Shelley Rose · 59 min
Across 440 kilometres of flood-devastated communities, one well-being officer armed with a four-wheel drive, paint brushes, and 23 years of local trust became a lifeline for hundreds of people the system had forgotten.
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Two years after the 2022 River Murray floods, most people in the Riverlands still haven't moved back into their homes. They're living in caravans on their properties, waiting for demolitions to finish and rebuilds to start. The psychological weight of that waiting has become harder than the flood itself. Shelley Rose, a financial counsellor and mental health practitioner who has lived in the region for 23 years, spent those two years as the wellbeing officer covering 440 kilometres of affected communities, from the Riverland to Murray Bridge. Armed with a four-wheel drive, paintbrushes, and deep local trust, she became a lifeline for hundreds of people the system had forgotten.
Shelley learned quickly that people in crisis cannot hold information in their heads. She helped them write down their next steps, document what they needed, and see a clear path forward when everything felt impossible. When one person got a plan and started to move, they told their neighbour, who told the next person. That hope spread through the community without anyone needing to convince them. She discovered a critical gap: a stretch between Mannum and Wakery with no mental health services, where suicide rates were already high before the floods and have likely climbed since.
What worked in the immediate response was simple but crucial. Councils that started preparing in June and July, and then communicated multiple times a day about what was happening, gave people the information they needed to make their own decisions about safety. Shelley's vision for the future is different from disaster-response work that deploys only when crisis hits. She wants regional wellbeing officers working year-round to build community strength and connection before the next disaster strikes, so fewer people reach the point of crisis that requires crisis services.
⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide & self-harm prevention, which some listeners may find distressing.
If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au
“with the water receded, but the flood definitely isn't over because two years down the track, we still don't have people back in their homes”
“it's the mental health toll that people are saying that is starting to affect them the most”
“I think the resilience of country people was the best thing that I ever saw in this flood”
The hero, today
People who have lost everything can't think straight, so Shelley helps them write down their next steps so they don't have to hold it all in their heads at once. The mental health crisis two years after the floods is worse than it was in the immediate aftermath, because people are still living in caravans while waiting for demolished homes to be rebuilt. When one person gets a plan and starts to see a path forward, they tell their neighbour, who tells the next person, and that hope spreads through the community without anyone having to convince them. Being a local who has lived in the area for 23 years and understood both the financial and mental health sides of disaster meant Shelley could adapt to what each household needed rather than offering one-size-fits-all support. Councils that started preparing in June and July before the peak in January, and then communicated multiple times a day about what was happening, gave people the information they needed to make their own decisions about safety. If wellbeing officers worked year-round to build community strengths and connections before disaster strikes, fewer people would reach the point of crisis that requires crisis services.
Yes. Shelley Rose is a real person who shared their own story in their own words. Kintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit that shares first-person stories of overcoming adversity, told with the person's consent.
Kintsugi Heroes, a registered Australian not-for-profit. Every story is shared with the hero's own consent and reviewed under Kintsugi Heroes' trauma-informed content standard before it goes public.
People who have lost everything can't think straight, so Shelley helps them write down their next steps so they don't have to hold it all in their heads at once.
The mental health crisis two years after the floods is worse than it was in the immediate aftermath, because people are still living in caravans while waiting for demolished homes to be rebuilt.
When one person gets a plan and starts to see a path forward, they tell their neighbour, who tells the next person, and that hope spreads through the community without anyone having to convince them.
John Milham (Host) · 00:00
Kintsugi Heroes brings you the following River Murray flood recovery story, jointly funded by the Commonwealth and South Australian governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. To find out more about this podcast, head to kintsugiheroes.com.au. The 2022 River Murray floods in South Australia were caused by record water inflows from the Murray-Darling Basin due to heavy upstream rainfall. The slowly rising floodwaters inundated homes, businesses, and farmland, causing widespread displacement, infrastructure damage, and agricultural losses. The disaster significantly impacted local economies, communities, and led to the region's long-term recovery. In this special limited series of Kintsugi Heroes, John Milham sits down with members of the Riverlands community and gives them space to share their experiences of their personal adversity and community resilience. It's only through connection and empathy that there can be a path to recovery. In this episode of River Murray Recovery Stories, John Milham is joined by Shelley Rose, who was the Wellbeing Officer for the vast area from the Riverland to Murray Bridge in South Australia during the 2022 floods. She played a pivotal role in supporting her community through the aftermath of the Riverland Flood. A retired financial counsellor and mental health practitioner, Shelley combined her skills and deep connection to the area she's called home for 23 years to aid those affected by the disaster. From delivering essential supplies to providing mental health support, she was on the ground every day. Join us as Shelley shares her journey and the profound impact of her work on the lives of those still recovering. So welcome to, uh, Katsuki Heroes listeners, um, to a special series that we're running on the Riverland Flood Project. So this is a, uh, Beyond the Deluge episode, and, uh, today we are very, very privileged to have somebody who is intensely involved in the process of supporting people who have been through, who have their flood stories and are living with the consequences of their experiences today. And of course, as a local, she has her own story as well. So today we welcome to Conceited Heroes Beyond the Deluge, Shelley Rose. Welcome, Shelley.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 02:34
Thank you for having me.
