Are you feeling Optimistic ?

[neddy]

At least, there is no more rain in Brissy

Check out the radar.
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR503.loop.shtml

 

[neddy]

I have been following the national disaster unfolding in QLD and I am amazed at how organised the flood emergency services and relief efforts are.

http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/

The little tugboat saves a Brissy bridge.

<iframe src ="http://video.news.com.au/embed/1739834237/The-Little-Tug-Boat-that-Could?player=narrow" width="330" height="330" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"><p><a href="http://video.news.com.au/1739834237/The-Little-Tug-Boat-that-Could">VIDEO: The Little Tug Boat that Could</a></p></iframe>

 

[axe168]

I have been following the national disaster unfolding in QLD and I am amazed at how organised the flood emergency services and relief efforts are.

Thanks Neddy. I was in Brisbane for the last 3 days. CBD is like a ghost town. Flooding areas are around the brisbane river and towards the western or north western side.

My chicken factory bo-tai-chi ~~ Heng ah (at eastern high land area) Best of all, I'm still able to drive down to Broad Beach Casino to contribute my $500 in bet. In the coming days, chickens are likely to increase.. my agent came knocking on my door.. I am prepared to let go 1 naked chicken to the market in Feb. A stone shall turn into gold !!

 

[neddy]

My chicken factory bo-tai-chi ~~ Heng ah (at eastern high land area) Best of all, I'm still able to drive down to Broad Beach Casino to contribute my $500 in bet. In the coming days, chickens are likely to increase.. my agent came knocking on my door.. I am prepared to let go 1 naked chicken to the market in Feb. A stone shall turn into gold !!

Good that you are well.

Now is the time to sniff out opportunities and make golden eggs.

 

[axe168]

Good that you are well.

Now is the time to sniff out opportunities and make golden eggs.

My return flight was cancelled due to flood on Tuesday, guess what ? I managed to book a hotel near the city for an exorbitant price.. if the hotel can rip us off.. I'm confident chicken seller can fetch a good price..

Oh yes ! whenever there is a crisis.. sniffing for a gd opportunity is a must ;-) I wouldn't like to stay in a crisis 'free' environment and be controlled by any tom, dick or harry... 3 cheers for the OZsome country !

 

[neddy]

Is your property damaged? Do insurance cover the flood?
...
Total insurance payout: $11k

No out-of-pocket expenses, Suncorp reimbursed me everything. They even forgot the $100 excess!

'No policy, no payout'
By Teresa Ooi
From: The Australian
January 14, 2011 12:00AM

QUEENSLAND flood victims should not expect any special favours from insurance companies if their homes are not insured against floods.

The Insurance Council of Australia has warned that insurance companies would pay out on claims according to the terms and conditions of policies.

"If people do not purchase flood cover insurance, they will not be covered," an ICA spokesman said yesterday.

It is estimated more than half of all insured homes in Queensland are not covered for flood damage.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission estimated that 70 per cent of all Australian homes were under-insured in 2005.

"More than 50 per cent of all available insurance policies in Queensland provide flood cover," the ICA spokesman said.

"People should assess their needs and get the proper insurance coverage for their homes and not be guided by price only."

Suncorp, the biggest insurer in Queensland, is the only company to automatically protect against flooding for home and contents insurance policyholders.

There are three types of flood insurance coverage: flash flooding, storm damage and riverine flooding.

IAG, Allianz and QBE do not offer flood protection. RACQ provides flood and riverine cover as an optional extra.

An industry source said some companies were not prepared to offer flood protection in areas that had been subject to floods in the past.

"I would be surprised if insurance companies would make ex-gratia payments to customers who do not have flood insurance," a spokesman for Allianz said.

"The scale of the Queensland disaster is so large that it would be financially prohibitive."

However, flood victims whose homes have been wrecked by the floods and who have no insurance can turn to the state government for assistance.

