Outback clean-up hampered by trade shortage, weather after storms wreak havoc

An insurance agent in Far West New South Wales has been inundated with calls after severe storms and damaging winds swept through the region last week.

Simon Heuzenroeder said many stations incurred major damage, with roofs blown off multiple buildings on properties.

“It’s mainly outbuildings, shearers’ quarters and sheds, but some stations have up to three or four roofs missing in one hit,” he said.

A total of 346 customers lost power around White Cliffs, Fowlers Gap, Mutawintji, Silverton, Packsaddle, parts of Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Broughams Gate and Milparinka last Thursday.

“The river’s rising pretty quickly as well, so we can’t even get close enough to take photos,” Mr Heuzenroeder said.

“So that’s going to be a problem — and also trying to get guys out there to quote and fix.”

‘We can’t really prepare’

The wild weather also damaged empty rainwater tanks waiting to be installed on properties and the power outages resulted in station owners having to empty entire coolrooms.

Sue Andrews from Avondale Station, 25 kilometres east of Broken Hill, said the storm hit its peak at her property last Thursday but the power stayed on.

“We lost the hay shed roof and lots of panels broken in the woolshed and a few sheets off the shearer’s quarters,” she said.

“You don’t know these things are coming, especially when there’s no radar system in this part of the world — we can’t really prepare.

Builder availability woes

Stations affected by the storms say there have been lengthy delays in getting tradespeople out for clean-ups, quotes and repairs.

“Everyone has COVID staff shortages and also with recent rains we’ve got open roofs that are going to cause more damage as these systems keep on coming through,” Mr Heuzenroeder said.

Ms Andrews said tradespeople were “hard to come by”.

“You ring up for a quote and they’re not really interested, I think they’re all so busy — it’s just hard work,” she said.

Ms Andrews hoped there would be decent follow up rain in the coming weeks after not receiving much last week.

“You wait so long for the storm and when the storm comes it wrecks everything,” she said.

“Last summer we didn’t get any storms and summer storms are good storms, normally — but then I suppose the wind isn’t good, but whatever you get you get.”