Recovery far from over for Gold Coast residents affected by Christmas and New Years storms

Gold Coast families battered by the intense Christmas storms are still counting the cost and fighting to have their homes repaired. Read the latest

What was left of a house on Leura Place, Helensvale following the Christmas Day storm. Photo: Steve Pohlner

Gold Coast families are still living in mould infested homes and fighting insurance companies for repairs months on from the catastrophic Christmas and New Years storms.

The destructive weather event brought intense rainfall, large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 160km/h leaving devastation in its path.

Among the hardest hit was Tamworth Drive in Helensvale, where homes were so badly damaged some have been bulldozed in the aftermath.

Michael Wilkes is in a battle with his insurance company over repairs to the roof of his Helensvale home. Picture: Charlton Hart

Resident Michael Wilkes is thankful his home remained standing among the ruins, albeit it severely damaged like many of his neighbours.

“My wife’s car had the neighbours roof wrapped around,” Mr Wilkes said.

“A couple of doors down have had their place demolished.

“Next door aren’t living there anymore. It took days to clear-up the street before we could even think about inside.”

The downed trees, powerlines and debris have been replaced with temporary fencing and tarps, weighed down by sand bags to cover the huge hole left in Mr Wilkes’ roof.

“We’re just going round in circles,” Mr Wilkes said, referring to his claim with insurer to repair the damage.

“We have been going back and forth with them for about six months – they just deny, deny.

“They’ve accepted all of the repairs inside which is the mould through the roof, replacing the floors and the waterlogged walls.

“They’re refusing to fix the roof because they’ve said it’s a lack of maintenance.”

Neighbouring properties that lost their entire roofs in the storm, are already in the process of having repairs done with their insurance company, instead the Wilkes family are stuck in limbo.

“We can’t have them replace everything inside because the roof needs to be fixed first.

“So we are fighting to get them to cover it as well.”

It’s a similar battle facing Stephen Eltringham at his Helensvale home as repairs through his insurance company stall.

“Things started off OK but its just become a sh** storm,” Mr Eltringham said.

“Their (insurer) builder are trying to pay us out for the external repairs with offers that don’t come close to repairing the damaged.

“Insurance are looking into it – it’s just dragging out the whole thing.”

Brian Reichelt from Foilage Farm in January surveying the damage following the destructive storms and floods. Picture Glenn Hampson

In Wongawallan, small business owner Brian Reichelt is still counting the costs with the deluge of water flooding his nursery destroying stock and cutting off his livelihood.

“It’s been a hell of ride” Mr Reichelt said of the months-long clean-up and rebuild effort.

“There was water through the office and two cabins.

“We had no power for two months – I had to go and buy a petrol pump to water the nursery.

“It’s at least $75,000, I’m still going through receipts and working out the claims.”

While the nursery is eligible to apply for state government support and grants to assist with some of the costs, Mr Reichelt says the of loss business during the closure will take time to recoup.

“I think the economy is stuffed and people are only just affording their mortgages so they don’t have the money to spend.

“The only thing you can do is just try and weather the storm and keep battling through.”

Originally published as Recovery far from over for Gold Coast residents affected by Christmas and New Years storms