"We will be helping people without flood or home insurance, but it is far too early to know the details, and the priority right now is dealing with the ongoing emergency situation," a government spokesman from the Queensland Premier's office said.

Premier Anna Bligh has set up a flood assistance program, and announced concessional loans for primary producers and small businesses to help in the flood recovery and clean-up.

In addition, the Premier's Flood Relief has raised $35.8m to help families in need.

Suncorp received an additional 1000 claims from flood victims in Toowoomba, Ipswich and Brisbane yesterday, taking the total claims lodged so far to 5000.

IAG has received 2400 claims from the same area but said it was too early to calculate the total claim cost to the insurer. This is in addition to the 1200 claims it received from earlier floods caused by Cyclone Tasha, which is expected to cost IAG between $10m and $30m. IAG operates under the NRMA and CGU insurance brands in Queensland.

RACQ received 400 fresh claims yesterday, taking its total to 2000. QBE declined to comment.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/no-policy-no-payout/story-e6frg6nf-1225987428964

 

[johnsgp1]

AUD : SGD (2 Jan 2011)
1 : 1.31

AUD : USD (2 Jan 2011)
1 : 1.02

Strong AUD is creating 'GREED' in me, I have high urge to return to SG to contribute.. Rolex @ 30% off, plus GST 7% rebate !! Visiting Casino Sands at no $100 levy !

I remain optimistic on Australia's economy, despite some complaining expensive.. soon when it reach AUD:SGD at 1.45 and i'll be 45% better off compare to avg Singaporean.. hehe, not too bad to leave my comfort zone afterall..

i dun understand, ur fellow OZ are suffering in QLD, and you are here thinking of buying Rolex....u r total screw up...u are watching ppl suffering and laughing at them thinking how lucky u r...

 

[neddy]

Once in a while, I am reminded of why I moved south of Singapore to settle in Australia.
I am glad I live here now.


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"As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are," she told reporters.

"We are Queenslanders.

"We're the people that they breed tough, north of the border.

"We're the ones that they knock down, and we get up again."

I said earlier this week that this weather may break our hearts, and it is doing that, but it will not break our will and in the coming weeks and in the coming months we are going to prove that beyond any doubt.

Together, we can pull through this and that's what I'm determined to do and with your help, we can achieve that.


This is what we expect of our leaders in such times. She is a good woman!

For NZ, how they managed with less. The well used and abused No 8 wire. (Kiwi can-do mentality)

 

[neddy]

i dun understand, ur fellow OZ are suffering in QLD, and you are here thinking of buying Rolex....u r total screw up...u are watching ppl suffering and laughing at them thinking how lucky u r...

Mind you, there is no sense of complete hopelessness. There are a lot of inconvenience and wondering where to start. And you know why?

Because we decide our own destiny in Australia. This is a huge country, and we learn self-reliance and have our circle of supporters to call in times of needs. And we are a lot more confident in getting things done. Everything can-do.

In Singapore, I have to rely on the serious-looking "everything No" public servants, and worry about what the sour-faced PAP govt will do to warn or blame the people when things go bad.


But in Australia, I do not have to wait for the govt's instructions. In fact, I will challenge the govt to live up to their public duties.

No one is making fun of the Queenlanders - We stand in unity with them, in deeds and or $.

Do you know that the organisers are making sure that the kids are having fun in evacuation centres.

The mass media are circulating information from the state emergency services, so to keep peoples' worries down.

And yes, people even have time for beers and humour.

It is pointless worrying when nature go about its business.

I hope Fishbuff is okay. He has not written for a few days.

 

[fishbuff]

..I hope Fishbuff is okay. He has not written for a few days.

my place was flooded to the middle and you cant imagine the sight of a post flood residential place especially my very own. everything were thrown around randomly and covered in black silt. the cleanup was almost impossible but thank goodness, there were heaps of volunteers that came to our aid. most of the volunteers that came to our aid just march right up to our house and offer their help readily without any demand. we spent the whole morning and afternoon tearing up the carpets and throw out all the silt covered household items; cupboards, fridge, clothes, everything was out. it took at least 3 round of different volunteers to wash out their place with their gerni. backing their truck up to my house, they just unload the petrol powered gerni and start rinsing everything. fantastic!

