funding and food victims

foods went through and it’s knocked me back.”

Ms Hovard is a woman in her 60s, now on her own and has no one to help her.

“The only money I have received is the Back to Home Grant of $20,000 and $3,500 from the Federal government,” she said.

“In fact, I got more from charity than the Federal government.

“I have been struggling with the compounded grief over the last few years.”

Ms Hovard said she often cries, having good and bad days as she deals with repairing her home and commercial premises.

“To get tradies is very expensive, very diffcult,” she said.

“There’s very little trust now as I’ve had a lot of shonky tradies through and you pay a lot for it and you’re in no ft state to argue the costs.”

Ms Hovard has received a report from the Johns Lyng group after they came out twice to evaluate her home and business.

“The guy who came out to my place was from Melbourne, so there’s a lot of people fying up here doing all this and we get nothing,” she said.

“They said everyone would get a case worker. We have not received a case worker.”

Despite Ms Hovard’s property being classifed as HIGH risk, she is still wondering if anything will be done.

Basic necessities still missing

Since the food, Woodburn has been without a supermarket and petrol station.

Tania Hundy owns the IGA that was severely damaged through last year’s food and has had a lot of diffculty trying to re-open.

“We only just revamped about 13 months before the food,” she said.

“We also have the house out the back, so we lost everything in there as well, and the car.

“The store itself is now irreparable as it is now.”

Ms Hundy said the damage is structural and now needs to be rebuilt.

“I have contacted the NRRC on that matter to food proof it with concrete panels,” she said.

“And as the town is suffering with no supermarket and no service station, a lot of people come into town and can’t understand why we don’t have them.”

Ms Hundy highlighted the inconvenience for residents who are unable to get groceries after hours, and those elderly in the town who don’t drive more than fve kilometres.

“Not only that, it’s social,” she said.

“Some of our customers would come in three or four times a day and they need that at the moment.”

Ms Hundy said despite calling the NRRC three times and talking to David Witherdin, Chief Executive of the NRRC, no support has been forthcoming.