JUNGLE DRUM: A manual for Douglas Shire residents to use in the aftermath of recent natural disasters

COLUMN

Contributor Article

Email
Last updated:
A chopper that landed on Mason's land in the days following Jasper last December. Picture: Lawrence Mason

This handbook has been designed with the 2023 rain event and Cyclone Jasper in mind. Your experience may vary, but is likely to be worse than mine, so preparedness is key. Please use this after the disaster event.

During the event you will be helping friends and family and trying to stay alive.

The point of this is to illustrate what we did and compare it to the lack of financial help we are being offered now. I do acknowledge it was a two way street and I did get a bit of free freight, but on the whole, if I knew what I know now, I would have charged for everything.

I, and many others spent the best path of a month on call. Many of us had our land used over and over for various purposes. Only at the end did I start charging, out of necessity.

  1. Obtain a docket book or similar. Make one if necessary. You won’t get much from any level of government so mark my words, start charging now.
  2. Hear that helicopter? It will land in your field. That is $100 plus GST. If it's on the ground longer than ten minutes, that is parking fees. $20/hr. I would give Rescue 510 a free pass, but hey, your call.  Chinook? Heavy fee, $200. 
  3. Unslinging fuel drums on call as helos arrive? $50 a go. $100/month phone allowance if you are so on call that they ring you so you can be ready.
  4. Supervising fuel distribution to cranky locals. Probably priceless?
  5. Getting your chainsaw out to clear the main road? $40/hr is good start.
  6. Driving police/medical staff/ dignitaries? Sound like $50/hr and $5/km to me. Extra for danger? Like finding a drug crazed hippie who throws chairs at helicopters? $250 per occurrence.
  7. Unloading fuel in the marine park by hand? Got to be $40/hr? Using your tractor in the salt? $100 an hour surely? 
  8. Hosting meeting with politicians who promise the world and deliver nothing? Flat fee $1000. If Premier attends $1500.
  9. Collecting mail from boat/helicopter? $50. If you have to walk in jellyfish infested water to do it, $100.
  10. Collecting warm milk and supplies from a boat to resell $50. Jellyfish? $100
  11. That machine parked on your land dripping rocks in your lawn? $40 overnight fee
  12. Disaster waste? Start at $5000/month. Noting that we are getting paid for this, but at less than what I suggest.

Disclosure. I did get paid $660 for three disaster hubs.

I got the $180 and $562/fortnight for a couple of months.

And a bit of free diesel for my genny. And we are storing disaster waste. But this in no way accounts for the weeks many of spent working for free. The above is a hodgepodge of experiences people here had, not just me.

And given that our useless bureaucracy and elected members have not managed to get a cracker of help to my business 126 days after the disaster I will be doing daily dockets next time. You should too. Otherwise you will be where many of us are now, going broke.

*Lawrence Mason has lived at Cape Tribulation all his life, and has been involved in farming, timber and tourism. He is a former board member of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, founding Chair of Daintree Marketing Co-operative, and has been a member of both Alexandra Bay and Mossman State High School P&C. He is also a member of the Douglas Chamber of Commerce and has a keen interest in local issues.

  • A reminder the views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and author only and do not reflect those of the editor or Newsport staff.

Support public interest journalism

Help us to continue covering local stories that matter. Please consider supporting below.

Got a news tip?

Send a news tip or submit a letter to the Newsport Editor here.

Comments

Comments are the opinions of readers and do not represent the views of Newsport, its staff or affiliates. Reader comments are moderated before publication to promote valuable, civil, and healthy community debate. Visit our comment guidelines if your comment has not been approved for publication.