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ABC News
a day ago
- General
- ABC News
Flood-affected NSW communities help themselves in wake of devastation
On a whiteboard in a church on the NSW Mid North Coast, Lauren Davies is constantly updating a "needs list". Ms Davies has been taking stock of donated clothes, supplies and food, and calling out for items the community-run recovery centre needs since flooding ravaged her town of Wingham. The list has included electric frypans, white vinegar, fresh fruit, antiseptic and pillows. "It's like putting it out into the universe," she said. "I turn around and say we really need this … and within five to 10 minutes, someone's got it, here it is. "It's just manifested." The community-led recovery centre has been bustling with adults and children picking up clothes, supplies and a meal, and finding a shoulder to lean on. And there has been no shortage of volunteers. "We have little old ladies that are in their 80s and 90s, coming in with cups of soups," Ms Davies said. "The community here have been amazing even though they're affected, just like I am. It has come after almost 800 properties were declared uninhabitable this week. "We had a lady come in … [she] was telling us that every part of her house was taken out," Ms Davies said. "There's nothing left, she's bare bones, no gyprock, no electrical, no nothing. "But she's smiling and saying, 'I'm OK, I'm alive'." Hundreds of people were expected to spend Saturday cleaning up in Taree, adding to the efforts already seen across the flood-ravaged region. The "Mud Muster", a major volunteer mobilisation project being coordinated out of the Taree SES headquarters, has been led by locals. Other initiatives have also started across the wider region to help towns recover. More than 600 volunteers on the Mid North Coast joined a community flood response group to help wash out homes. On Port Macquarie's North Shore, a community barbecue was set up to provide a place of respite for emergency service crews and residents amid sweeping mud and relocating drenched furniture. More than 200 homes in the suburb — which was isolated for five days with no power — were damaged by floodwater. Volunteer Talia Kelly spent the start of the weather event sandbagging homes and businesses before setting up the recovery barbecue out of her own pocket. "You don't realise how good you've got it to be able to go home to a safe place," she said. "Some of these guys don't have a safe place, nowhere to eat, nowhere to shower. "We just hope that it gives some people some hope to be able to get their feet back on the ground." Elvira Paima, who moved to the North Shore last year, lost some belongings in the floods. "It was very stressful but I'm feeling much calmer now," she said. "We are helping each other. We leave our house and then help another neighbour … because it helps us to also help someone else." Volunteer Amanda Harte said the simple gesture had gone a long way. "The damage here is absolutely devastating, it's something you probably can't even believe from pictures," Ms Harte said. "Something as simple as just giving them a sausage sandwich, or a drink, or just lending an ear … it's pretty important." Further south in Taree, food has remained a unifier during difficult times. Rotating groups of Sikh volunteers from Melbourne made the more than 1,100-kilometre journey to Taree with a food truck and vans to make and deliver food. The group has made up to 2,000 meals a day, which not-for-profit Sikh Volunteers Australia chief executive Jaswinder Singh said were delivered across the Mid North Coast. "That is one thing less to worry about for them," he said. The volunteer teams plan to stay as long as required. "It could be a month … we don't know yet," Mr Singh said. "As long as the demand is there, we will stay." Kimbriki resident Tanya Ternovy picked up a meal from the Sikhs on her way home after the floods. "To come all the way from Melbourne and to bring their beautiful food, it's just so kind," she said. Ms Ternovy said the generosity of the volunteers was appreciated as the region faced immeasurable loss. "It's just time enough now that the power's just come back on, and we can get across the bridges," she said. "Driving through Taree, you can see so much loss, all dumped on the side of the road." Mr Singh said he had witnessed "horrible scenes and stories" from people who had lost everything. But he said many hands were coming together to help. "Volunteers from all across the region are coming and supporting each other," he said. "People are not just thinking about themselves. They are thinking about their neighbours and the whole street.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The major threat in Australia that no one can prepare for - as an urgent wake up call issued
