particularly in 'already stressed or immunocompromised individuals, who may be suffering from displacement and psychological distress'.
Elly Bird, the executive director of Resilient Lismore, said mould was a huge concern after the 2022 floods in the Northern Rivers region.
'After our flood, we had constant rain for three or four months, so managing mould was really a significant issue for our communities, and people were having to really stay on top of constantly cleaning and monitoring and preventing,' she said.
'I think it's important to not understate the risk that can come from mould and the impact that it has on people's health.
'It's really important to be vigilant and to make sure that you're drying out flood-affected properties as best you can, and treating mould as you find it, so that you can prevent further issues down the track.'
Wright and Bird recommended people use fans and heaters to dry out their properties completely, and also urged people to consider rebuilding with non-porous building materials less likely to retain water and to become a breeding ground for mould.
'There's some really good guidelines that the New South Wales Reconstruction Authority have around flood resilience design that do things like: creating ways for water to move out of the property quickly, thinking about the types of cabinetry that you put back into homes, trying to avoid just using chipboard or gyprock, if at all possible, and using solid doors rather than hollow core doors,' said Bird. 'There's lots of tips and tricks that you can do to prevent more significant impact next time. And now is the time to start to be really carefully thinking about that.'
Most of the construction of Zarb's 1950s building is hardwood and plasterboard – both of which retain water. After the 2021 flood, she replaced some of the lower boards in her walls with water-resistant weatherboard, and now is ripping out the rest of the walls to replace them this time around.
Power is not yet fully reconnected at her property, meaning she can't use fans or heaters to help dry her basement floor, which is still waterlogged and full of mud.
'I'm just airing it out at the moment, and you know, some spots you can't really get air to, so that's where the mould started.'
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The Guardian
11 hours ago
- The Guardian
The NSW floods were bad enough. But then came the mould, and getting rid of it in winter is ‘almost impossible'
Nadia Zarb can already see, and smell, the mould in her art gallery in Taree. The building on Victoria Street was inundated during flooding that hit the Hunter and mid-north coast of New South Wales at the end of May. Water filled the storage space below ground, the art supply store on the ground floor, and the loft exhibition space, reaching to just below Zarb's home on the top level. Water and mud still lies thick on the lower levels while her property is now filled with spores. Mould is forming on her art supplies, Zarb says, texting through pictures of wooden art models covered in black and grey mould. It's also in the walls, and areas she can't access. 'While it's cold and damp, it's really difficult to dry things and then you start to get that damp smell and that musty, mouldy odour,' she says. Experts are warning about the 'huge problem' of mould in homes and businesses affected by the recent floods. Because they happened in winter, it will be 'almost impossible' for many homeowners to dry out their properties and eradicate the dangerous spores, they say. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'This flood is badly timed for mould. That's going to be a huge problem,' says Ian Wright, associate professor in environmental science at Western Sydney University. 'Because it's so cool now … and because you're down low in the landscape, so the dew point [is low], it's going to be almost impossible to get rid of that moisture. If this flood had happened a couple months ago in early autumn, there [would have been] much better prospects of drying out. 'But mould absorption into timber, particularly, or chipboard or plasterboard – almost everyone is going to have problems with mould. 'It will make some places unsafe to live in. It makes me feel sick to think about it, actually.' Lab research published in the CSIRO journal Microbiology Australia in 2023 found there was an increased risk of fungi and mould after flood events, because of conditions such as high humidity, and 'an extra nutritional load comprising of debris, vegetation, dead animals, wet surface soils and other displaced materials'. The research found that the mould could colonise surfaces and 'penetrate deep into buildings', leading to 'a host of well documented associated health risks', including respiratory infections and poisoning from mycotoxins, particularly in 'already stressed or immunocompromised individuals, who may be suffering from displacement and psychological distress'. Elly Bird, the executive director of Resilient Lismore, said mould was a huge concern after the 2022 floods in the Northern Rivers region. 'After our flood, we had constant rain for three or four months, so managing mould was really a significant issue for our communities, and people were having to really stay on top of constantly cleaning and monitoring and preventing,' she said. 'I think it's important to not understate the risk that can come from mould and the impact that it has on people's health. 'It's really important to be vigilant and to make sure that you're drying out flood-affected properties as best you can, and treating mould as you find it, so that you can prevent further issues down the track.' Wright and Bird recommended people use fans and heaters to dry out their properties completely, and also urged people to consider rebuilding with non-porous building materials less likely to retain water and to become a breeding ground for mould. 'There's some really good guidelines that the New South Wales Reconstruction Authority have around flood resilience design that do things like: creating ways for water to move out of the property quickly, thinking about the types of cabinetry that you put back into homes, trying to avoid just using chipboard or gyprock, if at all possible, and using solid doors rather than hollow core doors,' said Bird. 