People living in flood-ravaged homes in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales struggle more than most to stay warm during the current cold season.
Key points:
- Many homes affected by the floods in Lismore are still wallless, leaving residents exposed to the cold.
- Residents are finding innovative ways to avoid the cold, but there are fears about the risk of fire
- A councilor is calling for urgent government intervention and business assistance to repair homes
Donna Walker’s house in North Lismore is basically a shell.
The interior walls and doors have been torn down after being ruined by flood waters.
At night, the five people who live there gather in a single room, the only one that stays warm next to the fireplace.
“Firewood costs about $ 15 a bag, and a bag lasts one night,” Ms. Walker said.
“When you don’t have walls, you have to upholster.
“Now I have about three different layers … but I also find that a trick is to stay dressed, so you don’t have to get dressed in the morning.”
Maralyn Schofield staples corflutes to the wall in order to insulate her flood-damaged house. (ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie)
A few streets away, Maralyn Schofield faces a similar situation and has found a new solution.
He has lined the walls of his home with leftover advertising flutes from the recent federal election.
“I think it could have made a few degrees of difference,” he said.
“Maybe that’s all in my head, but last night I slept a little better after flirting.”
With night temperatures hovering around 5 degrees Celsius, any extra heat is welcome.
“I work from home, so even during the day it’s freezing cold and it’s very difficult to warm up,” Ms Schofield said.
“What I’ve done with a packing tape and a staple gun is go where all the walls have been removed and try to cover them up a bit to keep them warm, and on the other side of the room I used old blankets to do the same.
“But only in these two rooms … so we’re doing everything we can to make it as comfortable as possible, but it’s hard work and it’s cold.”
Maralyn Schofield shows the highest flood water mark on her North Lismore home. (ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie)
Corflutes cause fear of fire
The use of unorthodox insulation is causing concern for Lismore NSW Fire and Rescue Station Officer Darren West.
“As we know corflute and cardboard signs are quite flammable and there is a pretty considerable fire load in the house,” he said.
“So it ‘s a concern for us, no doubt.
“Temperatures can drop dramatically in Lismore here, and people will do their best to stay warm all winter.
“So safety first and keep in mind that … if you take your eyes off where they have a fire, just for a minute, it can become tragic.”
The devastating impact of the recent floods is still evident in many areas of Lismore. (ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie)
Request urgent intervention
Lismore City Councilwoman Elly Bird has spent the past three months working at a local volunteer center known as Resilient Lismore.
Lismore City Councilor Elly Bird helps the Lismore Resilient Volunteer Center. (ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie)
He has called for urgent government or business intervention to help flood-affected residents heat their homes.
“Surely we could do something like bring large shipments of supplies that people need to repair their homes, even to get one or two bedrooms to be habitable in a house,” Ms. Bird said.
“If we had a large supply of gyprock, we could coordinate the placement of some temporary or permanent walls.
“We also need volunteers and field staff.
“So if the government could somehow find a way to find a solution, that would go a long way.”
Posted 1 Hr 1 Hour ago, Jun 9, 2022 at 3:29 AM, updated 1 Hrs, 1 Hour ago, Thu June 9, 2022 at 3:34 AM