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Being a local who has lived in the area for 23 years and understood both the financial and mental health sides of disaster meant Shelley could adapt to what each household needed rather than offering one-size-fits-all support.
This conversation includes a wellbeing officer faces 440 kilometres of need, getting a four-wheel drive and asking what people actually needed, two years on, the mental health toll is becoming the biggest problem, being a local meant she could adapt to what each person needed, watching her own community suffer while being able to help and the slow rise of water that kept people in denial.
John Milham (Host) · 02:36
We are very pleased to have you. And of course, you're a wellbeing officer, which is a beautiful title. I wish we could all have that title. You're a wellbeing officer for the community, the Riverland community, and focusing on supporting people, particularly post-flood. And obviously you're a mental health practitioner, a retired financial counsellor, and you're performing this role in concert with other organisations, the Health Department, and funded by the government. What does a wellbeing officer think when they're faced with the overwhelming landscape of a post-natural disaster?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 03:26
Um, ojee. It's probably the first thing we thought. And, you know, there was 440 kilometres of affected area in the area that I did. So I did basically from the Riverland to Murray Bridge. So that's the Murraylands. So it's quite a huge area that I concentrated on. And, you know, there were so many people that were affected in different ways, people who didn't want to accept what had happened. Some were— a lot of them were primary residents and some of them, this was their secondary home. Some that had been in the generations in their life for generations and generations. So it might have been Grandma's original house or something like that. And then we have the different cohort of people who have been living in this property but have had to move back to the city for— because they're aging and things like that. We don't have generally the services in those areas that they would be needing in Adelaide. So yeah, we had a lot of different factors in a different community environment that we needed to address.
John Milham (Host) · 04:40
Yeah.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 04:40
Wow.
John Milham (Host) · 04:40
A huge job. So you went OG and then sort of just did you start around? Okay, well, you take one step down the street, you start to see the issues pop up. Is that how you just went, oh, I better go for a walk and find out what's going on?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 04:58
Yeah, well, pretty much we just jumped in the four-wheel drive because obviously most of the roads had very little access, obviously still. And getting out to people's properties was Originally we had a normal car until we nearly got bogged one day and I was like, I think we need a four-wheel drive. So we got a four-wheel drive and then it was basically just going out to people's properties and actually asking them what they needed and connecting them with those services. So they may have needed generators to start running pumps because most people pump generally from the— directly from the river. So they had no water at their property. So once the river receded, as crazy as it sounds that we just had a flood, they actually had no water. Yeah. And so it may just be that they needed that. They may need connecting with legal services because they were having issues with their insurance companies. And we worked quite closely with the Legal Services Commission. And then, you know, there was different federal grants and different government grants that we had access to that we could give information on, and then all the mental health services as well. Because as the cleanup happened and the toll of the mental health really affected people and that continued on, you know, that became apparent that people are now, you know, 2 years post-flood, we're seeing that that impact is becoming the most. Most people actually are in their homes still and they haven't been able to rebuild, but it's the mental health toll that people are saying that is starting to affect them the most.
John Milham (Host) · 06:41
Yeah, well, it's a— I think, you know, from our, um, you know, conversations over a number of places, right, that 2-year mark is a real milestone, right? Because, you know, in many ways, you know, it still separates those who have managed to cope or access resources than those who haven't.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 07:01
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So the majority— so obviously we're in a housing crisis here in South Australia as well, so being able to find a rental property while your house is being fixed, um, has been near impossible. Um, and then, so most people have been living on car— in caravans on their properties, and cold winters and hot summers on the— in a caravan with little other services and flood-affected soil and things like that is pretty tough. Wow. Yeah.
John Milham (Host) · 07:32
So it's quite a tale. And of course, a flood is one of those terrible natural phenomena that is a great leveler, right? It ruins everything you have, whether it's rich, high-end or low-end, or whether you, when it comes in, Everything smells and grows mold regardless of what design or label it has.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 07:58
Absolutely, absolutely. And the silt, I think that the thousands and thousands of tons of silt that is dumped on the land, it just suffocates everything. And, you know, I have talked to a fair few people who work in disaster management and they've done obviously floods and fires and they always say that the ground and the earth always repairs better with a flood, like gives it, with a fire, sorry. Yeah, it gives it new life, whereas a flood just sort of destroys everything, it's very hard to get all the nutrients and the oxygen back in the soil, so for anything to come back.