Once again, large parts of New South Wales have been devastated by floods. It's estimated 10,000 homes and businesses may have been damaged or destroyed and the Insurance Council of Australia reports more than 6,000 insurance claims have been received for the Mid North Coast and Hunter region. Hundreds of families are displaced. With many homes now uninhabitable, they face a uncertain future. As the mop-up begins, stories are emerging of households and businesses not covered by insurance, with some residents saying insurance companies were asking up to A$30,000 annually for cover. There are many others who are underinsured, with insurance payouts not meeting the full costs of rebuild, repair and replacement. The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event an 'insurance catastrophe'. The impacts of these floods reflect global trends. In 2024, there were around 60 natural disaster events that each exceeded A$1.5 billion in economic losses. Total losses worldwide reached A$650 billion. As one of the most disaster-prone countries in the Western world, is Australia the canary in the coalmine for a global collapse of insurance? With these types of disasters escalating in a changing climate, it is reasonable to feel – and fear – this is the case. An uninsurable future? In 1992, sociologist Ulrich Beck argued unpredictable global risks, such as climate change, would bring an end to the private insurance market, with profound effects on the modern world. The idea of an uninsurable future stirs up imaginings of apocalyptic landscapes – crumbling buildings, streets strewn with refuse and people eking out a living amid the rubble and ruins. But the reality is, as we are seeing in central NSW, it is not a future event that demands attention. Many individuals and communities are already living with an unfolding collapse of insurance affordability and availability. The consequences can be dire, especially for those already struggling to make ends meet. Speaking on ABC radio on Thursday morning, NSW Premier Chris Minns said he would be 'putting the heat' on insurance companies: In the lead-up to the federal election, both major parties made clear they believed insurers were 'ripping off' Australians. The Coalition even proposed new emergency divestiture powers that would allow the government to break up major insurers in the case of market failure. But this is no solution at all, given insurance pricing and coverage is largely set by global 'reinsurers'. Reinsurance is a kind of insurance coverage for insurance companies themselves – that is, policies to cover the cost of paying out claims after major disasters. Just ten multi-billion dollar companies control 70 per cent of the reinsurance market. Who should bear rising costs? Insurers, led by the Insurance Council of Australia, are pushing for a Flood Defence Fund and retrofitting homes for disaster resilience, paid for by governments and households. These ideas might seem logical. But they draw attention away from a thriving industry and regulations and policies aimed at making insurance more affordable and effective for ordinary people. In places like Australia, the increasing cost of insurance cuts across all types, with the largest rises coming in home, vehicle, and employers' liability insurance. Many insurers are reporting healthy profits. Globally, the sector is experiencing 'exceptionally strong growth'. Over the three years to 2024, revenue from premiums in the insurance sector increased by over 21 per cent globally – a 'whopping' rise, according to the finance corporation Allianz. Where to from here? The insurance sector will continue to grow – and profit – until it no longer can due to climate change and other pressures. But it is not a future crash of insurers that should be of primary concern. It is the real-time collapse of insurance for households, businesses and communities. As this collapse of insurance unfolds, it is largely left to households and communities to take action and build resilience. Examples include squatters taking possession of flood-damaged vacant homes in Lismore and, when combined with the housing crisis, the growth in informal housing and settlements on the fringes of major population centres. These are desperate responses. But they are also realistic, given governments and insurers are failing to reverse this trending collapse. What else we could do After each major disaster event comes a rise in insurance costs and a withdrawal of insurance coverage. To avoid being a canary in the coalmine, Australia urgently needs government intervention in the insurance industry - an industry very resistant to such intervention. To ensure everyone is adequately covered when disaster strikes, this could come in the form of an equitable and affordable public insurance scheme. As more Australians lose the ability to insure themselves, governments must also address growing structural inequality that is undermining social cohesion and our capacity for collective resilience. T Areas of Australia deemed insurable by 2030 The Climate Council has named the 10 areas across the nation most at risk of natural disasters including floods and bushfires, with five of them in Queensland. NICHOLLS, VICTORIA: 26.5 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in Nationals electorate of Sam Birrell with 25,801 high risk properties) RICHMOND, NSW: 14.5 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in Labor electorate of Assistant Minister Justine Elliot with 22,274 high-risk properties) MARANOA, QUEENSLAND: 13.9 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in Nationals leader David Littleproud's electorate with 19,551 high-risk properties) MONCRIEFF, QUEENSLAND: 11.9 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in Liberal electorate of Angie Bell with 18,032 high-risk properties) WRIGHT, QUEENSLAND: 9 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (bushfire in Liberal electorate of Scott Buchholz with 12,140 high-risk properties) BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND: 12.5 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in Greens electorate of Stephen Bates with 19,355 high-risk properties) GRIFFITH, QUEENSLAND: 11.4 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in Greens electorate of Max Chandler-Mather with 14,812 high-risk properties) INDI, VICTORIA: 10.7 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in independent electorate of Helen Haines with 11,215 high-risk properties ) PAGE, NEW SOUTH WALES: 5.4 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in Nationals electorate of Kevin Hogan with 11,691 high-risk properties) HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 9.5 per cent of homes uninsurable by 2030 (flooding in Labor electorate of Health Minister Mark Butler with 10,775 high-risk properties)
