LOSING everything in the Black Summer Bushfires in 2019/20, when she lived in South Arm, homeless with her children and left with just the clothes on their backs, Sian Whitewolf could identify recently with the flood-devastated people of the Northern Rivers, where she had also lived for over four years.

Seeing the devastation unleashed upon Lismore, Coraki and Woodburn, places where she shopped and popped into regularly, an immediate urge to help those communities kicked in.

“I found out that my wonderful friend Shár Horne was planning to go up there and I suggested we go together,” Sian told News Of The Area.

“We ended up joining forces with an amazing Coffs Harbour group called Alone We Can Do So Little, Together We Can Do So Much, co-ordinated by Stacii Lee.

“These beautiful people had organised storage containers full of donations from the local community of non-perishables and specific items that were much needed at the beginning of the flood recovery.

“People were donating from everywhere and we even were granted a free trailer to take it all up.”

Sian drove in a convoy of three cars from Coffs, with Shàr and friends.

“Battling yet more heavy rain on the way up and dangerous roads that had only just cleared from the waters, we navigated vast potholes and large eaten-away sections.

“We dropped off to evacuation zones of Lismore, Wardell, Coraki and Woodburn.

“It looked like a cyclone had gone through these towns.

“Debris everywhere, the smell of deceased animals in the air, piles of destroyed belongings in front of each house after it had been gutted and vacated.

“Aircraft from the nearby airport in Lismore, wrapped around trees like paper from the velocity of the water.

“Cars abandoned and washed up in paddocks, shipping containers washed up in people’s yards and streets inaccessible due to the volume of damage and debris…bulldozers slowly making piles from the never-ending sea of waste and destroyed belongings.

“Everyone was still in fight or flight mode up there with determination and an energy of organised chaos about them.

“Tensions were high and loss was visible in the locals’ faces.

“It was a high-paced environment, with military and fire trucks blaring their sirens speeding up the streets to perform further rescues.

“There was also kindness in the hugs and the tears.

“What I could gather from the stories and what I saw was that the locals and the community itself were the true heroes, supporting each other, neighbour helping neighbour.

“Later on, outsiders coming in from other communities to lend a hand in the clean-up and with machinery, while all this time waiting for the government to ‘sign off’ on much needed help.

“It made many angry but also brought so many together.

“What a strong, resilient community led by their hearts, but it really shows what’s missing in government support and response.

“It will take months if not years to rebuild from the mass scale of this disaster with some never fully recovering from this experience.

“It does show how amazing and capable true community spirit is and how important it is for Australians to come together in support and to take action.

“If you would like to help up North for the floods, I suggest you join the local community threads to keep up with what specific help is needed as it changes day to day,” said Sian.

 

By Andrea FERRARI