John Milham (Host) · 08:38
It's a complex issue you're dealing with. Of course, you mentioned what people need, in many cases, it's people who have the least who are most impacted by these kind of activities. How do you support people who already have disadvantage and then this kind of natural trauma lands on them? What's the impact of that?
John Milham (Host) · 11:44
It's interesting you say we just adapted. What made it possible for you? Obviously you're a local, so you have an understanding, you speak the same language, which is often very important, right? To walk in and knock on the door as a local rather than a blow-in.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 12:05
Yeah, absolutely.
John Milham (Host) · 12:06
Yeah. So what made, what in your past, how did you get to a place where you're so capable of supporting so many different needs. What's your story?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 12:16
Well, I think, I mean, previously I'm a financial counsellor, so I obviously have that financial background. And a lot of financial counselling is assisting people who have not very much money. So people get mixed up with a financial counsellor with a financial advisor, which we're very, very different. One is for people who have money and one is for people who don't have any money. Yeah. And connecting people with services and being able to connect through legal avenues and things like that and knowing your rights is very much what a financial counsellor does. And so that definitely helped me. And obviously being a mental health practitioner and counsellor, that's helped me a little bit as well with this role. So yeah, so I think, yeah, my skill set— I've lived in this area for a really long time, 20 I think I counted it the other day, it was 23 years I've lived in this area. Yeah, and like my children have all grown up here as well, they're all adults now. And yeah, so I have a good connection to the land and the people as well.
John Milham (Host) · 13:30
That, that makes it, you know, makes you perfect for this role, but it also makes you somebody who is watching, you know, a natural disaster happen in their home, right, and in their place. So what was it like for you? Tell us your flood experience.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 13:48
Um, for me, it was, it was, um, it was hard for me to see, um, my neighbors and my community going through such a tough time. Um, but also I found it beneficial because I actually could help my community, um, and I you know, with the support of the Wellbeing SA and the Department of Premier and Cabinet who funded my position so that I could assist the community and, you know, helped me out with community development grants and things like that. And, you know, I think it highlighted the work that we were doing and, you know, the impact. And Mid Murray Council hosted me the whole time. And I have to say, the support from Mid Murray Council was amazing as well. I probably couldn't have done my job as well as I could without having the support of the counsellors around as well. With Mid Murray Council, Barry Barmra and Puringa Loxton were fantastic, and Murray Bridge as well. Without lots of services supporting and being able to help me in whatever way, and then obviously Sophie Thompson and everyone else who donated along the way just really made a huge difference.
John Milham (Host) · 15:08
So this flood is kind of unique in that it's like the slowest surprise you can imagine. It sort of creeps down and then comes down the Owen and hits at the top of the flow and then works its way down the river down to Murray Bridge. What was that like watching, speculating that? Was it increased in anxiety? Was there— a sense of delusion? What was going on?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 15:36
I think at the beginning, I think community definitely didn't think it was ever going to get that high. And I think they were always like, you know, in denial. But I definitely was concerned the whole way, and especially when we started building the levees and things like that and starting to protect the infrastructure. But I think some of the hardest hits areas, sort of like Blanchetown area, where that the lock, um, comes together and that water flowed over the top of that quite quickly. And then the river goes thinner there, um, and so there was a huge body of water that went over the crop— over the top there and then went into a thin part of the river, which really flooded that Blanchetown area quite heavily. Um, and yeah, they— that area very much You know, the majority of that whole area went— was most of the houses in that area were up to the second story. So, and in Paisley, which is just across the river from, um, Blanchetown, a lot of those houses were underwater for 86 days to the roof.
John Milham (Host) · 16:46
Unbelievable.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 16:47
Yeah, some people were still living in them.
John Milham (Host) · 16:51
Yeah.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 16:51
Wow. Yeah.
John Milham (Host) · 16:54
It's, you know, I have a lived experience of flooding in when I was a kid. I lived in up on the Castle Ray on the Namoi and that would periodically flood. And it was weird because you would watch it. It was not like the rain was weeks ago because it comes, the water comes down. It's not your water sort of thing. And watching the water rise is both exciting and scary. Is that it? The experience?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 17:20
Yeah, absolutely. I think the unknown, um, and the worry about people who didn't want to evacuate their homes. We had quite a lot of elderly people who may have been in a two-story property, um, and thought that the water wouldn't get as high as the second story. But when, uh, the water did get to the second story, they obviously had to be removed for their own safety. But, you know, they're just— the non-willingness to, to leave. I think, you know, I do get it in one instance. It's their home, it's what they know. Potentially they're set in their own ways. Yeah, as we get older, we all get a bit set in our own ways. But, um, you know, but for their own safety, I think because it's that slow— like when it's fire, I think people, you know, they rush out.