Daily Telegraph
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Telegraph
Casino, Goulburn previews: Colt Prosser eyeing a feature double
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Wauchope trainer Colt Prosser has spent the best part of last week cleaning up after the devastating floods on the Mid-North Coast. Now, he will be hoping for a clean sweep of Casino's two big annual features. Wauchope is an hour's drive from Taree and while that essentially makes the two towns neighbours, Taree was more or less ground zero for the big weather event. 'It was not too bad, just a lot of flooded stables,' Prosser said. 'Safety-wise we were all good. The town coped a lot and went under and everyone was isolated. 'It was a big weekend on the tools and the wheelbarrow and shovels but we'll be okay, a lot of people did it a lot worse than us.' Prosser's Beef Week Cup participant, Cenotes, will tackle the $45,000 1400m feature first-up having last been seen on October 11 when down the order in the Port Macquarie Cup. This will be only his second 'Cup' but certainly not the last, according to Prosser. 'Cenotes is going to be in for a nice campaign,' the trainer said. 'He is going to be in all the Country Cups around the corner. 'He is first-up and he's just been ineffective at anything under a mile so if he can run good race, I'll be happy. 'I expect him just to improve with a run under his belt.' Cenotes will be ridden by Country Championship Final winning jockey Ben Looker who boasts a favourable record on the son of Rebel Dane of three wins and a second from six rides. Looker was also Prosser's choice for Bjorn Ironside who will square off with stablemate, Dis Is Heaven, in the Casino Flying over 1000m. Bjorn Ironside's current personal best was his close and closing third in this season's MNC Championship Qualifier over 1200m but his one and only 1000m test was hard to forget, even for Prosser. 'He's only had one go at 1000m and he smashed them,' the trainer said. 'This is up in grade and he hasn't had a run since he went to Brisbane but I brought him home and he's freshened-up good.' Dis is Heaven, meanwhile, will be taking a step back in class when he steps out in the Casino co-feature. That's because his last run was at the midweeks where he finished third in the 1000m Benchmark 72, $60,000 affair. 'He's going great and he doesn't mind a soft track,' said Prosser. 'I just would have liked to draw a little bit better at Casino with him but he can be a run-on horse so if they happened to be put a bit on pressure on, he can relax and finish off. 'I was really disappointed I couldn't go back to Sydney with last week when we were flooded in, I couldn't get there. 'He hasn't had too many dramas. He's nice and fit and he's going well.' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Former jockey, now Hawkesbury-based trainer Blake Ryan is hoping the well-bred two-year-old Nothing But Net can pull of a slam dunk on debut at Goulburn Nothing But Net was one of 138 foals to emerge from the first crop of ATC Sires' Produce and Champagne Stakes winner, King's Legacy. His grandam is Georgette Silk whose single win came on debut in the 2020 ATC Widden Stakes. 'He has always shown me a little bit,' Ryan said. 'He was in our Ready 2 Run draft and he breezed up the quickest of the lot but was passed in. 'He went online and when the client sold him, Matthew (Sandblom) bought him and gave him back to me to train. 'He seems to be a horse that a 1000m isn't going to be his go. He is bred to be a 1400m horse so he is going to improve.' Nothing But Net won't be alone on the trip to Goulburn. He'll be accompanied by another blue blood, namely Asuriito, who lines-up in the Pat Murphy Racing Class 2 Handicap (1000m). A son of Brazen Beau, Asuriito, went to the Sapphire Coast on May 4 armed with an impressive record of two wins and a third from five starts. And while costly in defeat for his many supporters, he left Bega with excuses. 'That track was very, very heavy and gluey,' Ryan said. 'On paper its says it was a Soft 7 but the grass was very long and it was very boggy. That, coupled with the weight, made it hard for him. 'He is an honest little campaigner. He had a tough run at Canberra before that but he keeps bouncing out of it, I'll give him that much. 'I would have liked to have a little bit better but only that dog-leg corner there at Goulburn from the 1000m, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle for him.' Granted, Ryan's immediate focus is on Goulburn but once he's done there, he will be in countdown mode to Saturday's Midway Handicap at Rosehill where he is represented by the always reliable Lady Extreme. 'I'm really happy with her. 'I think she is going as well as she has ever gone,' Ryan said. 'And a heavy track wouldn't bother me. She's a duck.'