'There's lots of tips and tricks that you can do to prevent more significant impact next time. And now is the time to start to be really carefully thinking about that.' Most of the construction of Zarb's 1950s building is hardwood and plasterboard – both of which retain water. After the 2021 flood, she replaced some of the lower boards in her walls with water-resistant weatherboard, and now is ripping out the rest of the walls to replace them this time around. Power is not yet fully reconnected at her property, meaning she can't use fans or heaters to help dry her basement floor, which is still waterlogged and full of mud. 'I'm just airing it out at the moment, and you know, some spots you can't really get air to, so that's where the mould started.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Warning issued to anyone thinking of buying a more affordable country home: These areas could soon be uninsurable
Australians thinking of moving to a regional area are being cautioned to check first whether their affordable dream property could turn out to be uninsurable. Young workers priced out of buying in Australia's increasingly unaffordable capital cities are looking to regional areas to secure a house, especially if they can work from home. But buying regional real estate presents some issues much less likely in a big city, such as the risk of floods or bushfires. Last month, 16 local government areas in the NSW Hunter and on the state's Mid-North Coast were declared natural disaster areas after floods triggered 6,000 insurance claims - 80 per cent of which were for damaged homes. The Climate Council has warned that up to half of the homes in these areas are at a high to moderate risk of being affected by a natural disaster. This will lead to insurance premiums rising to levels where they are unaffordable for the average-income earner, with premiums of $30,000 no longer considered unusual in areas located near rivers. Of Australia's 10 zones most prone to a natural disaster, seven are in regional areas. In NSW, five regional areas north of Sydney are in the high-risk category, along with northern Victoria, southern Queensland and areas around Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Economist Nicki Hutley, a consultant with the Climate Council, said the risk warranted a serious revision of any plans to move to those areas, regardless of how cheap the land may appear to be. 'They need to reconsider moving to some higher-risk regional areas,' Ms Hutley told Daily Mail Australia. 'This is a really hard message to sell but we want people to really understand what is the risk. 'The answer may not be "don't move there", the answer may be that community infrastructure reduces the risks significantly.' Maitland, in the NSW Hunter Valley, is Australia's fifth most popular local government area for internal migration, based on Commonwealth Bank customer data provided to the Regional Australia Institute. The Mid-Coast council area, covering flood-ravaged Taree, was 13th on the list for relocators, and was recently soaked with 500mm of rain in just four days. Both of these council areas, with population centres along a major river, fall within the federal electorate of Lyne. Climate Council mapping showed a whopping 45.7 per cent of homes in this electorate were at a moderate to high risk of natural disasters. They are also near the Labor-held Hunter electorate where 50.3 per cent of properties are at risk, with 12.9 per cent at high risk. Port Macquarie, which also suffered from recent flooding, is eighth on the list of popular regional locations for those moving from another part of Australia. This part of the NSW mid-north coast falls within the Nationals-held seat of Cowper, where a majority or 57.2 per cent of homes are at risk of a climate hazard. The Tweed council area, on the NSW far north coast, was 15th on the list of relocation hotspots, and falls within the Labor-held seat of Richmond where 47 per cent of properties are at risk, including 28.9 per cent at high risk. On the NSW South Coast, the Shoalhaven area was the seventh most popular spot for movers, and fell within the Labor-held seat of Gilmore where 36.9 per cent of properties are at risk. The Climate Council also listed 10 federal electorates where average, insurance costs are more likely to be unaffordable, because damage from natural disasters was likely to cost one per cent of a home's value in repairs. 'Uninsurable is saying that the premiums are at such a level that a person on average income could not possibly afford them and/or insurance companies have pulled that product from the market,' Ms Hutley said. 'Sometimes there are areas where house and contents insurance is available but not for specific kinds of risks like flood or fire because the area is considered too risky for the insurance company.' Port Macquarie, which also suffered from recent flooding, is eighth on the list of popular regional locations for those moving from another part of Australia. This part of the NSW mid-north coast falls within the Nationals-held seat of Cowper, where a majority or 57.2 per cent of homes are at risk of a climate hazard Seven out of 10 of these hotspots were in regional areas, where it would be unaffordable to insure homes and businesses. 'Clearly, people move there because property is cheaper and it's not just because of climate risk,' she said. 'As the events recur, that is likely to have further impact on property prices.' Lismore, on the NSW far north coast, is particularly affordable after a series of devastating floods, having a median house price of just $472,923, based on CoreLogic data. This is less than half the national house price of $898,604. 'People expect they were snapping up a bargain, that they would take on the insurance risk themselves,' Ms Hutley said. The city is also in the federal Nationals seat of Page, where 51.8 per cent of properties are at risk, with 16.9 per cent deemed high risk. This makes regional living a particularly fraught decision for many people unless they were able to spend tens of thousands of dollars on raising the level of their house. 