John Milham (Host) · 21:51
It's a phenomenon, isn't it? What did you learn about your community?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 21:59
I did definitely learn that our community is very generous. I learned that, I mean, I think in, in previous times we would have had so many more volunteers, um, who, you know, CWA and, you know, um, Lions and all that. Yeah, all of those sort of groups, there used to be like hundreds of them. And I think in this time now, most people don't have the time to volunteer because they're still working and we're working later along. Um, and so, you know, normally those sorts of things, people would all rally around and, and help out. Um, and I just didn't think that we had as many volunteers as we normally would because most of the volunteers from Lions or, you know, those sort of groups were all actually fighting their own flood as well. So, um, you know, that impacts especially now we're still 2 years on, um, people are still trying to recover from the flood. That, that takes a massive toll, a massive toll on people, um, and a massive toll on groups. I know I spoke to one of the Sporting Facility Group people, um, and she said to me she was obviously flood-affected at her own property as well, um, and then their sporting group was also flood affected, and that took a massive toll on her for her to try and manage the two different events. So yeah, it has been, yeah, very, very draining for a lot of people for sure.
John Milham (Host) · 23:45
How do you see, you know, because you're supporting directly those people in groups, how do you see them finding a way to keep going? How does Do they want to quit? Do they want to get away? Is this, you know, or do they put their nose down and just keep going? What are you watching?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 24:04
Yeah. So we've had quite a different diverse set of people. We've had, so we have had those groups that just stick their head down and don't want to know about it and haven't even entered back to their property. So there's some properties that are exactly flood affected exactly the way they were.
John Milham (Host) · 24:23
Wow.
John Milham (Host) · 27:18
That's so interesting. What is the consequences from watching? And we don't want to specifically sort of label anyone, but the idea there must be a set of outcomes, impacts on people's lives. What are you seeing is the impact, the negative impacts on people's lives?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 27:38
Unfortunately, Mid Murray has one of the highest suicide rates, and that was prior to the flood as well. So I think when the census comes out and we, we get those figures post-flood, and I think that that will happen next year, um, that will see that that number has dramatically increased. Um, yeah, I have actually spoken to the the Governor-General about the black hole and the need for mental health, and I think it's very much on their radar that that area is definitely needing more support and more services.
John Milham (Host) · 28:17
I've listened to the Governor-General's— she's very switched on.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 28:22
Yes, she is.
John Milham (Host) · 28:23
To mental health and suicide, so that's a good sign. It's an interesting idea about feeling hopeless and feeling overwhelmed and feeling helpless. A natural disaster is a, you know, that brings people together and community together to focus on the issue. But is it afterwards? You know, like what is some of the risk that's trickling into action in the suicide in the area?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 28:54
Yeah, so I mean, I think the action is that we actually have tried to make champions in the community within their own little community groups.. And I think that different little community groups have done a great job of doing that, where they will have a regular get-together, which they might just sit around the fire, which considering how hot it is today, it doesn't sound very exciting, but it's very hot here today. But, you know, that kind of casual get-together, whether it be a pizza night or a sausage sizzle or those sorts of things, have been invaluable with people getting together and people talking. And so many times people have actually just broke down the barriers and told me their story. So I was about to have an event out in that Black Hole area, and I try to always use local suppliers and people who were flood affected so that we try and generate money back in there. And obviously I needed to hire a marquee because it was cold, and I ordered one from a local supplier here. And although I thought he wasn't flood affected, I thought I didn't have any other options, so I thought I'll pay for him. So when he came out, he started telling me about how he knew that I was a Wellbeing Officer for the floods. Um, but he didn't know what my event was about. And anyway, he was putting up the marquee and talking to me, and he was saying how the floods affected his business because the majority of people who, um— so obviously we had COVID, um, and COVID shut down everything for 2 years, and he lost a lot of business for that. And him and his wife both run this business together, so they were both financially impacted. And then he said, and then the floods happened and the majority of people that hire from me are all in the flood area. And I hadn't thought about it before. And he said how the financial impact, and he said he had a choice of giving up or he decided to start walking and he walks 30 kilometers a day. Wow. And that's his, you know, he does it for his mental health to try and help his mental health.
John Milham (Host) · 31:21
That's his anchor. Yeah.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 31:22
Yeah, yeah. And then afterwards he said to me, 'Um, so what are you having this event for?' And I said, 'Exactly what you just said.' And I said, 'It's about connecting people.' And we were actually focusing on men's health and, um, and mental health. And, um, he said, 'Oh, that's actually fitting that I've just told you my story.' And I said— and it's really good that he was, um, flood affected, which I didn't actually realize. Um, and it had never occurred to me that because he had it in a town business and wasn't necessarily on the river how impacted other businesses were. To the fact that, you know, we have had COVID prior to this and that financially impacted and closed so many jobs and so many businesses, to then have this as well for the next 2 years is, you know, quite a lot for a business to take on.
