Roadcraft and the Impact of the 2022 Floods
As many of you have been, Roadcraft has been affected by the recent floods. Although the damage to our facilities has been extensive, we have been very lucky to be surrounded by so many incredible volunteers and supportive people.
The Flood Itself
Roadcraft had a robust flood plan in place and this is, ultimately, what minimised the overall damage.
At first we prepared for a 17 metre flood, which was then upgraded to greater than 22m, so our assets had to be moved a couple of times. Thanks to the warnings from the Gympie Regional Council Disaster Management department, we were aware of the changing conditions and were able to adapt our plans.
Eventually, everything was moved to the mezzanine level of the big fleet storage shed, with cars and the QAS training fleet parked up on the high ground.
Due to the nature of the land where Roadcraft is located, we become an island during a big flood, which means that no one can get in or out and so we simply couldn’t utilise everyone on the team for evacuation, but we had so many volunteers who were absolutely invaluable.
With a peak of 22.96 metres, no flood plan can hope to save a building from damage so we focused on what we could achieve – getting everything to a high and safe place. In the aftermath, came the difficult emotions and the damage assessment.
The Damage to Roadcraft Facilities
Once the water receded we were able to go in and take in the extent of the damage – ceilings on the floor, walls ruined, and extensive water damage throughout.
While the building damage is gut wrenching, what really affects us is the knock on effect of the damage – the cancellation of potentially life-saving courses and the staff members who couldn’t be actively employed during the initial weeks of clean up.
Comparing the 2013 flood to 2022
When it flooded in 2013, the water was knee deep throughout the Roadcraft admin/classroom building and we thought that was a total disaster, but 2013 was nothing compared to 2022.
This time it was just too big, too widespread, with so many people having been affected. In 2013 we were back operational again in a few days but the damage from these recent floods is going to take months to fix.
This is why we’re so grateful to Bravo for giving us a temporary home. Bravo, our Disability Support Network neighbour, came to our aid and offered us office and classroom space with a separate entrance and even signage outside!
The Future of Roadcraft
While there’s no denying that this was a major setback for our big plans this year – we’re a resilient team.
Our main building is about to be stripped out, dried, and treated for mould. The high ceilinged rooms escaped a lot of the damage so we will start by making those usable and getting the toilets back in order.
We are currently working out of one classroom at the rear of Bravo (22 Dennis Little Drive) and are able to take bookings for current and future courses.
As soon as we have working bathrooms and a few usable rooms, we’ll be back to full operation as soon as possible.
As for the long term, we are considering the idea of building out of flood level, and while this won’t be easy it would be a major and exciting change for Roadcraft.
We Are So Grateful
In a disaster like this it often feels like there will be no end to the heartbreak, overwhelm, and exhaustion – but throughout everything that has happened people have come together and helped. The Gympie community has stepped up, people helping folks they don’t even know, volunteering for evacuation and clean up, getting food out to the workers.
We would like to extend our enormous gratitude to everyone who helped with our evacuation and clean up. Our Roadcraft team have pulled out all the stops and have done whatever was necessary to get us operational again.
In particular, Bravo have provided us with a temporary home, and for that we are very thankful indeed.
If you’ve got a question regarding the flood damage, a current booking or future availability, please get in touch on (07) 5482 8833.