Residents reveal ‘third world’ conditions at Couran Cove Island Resort

Residents living in about 100 Couran Cove Island Resort homes have now gone two weeks without electricity or running water. They reveal how they are coping amid the ‘stressful’ conditions.

Residents living in 100 Couran Cove Island Resort homes on South Stradbroke Island have now gone more than two weeks without basic services, such as electricity and running water.

The Bulletin sat down with three residents living on the island who have stayed behind - Mick Reichle, Rhonda Dalgleish and Norm Pinto.

Here is how they are coping with the situation.

The people of Couran Cove:

Mick Reichle

Local resident Mick Reichle. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Known as the island’s maintenance man, Mick has lived in Couran Cove for two years and has a background in disability services.

He currently lives part-time on the island and travels back and forth to visit his wife Karen on the mainland who has blood cancer.

Mick said he had chosen to remain on the island to fight for those who had been forced to leave.

“It’s just constant tension here,” he said.

“My biggest concern is not for the people you see, it is the ones you don’t see now that have been forced off the island in the past year.

“My grandfather always told me right is might, not might is right.”

He believes residents are being pushed out from the island so it can be sold for redevelopment.

“The majority of people here are over 50 (and) are being squeezed out because of a lack of services,” the island resident said.

Mick wants a “large scale inquiry” into what is happening on Couran Cove.

Rhonda Dalgleish

Rhonda Dalgleish has lived at Couran Cove for 11 years. Picture: Tertius Pickard

This grandmother has lived on the island for 11 years and called it her “beautiful little oasis”.

“I was living in Coombabah, my kids had all grown up, I have grandkids now,” Rhonda said.

She planned to retire on the island and purchased her Couran Cove eco cabin for $470,000.

Rhonda said she would be lucky to get $110,000 for it now.

“It was the perfect timing for me to come over here and do something nice for myself,” she said.

“I have had the opportunity to leave and sell here, but I don’t want to, because I can’t get my money back anyway.

“But I will never find something like this. I want to give this to my grandkids.”

The grandmother described life without electricity or running water as “stressful”.

“Nobody really can understand or care if it is not happening to them. As soon as it happens to them, that is when everyone has a feeling or emotion about it,” she said.

Rhonda wants a government inquiry into what has happened on the island.

Norm Pinto

Local resident Norman Pinto is forced to have bucket showers. Picture: Tertius Pickard

A retired musician from Byron Bay, Norm and his wife purchased an eco cabin and moved over to the island four years ago.

“We had been living in a motor home, we sold the motor home and needed somewhere quickly and instead of renting we thought we would do this and (laughs) ruin the rest of our lives,” he said.

Norm compared life on the island now to “living in a third world country”.

Since their utilities were cut off, the couple have used a generator and take “bucket showers”.

“At age 73, I’m in the shower with two buckets washing myself,” Norm said.

“The quality of the water we are able to use is deteriorating, we are showing in dirty water, it is just not right.”

The retiree has called for urgent “government intervention” on the island and said he did not understand why this had not already happened.

“I understand it is private property, but it is still Australia. I’m a bit confused about that,” Norm said.

Water, electricity and gas was cut off to dozens of homes on the island on February 15 amid claims that more than $20 million in body corporate fees had not been paid. A Couran Cove spokesman said on Saturday about 100 homes remained without power and water due to unpaid bills - whilst 250 homes which are part of body corporates that have paid bills still have power and water connected, the spokesman said.