'You don't want to be buying a house in an area where you know there are designated risks of flooding and you're one block back from the river that's got no levees or flood protection unless you're able to do something with the property,' she said. 'That's obviously very expensive and not everybody can do that type of thing. 'Clearly, climate change is exacerbating - what we're now calling "unnatural disasters" and particularly flood risk is getting worse so there are areas where people are still moving to which, if not today, then certainly within the next couple of decades; they're facing significantly elevated risk.' Areas of Australia deemed high risk in 2025 The Climate Council has named 10 federal electorates most at risk of flood or bushfire damage, with seven of them in regional areas 1. RICHMOND: Justine Elliot's Labor seat on the far north coast of New South Wales where 28.9 per cent of properties at a high risk with 31,564 in this category 2. NICHOLLS: Sam Birrell's Nationals seat in northern Victoria where 25.5 per cent of properties at high risk with 26,055 in this category 3. MAYO: Rebekha Sharkie's Centre Alliance seat in the Adelaide Hills where 17.5 per cent of properties at high risk with 20,177 in this category 4. BRISBANE: Madonna Jarrett's Labor seat in south-east Queensland where 12.8 per cent of properties at high risk with 18,878 in this category 5. PAGE: Deputy Nationals leader Kevin Hogan's seat on the NSW north coast where 16.9 per cent of properties at high risk with 18,636 in this category 6. MARANOA: Nationals leader David Littleproud's seat in southern Queensland where 13.7 per cent of properties at high risk with 18,499 in this category 7. ROBERTSON: Gordon Reid's Labor seat on the NSW Central Coast with 14.7 per cent of properties at high risk with 14,063 in this category 8. BULLWINKEL: Trish Cook's Labor seat on Perth's eastern outskirts with 15.6 per cent of properties at high risk with 12,719 in this category 9. DOBELL: Emma McBride's Labor seat on the NSW Central Coast with 13.9 per cent of properties at high risk with 12,569 in this category 10. HUNTER: Dan Repacholi's Labor seat west of Newcastle with 12.9 per cent of properties at high risk with 12,363 in this category
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Wintery long weekend to deliver snowy start to Australia's ski season
The King's birthday long weekend could be the snowiest start to an Australian ski season in years, forecasters predict. Weatherzone said up to 70cm of snow could accumulate at the higher resorts by Tuesday evening, with at least 15cm to 30cm at lower resorts. A strong cold front in the Great Australian Bight will move in overnight, weatherzone meteorologists said, bringing with it dumps of snow. Jonathan How, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said south-east Australia can expect 'very cold' and windy conditions over the three-day weekend. Melbourne is forecast for a high of 15C on Saturday and a low of 6C on Monday. The weekend in Sydney should be mostly sunny with possible showers, with expectations of a high of 19C on Saturday followed by 8C on Monday, the bureau said. On Friday, a severe weather warning was issued for South Australia and south-west Victoria. Rain is predicted to break a record drought for the region. Damaging winds could top 90km/h on Friday, impacting parts of Victoria, including the Otway ranges and Mornington Peninsula. Gusts are predicted to increase and move into South Australia on Friday afternoon, reaching Adelaide and the Mount Lofty ranges. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The strong winds will continue on Saturday through Victoria and SA, the bureau said. The coldest weather will arrive in a second cold front, which will reach SA potentially on Sunday morning, bringing thunderstorms and hail. Adelaide has a predicted high of 17C on Saturday and low of 6C on Monday. Melbourne will not be impacted by the damaging winds on Friday, but the city will experience a strong wind chill and showers that will also reach the Yarra Valley and Macedon Ranges. The cold front will move into south-east NSW by Friday evening. How cautioned black ice will pose a risk over the weekend across NSW and Victoria. 'Take care if you are heading up to the slopes this weekend for the snow,' he said. Snow showers are predicted across the alps of Victoria and NSW, with snow levels in those regions predicted to drop to 1,500m by Friday. Snow levels will fall further on Saturday to about 1,150m. How said he expected high snow accumulation between 30cm and 70cm around alpine ski resorts, with the potential to move to lower regions. 'We may even see some blizzard conditions across some of those alpine peaks,' he said. On Sunday, snow levels are expected to fall to 800m in Victoria and NSW and 900m in western Victoria, including the Grampians. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion In Tasmania the snow level is predicted to drop to 1,000m on Saturday. Hobart is set for a chilly low of 4C on Sunday and maximum of 15C on Saturday. Despite what looks to be a snowy beginning to the ski season, a warm winter is forecast for Australia. Professor Emeritus David Karoly, from the University of Melbourne and the Australian Climate Council, said there is clear evidence of snow cover declining and snow season length reducing due to global warming. 'It's long-term warming due to human-caused climate change from burning fossil fuels,' he said. Karoly said last year's snow season started similarly to this year, with relatively good snow early on, but due to high temperatures and low snowfall there was not enough to maintain snow for the whole season. He said the impact of climate change from Australian and global emissions, with a new world record for climate pollution set in 2024, will cause continued decline in snow cover and snow season length until at least 2050 – the current target date for net zero emissions. 'By that stage there will be very, very few commercially viable ski areas in Australia even with increases in snowmaking on the resorts,' he said. He said lack of action from powerful countries like the US to reduce their emissions and the Australian government's expansion of the North West Shelf pas project 'will make it virtually impossible to meet its commitments for zero emissions by 2050'.