John Milham (Host) · 32:16
It's been, it's been quite a run for Australians, you know., you know, record drought, fires, floods, COVID. Yeah, it's amazing anyone, anyone is, you know, still putting out shingle up.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 32:31
So I know, I know. Um, yeah, we here in South Australia, obviously we had COVID and then we had our— the Hills Fire straight after. So that happened in January. Um, and then, yeah, straight into the floods. So it was It's really tough here. Yeah, I think the people, the local people definitely were impacted very heavily.
John Milham (Host) · 32:55
And of course the area, you know, we talk about, you know, like you, you talked about, um, how, uh, your marquee guy was so involved financially. In many cases, people who are not directly impacted physically by the water are still heavily impacted because of the community connections and One of the things I've spoken to people about, they feel like they actually have a mental health impact for sort of regret for not suffering as others in their community have suffered. Have you encountered that?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 33:31
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 39:00
Definitely, obviously, we have no public transport in our areas. So, you know, so it's that transport, getting connection to other areas and all of that sort of thing. And, you know, majority of people are on the lower socioeconomic scale. They, they're, we're actually on the lowest health scale as well, um, in this area. Um, so I think it's a combination of all of those things together that kind of is a bit of a disastrous zone in itself. Um, and yeah, that's obviously why the Governor General, when she came out here to meet me, that we focused on that area as well, is because, um, you know, it is a bit of a concentrated area that has no transport, has no services. And it's quite a large area. There's a couple hundred kays in between there, so it's quite a lot.
John Milham (Host) · 39:57
And the river itself plays a huge part in defining the communities along the river, right? So the big towns and even the small ones are often— tourism and river traffic is intrinsically part of the solution. How have communities bounced back, you know, to go back to the river? Have they embraced that?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 40:24
Yeah, so I think this summer is the first time that I've seen a lot of the shacks and the holiday rentals and things like that be full. I don't think that I've seen— I don't think last year that we were in any space to have any of that. And I know the government did put out the vouchers, um, for people to come back. But I think unfortunately at the time when they put that back, the majority of the towns that I had worked with, we weren't nowhere near ready to take on any of the public. Um, I think there's quite a lot of caravan parks that haven't actually come back. And, you know, Mannamin itself, um, which is my hometown, is where the majority of it is very much tourism-based, and we very much rely on our tourist season. So I think in the last couple couple of years that's really been affected. Obviously prior to that was COVID as well, so that affected things as well. Um, but yeah, I think a lot of those little towns along the river, definitely it's very much tourism-based. And yeah, we've unfortunately, um, yes, they've suffered for those. But, um, hopefully, uh, next year we— next next summer we'll see a really good impact because the majority of the buildings should be back, um, and the caravan park should be back. And, um, yeah, if, if everything goes to plan. I mean, we're still having demos happening. Yeah, so the demolitions haven't finished. So I think, I think outstanding now is still 15 full demolitions, and, um, I'm unsure of how many demolitions. So they're still outstanding that haven't been completed yet, and will be completed hopefully this month or the next month. So that's before you can even start rebuilding.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 43:52
Um, so basically, um, all I help them do is put a bit of a plan in, a bit of a timeline, and and help them do some soft referrals to different services so they don't have to keep telling their story again. So I think that's quite difficult to go over and over and over again with your story. It's very traumatic to keep retelling it. So yeah, definitely those sorts of things, putting in a plan, documenting things, because I think at that time, you know, a lot of people have said to me their brain is like mush. There's so much going on, they're tired, they haven't had a decent sleep. They just have so much stress going on in their lives. And, you know, a lot of marriages had a lot of, you know, intense times as well through that time. So yeah, for me, helping them put a bit of a plan together, helping them collate some of the documentation that needed to be done so that their demolition could happen, or is it their insurance claim, or whatever it is that they needed to do. And some didn't have the capability of doing that sort of thing. Connecting them with food and things like that. And, you know, obviously me being a mental health practitioner as well, you know, this is something that I see on a daily basis. You know, everyone has their own little story or their own little trauma. And, you know, it's very important for me not to take any of that on, you know. So I definitely make sure I take out time for myself and things like that and, you know, look after my own wellbeing because, you know, we can't help anyone else if we don't look after our own selves.
