Ballina resident Daniel Connors upset by extra flood payment exclusion

Flood-affected Ballina Shire residents are ropeable with the federal government’s decision to exclude them from further financial support. Here’s what they think.

Residents of Ballina and Wardell have been left dismayed after the federal government announced extra financial support for Lismore, Clarence and Richmond Valley local government areas but left them out.

Ballina, Byron, Tweed and Kyogle local government areas were excluded from more disaster payments that will roll out on March 15 and 22 despite suffering major impacts from the floods including having to be evacuated from their towns.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday indicated the areas could receive extra financial support but the decision would be made by the National Recovery and Resilience Agency.

Residents who evacuated parts of the Ballina Shire have been left in shock at the decision.

Daniel Connors has been helping his father remove ruined possessions from his West Ballina home after he evacuated last week in a tense affair which involved mostly private citizens on boats in his street.

Daniel Connors is ropeable with the federal government after Ballina Shire residents were excluded from extra flood assistance payments. Picture: Nicholas Rupolo.

He described the decision as disgusting as he hauled sodden items onto the back of his ute.

“I saw it on Facebook this morning but it didn’t surprise me,” he said.

He said looking around at all the rubbish on the streets was proof residents in his town were going to need more help.

“All my dad’s carpets and cupboards are ruined, my dad needs that financial support to cope to give him a little light in a dark situation,” he said.

The Ballina Shire has a massive clean-up operation still to go Picture: Nicholas Rupolo.

People from Ballina West down the Wardell were sent an emergency text message just after 2am on March 1 to tell them to prepare to evacuate.

The region was struck by a sense of fear because they had never expected an event of such magnitude to happen.

Irene Healy saw her 17-year old son get into her neighbour’s tinnie before they charged up and down Ballina streets saving people and taking them to the only place available where people could be dry; a roundabout near Bunnings.

She is a paralegal who has 18 clients she needs to represent in court soon, but her business can’t get up and running because she has no power.

Irene Healy has spent her time and money cleaning the mould off her home in West Ballina and needs extra government support. Picture: Nicholas Rupolo.

While she will try to access a $50,000 business grant, she has spent her own time and money cleaning every piece of mould out of her West Ballina home.

To see that her area was excluded from funding left her in pieces.

“It’s appalling,” she said.

“I was furious, we don’t have any insurance but I can’t believe he (Scott Morrison) says no, has he been here has he seen it? What about Wardell and Pimlico?”

Wardell, which is part of Ballina Shire, was the visual definition of a natural disaster zone.

The town borders the Richmond River and last week had raging flood waters reaching almost two metres into the street, flooding people’s homes and businesses.

Kylie Schweikert has been back in Wardell for 18 months and she helps out at the Royal Hotel in the centre of the town where virtually everything is lost.

Kylie Schweikert lost everything in the floods in Wardell and is shocked the government won’t provide extra support. Picture: Nicholas Rupolo.

“Some parts of this place have been annihilated and some people will not come back because no-one knows where to go,” she said.

“We are on par with Lismore no doubt, some of us don’t even have shoes on our feet.”

Ballina Shire Council has tried to clean the streets of rubbish and debris but Mrs Schweikert says the people of Wardell right now have little and expect more.

“We can’t just be left like this we need the support,” she said.