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Casino, Goulburn previews: Trainer Colt Prosser overcomes Mid-North Coast floods and sets his sights on prestigious double
Wauchope trainer Colt Prosser has spent the best part of last week cleaning up after the devastating floods on the Mid-North Coast. Now, he will be hoping for a clean sweep of Casino's two big annual features. Wauchope is an hour's drive from Taree and while that essentially makes the two towns neighbours, Taree was more or less ground zero for the big weather event. 'It was not too bad, just a lot of flooded stables,' Prosser said. 'Safety-wise we were all good. The town coped a lot and went under and everyone was isolated. 'It was a big weekend on the tools and the wheelbarrow and shovels but we'll be okay, a lot of people did it a lot worse than us.' Cenotes makes it three wins in a row 3ï¸�⃣ He wins easily at Kempsey and gives Ben Looker a double! @ColtProsser â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 19, 2024 Prosser's Beef Week Cup participant, Cenotes, will tackle the $45,000 1400m feature first-up having last been seen on October 11 when down the order in the Port Macquarie Cup. This will be only his second 'Cup' but certainly not the last, according to Prosser. 'Cenotes is going to be in for a nice campaign,' the trainer said. 'He is going to be in all the Country Cups around the corner. 'He is first-up and he's just been ineffective at anything under a mile so if he can run good race, I'll be happy. 'I expect him just to improve with a run under his belt.' Cenotes will be ridden by Country Championship Final winning jockey Ben Looker who boasts a favourable record on the son of Rebel Dane of three wins and a second from six rides. Looker was also Prosser's choice for Bjorn Ironside who will square off with stablemate, Dis Is Heaven, in the Casino Flying over 1000m. Bjorn Ironside's current personal best was his close and closing third in this season's MNC Championship Qualifier over 1200m but his one and only 1000m test was hard to forget, even for Prosser. Bjorn Ironside and @ashmorgan6 sail down the centre of the course to take out Race 7 at @_TJC â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2024 'He's only had one go at 1000m and he smashed them,' the trainer said. 'This is up in grade and he hasn't had a run since he went to Brisbane but I brought him home and he's freshened-up good.' Dis is Heaven, meanwhile, will be taking a step back in class when he steps out in the Casino co-feature. That's because his last run was at the midweeks where he finished third in the 1000m Benchmark 72, $60,000 affair. 'He's going great and he doesn't mind a soft track,' said Prosser. 'I just would have liked to draw a little bit better at Casino with him but he can be a run-on horse so if they happened to be put a bit on pressure on, he can relax and finish off. 'I was really disappointed I couldn't go back to Sydney with last week when we were flooded in, I couldn't get there. 'He hasn't had too many dramas. He's nice and fit and he's going well.' â– â– â– â– â– Former jockey, now Hawkesbury-based trainer Blake Ryan is hoping the well-bred two-year-old Nothing But Net can pull of a slam dunk on debut at Goulburn Nothing But Net was one of 138 foals to emerge from the first crop of ATC Sires' Produce and Champagne Stakes winner, King's Legacy. His grandam is Georgette Silk whose single win came on debut in the 2020 ATC Widden Stakes. 'He has always shown me a little bit,' Ryan said. 'He was in our Ready 2 Run draft and he breezed up the quickest of the lot but was passed in. 'He went online and when the client sold him, Matthew (Sandblom) bought him and gave him back to me to train. 'He seems to be a horse that a 1000m isn't going to be his go. He is bred to be a 1400m horse so he is going to improve.' Asuriito was always in control under James Innes Jnr and he brings up his second win in as many starts for the @blakeryan86 stable ðŸ'� @moruyaraces â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 17, 2024 Nothing But Net won't be alone on the trip to Goulburn. He'll be accompanied by another blue blood, namely Asuriito, who lines-up in the Pat Murphy Racing Class 2 Handicap (1000m). A son of Brazen Beau, Asuriito, went to the Sapphire Coast on May 4 armed with an impressive record of two wins and a third from five starts. And while costly in defeat for his many supporters, he left Bega with excuses. 'That track was very, very heavy and gluey,' Ryan said. 'On paper its says it was a Soft 7 but the grass was very long and it was very boggy. That, coupled with the weight, made it hard for him. 'He is an honest little campaigner. He had a tough run at Canberra before that but he keeps bouncing out of it, I'll give him that much. 'I would have liked to have a little bit better but only that dog-leg corner there at Goulburn from the 1000m, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle for him.' Granted, Ryan's immediate focus is on Goulburn but once he's done there, he will be in countdown mode to Saturday's Midway Handicap at Rosehill where he is represented by the always reliable Lady Extreme. 'I'm really happy with her. 'I think she is going as well as she has ever gone,' Ryan said. 'And a heavy track wouldn't bother me. She's a duck.'