The volunteers came from all walks of lives, culture and races. and while we work on the cleanup, there were other volunteers that went around the disaster stricken suburbes distributing items like foods, drinks, flood relief aid etc. the community spirit is strong, some of the volunteers came from as far as the gold coast to help.

one of my friend even came to help without any request from us, and he just recovered from bike accident plus his investment property were inundated totally in fairfield! i really feel sorry for his lost but he is not taking this to heart, and still able to give good counsel to us. my true good friend, from africa, australia, and malaysia, came to my aid in my times of needs and desperation.

the old saying; a friend in need is a friend indeed. this saying holds alot of truth coming from me that encountered one of the worst natural disasters in BNE. this is another incident which spurred me to relearn the value of true friendships.

 

[Ash007]

I saw the news about the army of volunteers and the numerous help from strangers. One question that keeps popping up my mind is would the same happen in Singapore? "You die your own business ", wonder where I heard that from.

 

[axe168]

Fish, I'm ya OK. I was shock the moment I landed on Tuesday. By Wedesday the CBD is a ghost town liao. You should move to my suburb, it was dry after the rain... perhaps a few ponding.

my place was flooded to the middle and you cant imagine the sight of a post flood residential place especially my very own. everything were thrown around randomly and covered in black silt. the cleanup was almost impossible but thank goodness, there were heaps of volunteers that came to our aid. most of the volunteers that came to our aid just march right up to our house and offer their help readily without any demand. we spent the whole morning and afternoon tearing up the carpets and throw out all the silt covered household items; cupboards, fridge, clothes, everything was out. it took at least 3 round of different volunteers to wash out their place with their gerni. backing their truck up to my house, they just unload the petrol powered gerni and start rinsing everything. fantastic!

The volunteers came from all walks of lives, culture and races. and while we work on the cleanup, there were other volunteers that went around the disaster stricken suburbes distributing items like foods, drinks, flood relief aid etc. the community spirit is strong, some of the volunteers came from as far as the gold coast to help.

one of my friend even came to help without any request from us, and he just recovered from bike accident plus his investment property were inundated totally in fairfield! i really feel sorry for his lost but he is not taking this to heart, and still able to give good counsel to us. my true good friend, from africa, australia, and malaysia, came to my aid in my times of needs and desperation.

the old saying; a friend in need is a friend indeed. this saying holds alot of truth coming from me that encountered one of the worst natural disasters in BNE. this is another incident which spurred me to relearn the value of true friendships.

 

[neddy]

my place was flooded to the middle and you cant imagine the sight of a post flood residential place especially my very own. everything were thrown around randomly and covered in black silt. QUOTE]

It is sad to know that your home building fixtures and home contents are ruined! Renovation happens slowly after a major disaster like this. (It took 9 months before the insurer got tradies to fix up my investment property the last time. During that waiting time, the rain caused more damage but the insurer covered those damages as well. I got over my frustration early)

Insurance coverage - I hope you are covered. And if you are covered, the insurer will already know that your address is affected but you will still need to email* a claim.

* unless you want to wait for hours on the phone


Fed Govt Assistance

Do you qualify for:
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP)
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/emergency/qld_flooding_dec10_agdrp.htm

or

Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy - Flooding and severe weather - November 2010 - January 2011
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/emergency/severe_weather_dec10_dirs.htm

I heard that Centrelink is very busy at the moment, but it helps if you put in a claim early as processing may take time.


State government

There are three main benefits that are available through the Queensland state government:

Personal Hardship Assistance Grant:
This grant is a one-off payment of $170 per person, up to a maximum of $850 per family to help meet immediate, unexpected basic costs for food, clothing, medical supplies or accommodation caused by the flood disaster. This benefit is not means tested.

