NSW Floods: Milperra businesses left to fend for themselves as insurance denied

Facing their third major flood in under a year, small business owners in Sydney’s southwest are stuck without insurance and unable to move.

Facing their third and fourth major floods in under a year, small business owners in Sydney’s southwest are stuck without insurance and unable to move.

They’re being forced to wear the costs of clean-ups and the downtime which comes alongside it.

One industrial area of Milperra, just by the Georges River, is considered to be a flood zone but was still developed into lots.

Speaking to the business owners, it seems to be a farce that you can register a business there but you can’t get it insured for floods.

Fadi El Tabbal is the owner of A&F Poly, a small business on Milperra Rd which spray paints polyurethane.

Fadi El Tabbal's spray paint shop in Milperra has flooded multiple times this year. Picture: Supplied

He’s been in his shop for seven years and said this was the first time he had ever experienced three floods in one year.

“We had one in December, another in April, and this is our third,” Mr El Tabbal said.

The insurance companies consider his business to be in a flood area, so any water damage coming from out of the factory isn’t covered, while water damage from inside is.

“We tried to get reimbursed from the government last time, but they want everything to have receipts,” Mr El Tabbal said.

“Some machines are 10 years old. How can I get the receipt for that?”

A few doors down, Kwik Kopy Milperra manager Angela Darwich is trying to run the business through her mobile phone and a tethered internet connection.

Angela Darwich, manager at Kwik Kopy Milperra, discovers more flood damage as she walks through the store. Picture: Paul Brescia

She’s been told by her NBN provider the phone lines are down, and inaccessible to be repaired for at least two weeks.

Sandbags out the front of the store helped keep things dry last night, but water still found a way to get in.

In previous floods, she wasn’t so lucky. In April, they were flooded ankle deep and lost a lot of stock.

“In the 2020 floods, we actually lost everything,” Ms Darwich said. “I thought it was going to be a repeat of that.”

Flooding on Ashford Rd, Milperra, less than 100 metres from Kwik Kopy, and Kilmac Civil Engineering.

Aftermath of flooding on Ashford Road, Milperra, on July 5, 2022. Picture: Paul Brescia

Like the other businesses on Milperra Rd, Kwik Kopy isn’t covered for flood damage. She said the only thing they want is peace of mind, and to know in an emergency they will be covered.

“Especially with such expensive machinery,” Ms Darwich said.

John O’Driscoll is the owner of Kilmac Civil Engineering, next door to the Kwik Kopy, sharing a wall – and water when flooding is severe.

He signed a five year lease on the building last September and has had to deal with four floods since.

John O'Driscoll, owner, Kilmac Civil Construction, outside his business. It's the fourth time it's flooded since he signed a lease in September. Picture: Paul Brescia

Liam Thompson and Dean Grayson continue the clean up at Kilmac Civil Construction, on July 5, 2022 after Milperra Road flooded. Picture: Paul Brescia

Even when spared the worst electrical damage, the carpets in the industrial warehouse are ruined every time it floods.

Cleaning, steaming, and drying them takes a week, meaning that his business has already been unable to trade for an entire month since September 2021.

“We have water ingress issues we’re trying to rectify with the landlord at the moment. It comes in from the walls and doors, so we can’t mitigate it,” Mr O’Driscoll said.

“But it’s not my property.”

He’s placing his hopes on building a concrete beam out the front of the store, which might be able to keep the water out.

“Something has got to change,” Mr O’Driscoll said.