John Milham (Host) · 45:29
That's, you know, you say that quite lightly, but when every day of your role is connecting with someone that is, you know, holding on like you're stopping them from drowning, right? It must be a very challenging debrief. How do you, like you say that lightly, but how do you ensure that your vicarious health is good?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 45:55
Yeah, so I mean, obviously having a debrief, and, you know, I have the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Wellbeing SA and obviously my managers at the council that I could debrief with on a regular basis, and that always helps as well at the end of the day just to sort of document where I've been and It's very rewarding as well to be able to assist someone who is at the point of giving up and they don't want to go forward anymore. And then, you know, we can put a bit of a plan in place and we can connect some services and they have some hope. And just, you know, the feedback of saying how that has impacted them and how that's made such a difference in their life, that's so rewarding though. That keeps me going through the the tough times.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 53:14
Yeah, so I think, so I did do some research on this. I just spent the last year doing a bit of a research program and building resilience in the community. And I think, you know, there was a little bit of delayed communication between the lead organization out to councils and, you know, other groups as well. And I think that thankfully, I know the Riverland Council and the Mid Murray Council definitely took matters into their own hands and started the process early on. They were preparing for the flood back in the June, July before. As soon as the high waters were reported that we were going to be getting high waters, they definitely jumped into action, and I think that that actually has benefited the whole community so much more. Really, it wasn't declared a natural disaster until November, and that's a bit scary considering we were at peak in— I think we peaked in January 1st or the 2nd. But yeah, had we waited, or had they waited, definitely I think that that Yeah, wouldn't have been good. And I think Mid Murray, all of the other councils, so we did a bit of research between the councils and the community, and the community and the council said that they did a fantastic job of communicating all the information. So they had a bit of a Facebook post that they would update multiple times per day, and they were very, very good. And even the other council areas actually would say that they did a fantastic job of updating with what was happening each day, you know, how much water was coming down, what to do next, all of those sorts of things. And so I think they did do a really good job of that as well. So it's definitely, definitely a comment that I hear out in the community all the time is that the communication was very good, which we don't normally hear that.
John Milham (Host) · 55:21
So no, no, no. So much, you know, so much can be endured if you know what's going on or what's coming.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 55:27
You know? Yeah, absolutely. And I think that that's what community want most of all, is they want that great communication and they want to know what's going on so they can make an informed decision about their own situation. Um, and yeah, I think that they did a really good job of that. Fantastic.
John Milham (Host) · 55:44
With, um, you personally, are you like— and the ongoing job, well, hopefully beyond next month— what, what do you, what do you see as the future?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 55:55
Kirsten? For me, well, I would like to see a regional wellbeing position happen and where we not only just be deployed once we have a disaster, that we're out there building resilience full-time. And, you know, there's always people that need wellbeing checks, there's always, you know, other things that need doing and building resilience in the community should be something that we're doing all the time, not just when we have a disaster. It's a bit like learning first aid after the effect, you know, after it. So yeah, it's definitely something that I'm very passionate about and I would love to see it in the future. So fingers crossed that we— that's what happens.
John Milham (Host) · 56:40
Well, I think that's a wonderful idea. I love the idea and perhaps attaching a larger truck to that, you know, four-wheel drive, so you can cart more stuff around, right? So yeah, yeah, putting that in the position. Um, thank you, Shelley. Is there, um, you know, what, what do you, uh, uh, hope that, uh, this project can achieve? You know, what would you like us to, to, to achieve?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 57:11
Well, I think highlighting, um, some of the good stories that came out of the flood, even though it was awful. And I think a lot of people don't realize that there's still people out there that aren't in their homes till 2 years later. And I think understanding that, you know, this is something that needs to be ongoing as well, definitely.
John Milham (Host) · 57:36
Beautiful. Well, we will do our best to back up the amazing work you're doing on the ground to support so many people through such a challenging, almost quiet struggle, right? You know, it's not, it's not probably known as well as it should be, just how tough things have gotten and how hard people are working to make a difference. So yeah, it's been wonderful to talk to you. Thank you for sharing your story and some insight into the community. I think I think it's been awesome. Cheers.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 58:08
Ah, thank you so much.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 09:02
I think, you know, the majority of people that live on the river are pensioners and they don't have a lot of savings as well. And so for them, and a lot of them were underinsured or not insured at all, so they thought that they had flood insurance and may have been paying their insurance for 40, 50 years thinking that they had flood insurance but then found out that they didn't. So for them, having a demolition or needing a demolition at the end of it was just something that they couldn't comprehend or take on. Yeah. So I think that that has been really tough, but we have done some work with Sophie Thompson. So a lot of people said to me as I was going around, you know, those who were insured said, "Our house is insured, you know, eventually one day we'll get another one." But the one thing that really concerned them was their gardens and the natural landscape around them, because obviously they live in the river because they love that natural landscape. And, you know, one gentleman had lost his wife a few years previous and she had planted all these roses. And that was the one thing that he had left of her was the roses. Um, and so he said, how do we regenerate that? And I started talking to Sophie Thompson from Gardening Australia, and she organized some donations, and we got like $12,000 worth of, um, rose bushes and, um, you know, all these nutrients from Nutrog and things like that, um, for people to start putting all of that stuff back into the soil and regenerating the soil and regenerating their garden and giving everyone a little bit of hope and a little bit of positive stuff. So yeah, we did that, which was fantastic, and a lot of those people really appreciated just the small token things. Um, and then we connected with Talbotman's Australia, um, and they donated, um, I don't even want to know how much paint it was because it was a lot and I carried most of it around. Um, and then we painted people's houses as well. So those who insured or non-insured. Yeah, we painted the houses with mold treatments and things like that to get people back into their homes if they were flood affected and they were good enough to go back in there, like if they were engineered safely. Yeah, so every single person has needed something slightly different and we've just adapted to whatever the need was and gone down that path. So definitely community-driven for sure.