Essential Household Contents Grant:
This grant is to assist people who have lost essential household contents in the flood and who are not insured. The payment is up to $1,705 per adult and is means-tested.

Structural Assistance Grant:
This is a grant of up to $10,500 per individual (and up to $14,00 for a family) as a contribution towards repair of a primary residence to a habitable and secure condition. This payment is only available for people who did not have private insurance and is means-tested.

To find out more about these grants, or to express an interest in claiming, call 1800 173 349.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/money/hell-l...es/story-e6frfmci-1225989435428#ixzz1BGTK61II

You may want to keep a project logbook with contact numbers, invoices etc to help organise your recovery.

 

[neddy]

The 'vultures' have landed!!

IT'S the dark side of the human spirit.

As a muddy army of thousands continued the mammoth task of cleaning up Brisbane yesterday, police warned of scammers who are preying on misfortune.

Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said "the vultures have started to come out" and a number of scams were operating in flood-ravaged areas.

Some of them involved bogus tradespeople demanding money in advance for repairs and clean-ups, then disappearing without doing anything.

Other scammers were phoning or electronically contacting householders, saying they knew best how to handle money from federal and state authorities, then demanding their bank details.

"Don't fall into the trap of handing over any details of that sort," Mr Stewart said.

Callous petty thieves are also moving into refugee centres in a bid to rob flood-stricken families of the few valuables they have left.

This heartless scam was uncovered last night by vigilant police officers who spotted a gang of well-known crooks while watching a news program about the flood centres.

Gang members are believed to have gained entry to a several centres by masquerading as homeless victims.

Police suspect they are planning to steal the last few possessions many families have left and have warned all refugee centres to be on alert.

In NSW, the State Emergency Service is investigating claims that fraudsters are calling people, seeking donations to the flood appeal.

Police have continued to warn of looters in Brisbane and Ipswich and 200 police are patrolling the streets. A dozen looters have been arrested.



Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-new...ds/story-fn7ik2te-1225989091090#ixzz1BGUjedoh

 

[axe168]

The 'vultures' have landed!!

For the pass few days, I am unable to get chicken suppliers returning for work.. I suppose the after 'effect' is too much for them to digest..

 

[neddy]

For the pass few days, I am unable to get chicken suppliers returning for work.. I suppose the after 'effect' is too much for them to digest..

wat to do, this type of event take time to overcome.
very soon, they will want to return to normal life.

 

[axe168]

wat to do, this type of event take time to overcome.
very soon, they will want to return to normal life.

Hey, I've just read a magazine.. they claimed Gladstone (with gas and mining in Qld) will have new jobs up to 12,000.. plus more in Perth.. it is expected the boom will be arriving every soon..

 

[neddy]

Hey, I've just read a magazine.. they claimed Gladstone (with gas and mining in Qld) will have new jobs up to 12,000.. plus more in Perth.. it is expected the boom will be arriving every soon..

You are right. Santos has big plans for Gladstone. Eventually, they will employ 5000 permanent jobs.

 

[fishbuff]

...Read more: http://www.news.com.au/money/hell-l...es/story-e6frfmci-1225989435428#ixzz1BGTK61II

You may want to keep a project logbook with contact numbers, invoices etc to help organise your recovery.

all those "grants", help etc are craps. i called them and they just redirect my lines to oblivion. "what kind of help can i get from council, dept of communities etc?" the reply was; "there is no financial aid for flood victim, and you have to get your own electricians, builders, carpenters, plumbers to fix them up at your own cost."

i wonder what happen to all those funds that was raised for this flood. where did all the money go to? even the banks are not going to ease off their mortgage on my house, let alone city council rates and everything else.

it still come back to the same govt' princple for all citizens; "you die is your own business." all those govt dept of communities, city council for this flood disaster offer very little/no help at all.

quite afew friends of mine had been hit by the flood. their PPOR home and investment properties either suffered eithe massive or total losses. most are expensive places (asians all own ex properties).. st lucia, chelmer, auchenflower, fairfield, west end, west lake river front etc.

now what i did was to rip out some of the fibreboard and gyprock that had soaked with water, majority of the house internal and external wall are made of fibre cement so im saved... kitchen cabinets look ok.. doors are goners. have to replace them. water heater floated and went belly up, eletric meter is a goner and i have to replace it at my own cost. good thing my hardwood flooring holds up. i love those old house; they are built to last.