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Flood-hit NSW residents say insurance unaffordable as premiums skyrocket
Glen Schmidt and Cindy West did everything they could to prepare when they heard flooding was expected to hit their town on the NSW Mid North Coast. But despite their efforts, floodwater surged through their Wingham home, rising to 1.6 metres. "I [did] everything possible — made over 150 sandbags, put bilge pumps in, the water was just so high," Mr Schmidt said. With the water now gone, the couple face the daunting task of cleaning up the damage without the support of insurance. They bought the property two years ago, with flood insurance which they claimed at the time cost just over $2,000. "But the insurance prices now just skyrocketed to $28,000, we just couldn't afford it for the following years," Mr Schmidt said. Ms West said most homeowners in the region wanted insurance but few could afford it. "How can you find $28,000 to insure your property," she said. Craig and Debbie Emerton, who run a dairy farm in the small village of Croki, said last week's floods had left their property in "total devastation". Mr Emerton said it was the worst flood they had experienced. "I've been through the 1978 flood, which only had 100 millimetres of water in the house, then (in) the 2021 flood we had 200 millimetres in the house, and this was around 900 millimetres in the house," he said. The couple have been struggling to regroup. "(We) haven't been able to produce any quality milk for a week now, weren't able to milk the cows for four days," Mr Emerton said. The couple lost about 50 cattle, predominantly calves, when the flood swept through the town last week. Five cattle were found in neighbours' paddocks, but 27 were still unaccounted for. "It breaks your heart, they are just not cattle to us — they are something closer to children," Mr Emerton said. Mr Emerton, a fifth-generation farmer, has been working the land with his wife for 35 years. But after the damage to their property and farm, they are considering moving to higher ground. "We don't want to but it looks like we are going to probably be forced to," Mr Emerton said. "We can't deal with this again." Like many of their neighbours around the Manning River, the couple were not insured. "As residents in a flood plain, the premiums are so high so the majority of people can't afford them," Mr Emerton said. Insurance Council of Australia CEO Andrew Hall said the rise in premiums was due to a range of issues. "We've had record events, record claim numbers and, on top of that, building inflation has been around 40 per cent in three years alone," he said. He said about 6,000 insurance claims have already been lodged, and it was growing by a thousand each day. "What we do need to do is have a conversation with the federal and state governments about a flood-defence fund," he said. The Insurance Council of Australia put forward a proposal to the Albanese government before the last federal election for a $30 billion flood-defence fund over 10 years. "There are around 220,000 homes in high-risk flood areas that need to be better protected," he said. Mr Hall said the Insurance Council of Australia was calling on the government to "put the money on the table". "Give these communities options that they can work through, whether it's a flood levee, house raising, waterproofing or, in worst case scenarios, buybacks," he said. Mr Schmidt said a flood-defence fund would be greatly welcomed and "they would 100 per cent accept a buyback scheme". However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently said buybacks were unavailable. "He hasn't even been down our street — our street was one of the hardest hit streets here in Wingham," Mr Schmidt said. The federal government announced a one-off, $1,000 payment for residents of nine areas who had significant property damage or had lost a loved one. "A thousand dollars is better than nothing, but when you have nothing, it doesn't go very far," Ms West said.