John Milham (Host) · 18:13
Yeah.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 18:13
Um, when it was slow, everyone kind of thought that they'll have time, but at the end we didn't really have time.
John Milham (Host) · 18:20
I've seen the images of, you know, tracked of, you know, a single landmark slowly week by week getting submerged. It's quite eerie, right?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 18:36
Yes. Yeah. And to think that the, you know, that the roads were under for such a long time and, you know, some of our roads So we have a road in Mannum just across the river, and it's one of the main in and out across the river. And that all of a sudden, just the levee bank broke and it just, you know, a full gust of water came through and took it all out. And, you know, there are major roads in and out. So you have to think that people had no sewage systems either. So a lot of our septics all run on sewage systems. And so people— there was no septic, so it wasn't safe to be staying in the properties. Sappan came and turned all the power off prior to the flood happening, so there was no power to the properties either. And for those who were wanting to stay, having no water, power, and septic isn't a great combination.
John Milham (Host) · 19:38
No, it sounds terrible. Interestingly, so that area is traditionally, you know, like, is highly connected to the river. So the river is, you know, a part of the social, a part of the economic, a part of the geographical significance of the place. When the river, you know, so is there, how does that change when people who depend on the river, who are attached to it, have grown up multigenerationally? Around that place as when the river turns, you know, like, you know, like in '56 and so on, you know, people— it's a history of the river sort of biting back.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 20:20
Yeah, absolutely. And I think for the farmers, that, that was felt the deepest because they have been through, you know, multiple floods, this being one of the worst for quite some time. But obviously those who who farm on the floodplains, um, you know, have had the in-between the '90s floods as well. Um, then that we've had a lot of drought in between as well, so they've been impacted by that. And then fruit fly as well. So those— I think the farmers are definitely the ones that have felt it the hardest. They've been hit the hardest, and they have some huge areas that they had to move their stock from to get them to high ground, but You know, I think the resilience of country people was the best thing that I ever saw in this flood. It was, you know, farmers who had higher ground that were, you know, reaching out to their neighbours and saying, "Hey, put your stock up on my land," to the, you know, the multiple people that were putting up on Facebook saying, "I have a spare block of land if you'd like to put your caravans or anything you'd like to store up high, please feel free, contact me." stocks and horses and stuff like that. And I think it's that really community spirit that comes out in these sort of natural disasters that shows how great and how resilient the community can be. Yeah.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 24:24
Um, and then we've had lots that have just got in and cleaned up and started to try and, um, you know, recover and repair. Um, and admittedly, they're probably the younger group of people. I think the older group of people, some of them were just like, this is too much for me at this age and I'm done, um, and have walked away. Um, yeah, so I think it's, it's a different— I mean, it's 440 kilometers, there's a hell of a lot of different communities and people involved in that, but individually, I think, yeah, a lot of people just didn't want to do it again. Yeah, right.
John Milham (Host) · 25:01
You can completely understand that. Um, you, you make the point, like, it's 440, and of course, you know, there's the milestones from Renmark to Murray Bridge. You know, it's like, um, it's a very different set. Like, they're, they're all connected by this common thread that runs through them. But they actually have very different characteristics and communities attached to those areas. How do you deal with that? What does that mean for, you know, for cleanup efforts and for recovery?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 25:31
Yeah, I think, you know, there's a stretch between Manam and Wakery that is a bit of a black hole for services in general. We don't have a lot of infrastructure in that area and we don't have a lot of services, so we don't really have mental health services that support anyone in that area. And I did find that that area was deeply impacted by the mental health. And then for them to be able to see someone, they would need to either travel to Murray Bridge or Wakery, which is quite a distance. You know, we're talking about an hour and a half one way to make one appointment. That's a huge— as well as a massive financial impact as well when you think you've lost everything. Yeah. To even access services. And that's why we went out remotely as well. And that's why we were out on the ground because we took those things with us. You know, I had my car packed to the top with paintbrushes and paints and, you know, any suits so that people could safely start cleaning up the mold and all of that sort of stuff the whole time. So I was forever driving around with a loaded car. But, you know, that was what people needed, was me to bring things to them as opposed to them being able to come out. Yeah, so I think there was lots of different needs. I think in the Riverland itself, in Berrry, Barmara, they have quite a lot of services there. So I think they were quite self-sufficient up in that area. And the same with Murray Bridge, and they obviously weren't as heavily impacted as some of the other areas. But that middle piece, I found that that needed a lot more attention.