 

[neddy]

all those "grants", help etc are craps. i called them and they just redirect my lines to oblivion. "what kind of help can i get from council, dept of communities etc?" the reply was; "there is no financial aid for flood victim, and you have to get your own electricians, builders, carpenters, plumbers to fix them up at your own cost."

i wonder what happen to all those funds that was raised for this flood. where did all the money go to? even the banks are not going to ease off their mortgage on my house, let alone city council rates and everything else.

it still come back to the same govt' princple for all citizens; "you die is your own business." all those govt dept of communities, city council for this flood disaster offer very little/no help at all.

quite afew friends of mine had been hit by the flood. their PPOR home and investment properties either suffered eithe massive or total losses. most are expensive places (asians all own ex properties).. st lucia, chelmer, auchenflower, fairfield, west end, west lake river front etc.

now what i did was to rip out some of the fibreboard and gyprock that had soaked with water, majority of the house internal and external wall are made of fibre cement so im saved... kitchen cabinets look ok.. doors are goners. have to replace them. water heater floated and went belly up, eletric meter is a goner and i have to replace it at my own cost. good thing my hardwood flooring holds up. i love those old house; they are built to last.

I understand how you feel. esp with the gyprock damages.

It is very frustrating when the initial cleanup is done and you are left with damages. Also, the truth of the whole unexpected event has just sunk in. All your losses are unimaginable.

Look, everyone will be screaming at the government now and they are overwhelmed with calls. But still, you have the rights to the money the govt is offering.

I am waiting to see REAL actions by Anna Bligh and Julia Gillard.
The council should waive your rates.
I will want to see how the banks and insurance companies behave.

I will say ... Forget about the NBN project and redirect the money to the disaster recovery.


What some banks are doing.

http://www.anz.com.au/about-us/corp...Queensland-Floods-2010-assistance-package.htm

Our staff can help provide access to ANZ's special package of support, which includes:

• suspending repayments on loans, including credit cards, for up to three months (with interest capitalised);
• waiving bank fees associated with restructuring finances due to flood impacts;
• providing temporary adjustments to lending limits, including credit cards, to assist with unexpected costs; and
• accessing term deposits early without incurring any fees.

http://www.commbank.com.au/news/floods/qld/default.aspx
Commonwealth Bank Special Assistance Package Queensland

Fee free ATMs
All Commonwealth Bank ATMs within Queensland flood affected postcodes will be fee free for four weeks commencing Saturday 15 January. This applies to all customers from all financial institutions.


The Bank has activated its emergency assistance package for customers affected by the disaster and also opened its branch network to collect donations for the Premier’s appeal.

Key features of the Bank’s special assistance package include:

• providing tailored solutions and assistance to Commonwealth Bank home loan, credit card and personal loan customers who may experience difficulties because of the flooding
• loan restructuring for business customers with existing loans, without incurring the usual bank establishment fees,
• considering requests for additional loans (including emergency credit limit increases) where, based on our enquiries, the customer could meet the additional repayments without financial difficulty,
• expediting claims to CommInsure for customers seeking help through their home, contents and motor vehicle insurance,
• waiving prepayment charges over the next month for affected customers wishing to access term deposits, Commonwealth Investment Bonds and CBFC debentures ahead of the maturity date,
• waiving branch service fees where the customer is looking to obtain a service from the Bank as a result of the disaster

.
Customers seeking assistance should call 13 2221