Community still trying to rebuild one year on from Cyclone Jasper

People in Far North Queensland are still trying to rebuild their homes and lives one year on from the devastating Cyclone Jasper.

Transcript

00:00The floodwaters may have dried up, but damaged homes and scars on the landscape aren't the

00:08only reminder of Tropical Cyclone Jasper's wrath.

00:11Every time when I see, especially the rain on top, I get very scary and I still have

00:18that trauma and I don't go to sleep.

00:22I still hear the water, the rocks are rolling and I don't know how to get over it.

00:31Thomas Herridge and his young family are back in their Maitland's Beach home in time for

00:35Christmas.

00:37The fanciness doesn't really matter, just the fact that it's our place, our family home.

00:42We're in a suburb I've lived in my whole life and hopefully I can raise my kids in.

00:48Mr Herridge spent the year fearing financial ruin, until the Financial Complaints Authority

00:53directed his insurer to cover the cost of renting temporary accommodation.

00:58If there was no AFCA it would be more than $100,000.

01:02CentiCare has helped 800 far north Queenslanders since the disaster and about 50 cases are

01:07still open, mostly people needing mental health support.

01:11Generally two to three years or more is how long long term recovery takes.

01:17The federal and state governments today announced a $206 million funding package to help the

01:22far north continue its recovery, acknowledging there is still much to do.

01:27$14 million will be dedicated specifically for Wujal Wujal, where Aunty Kathleen is worried

01:32about what will happen if disaster strikes again.

01:35Where can we go?

01:37We got no safe place.

01:39We can't go back to Aunty Lily because she's got overcrowding house too.

01:44It's just a safe house for our people.