Yeah, absolutely. I feel it's sort of like that guilt, isn't it?
John Milham (Host) · 33:35
Survivor guilt.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 33:37
Yeah, survivor guilt that they weren't as heavily impacted. But, you know, we had always We've run a few accidental counseling courses and things like that so that people can then assist their community as well. And, you know, we sort of reframed it that, you know, even though you weren't directly impacted, the whole community was impacted in some way. We all know someone who went through it, or it was our— it was our community, it was our infrastructure that was affected. And, you know, having— getting some skills behind them and recognizing other people's, you know, mental health decline. Because I think when you know someone really well, you know from day to day when that person has declined and something's going on, and you're probably the first point of call that can get them some help. So I think, um, that, that empowered a lot of people to make a difference in their community, which is great.
John Milham (Host) · 34:32
You talked about— I love the idea about community champions. What, what do you think that concept brings to supporting on the ground where it's needed in the community after such a disastrous situation.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 34:46
Yeah, well, I think it builds resilience in that community instead of us relying, you know, we can't always rely on, and I think in this area, the council is very heavily relied on for everything because there isn't a lot of other services in the area. But I think building community resilience and having champions gives everyone that go-to person that can then assist them to get other, you know, whether it be contacting someone like me or contacting another service, just gives them that go-to that they can feel they can break down the barriers with. And, you know, there is only one of me in a huge area, so having lots and lots of champions that get back to me or that kind of thing is you know, and tells me what's going on in their area and what the needs are, it really does help, really makes a big difference.
John Milham (Host) · 35:41
How do you find them?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 35:44
I don't know, they just pop up. So, you know, when you go to a— when you go into a community, there's always that spokesperson for the community that everyone listens to. And, um, you know, it's kind of like the mini mayors of the little communities and things like that, and You know, they're the people that have got drive and, you know, they're the people that want to make an impact in their community and build resilience and they totally get it. I mean, I met this beautiful man who was 92 and he— I was just walking down the road and he was out in his garden trying to repair after the floods. And we had a little chat for a little bit and he asked me what I did for a job and I told him I was a wellbeing officer and he rattled off exactly what a wellbeing officer 'And I was like, I'm so impressed that even he knew exactly what a wellbeing officer did.' So I was like, 'That's really cool.' It's interesting because you mentioned some of the problems people are struggling to volunteer or to offer time back into the community and some of the organisations that once defined Australia, small town and rural and regional kind of living, which, you know, Rotary Lions, Apex, CWA, you know, um, what do you think has happened?
John Milham (Host) · 37:11
Why is mods, you know, because those organizations were quasi, you know, mental health support, they were, you know, community and care, they ran, you know, um, they, you know, in some ways were, you know, economic balancing group, you know, groups and support, you know. Why do you think we've lost some of those?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 37:32
Look, I just— me personally, I think the majority of people that I have spoken to that want to volunteer, and I know myself, I used to love volunteering, but you know, when you're doing full-time work, it's very difficult. Um, and I think, um, yeah, that most people now— so the farmers, you know, both, um, the husband and the wife, they're working very hard on the farm, and then they also quite often have another job as well as they have children they've got at school. It just doesn't leave any time volunteering. And I think it's a financial situation now, kind of volunteering has become a little bit of a luxury really, that you can— when you're financially able to really.
John Milham (Host) · 38:15
Yeah.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 38:17
And unfortunately that's getting later and later when we can financially do it, if at all. Yeah, yeah, if at all. Exactly. And whether we physically can do it because You know, being out and about on the river and helping people do cleanup and all of that sort of stuff is a pretty physical, not only mentally draining, but it's very physically draining.
John Milham (Host) · 38:41
Yeah, very true. Yeah, it works. What are the things that you're seeing? You know, like, because, you know, good health in a community, you know, has that kind of physical aspect as well as mental health as well as social health. What are you seeing communities struggling with 2 years after the flood?
John Milham (Host) · 42:19
Yeah, my goodness. Um, it, it clearly is. Even after this time, it's so easy for the world to think about, oh, that was a flood, now it's— that's over, you know, what else is, you know, happening. But yeah, you guys are, you know, like, the Riverland is right in the middle of this still. Aren't they?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 42:38
Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, it's funny, there's so many people that said to me after the water receded that the flood was over. Um, and I was like, with the water receded, but the flood definitely isn't over because 2 years down the track we still don't have people back in their homes. Um, you know, some have been lucky and some didn't have major structural damage to their homes, and you know, some were the lucky ones who got on the demolition list early, and that may have been by luck, and it may have just been that they could manage to get the services in that they needed to get in to have it happen. And, you know, so each different person had a different outcome. But, you know, the majority of people that I worked in those remote areas still don't have a home.
John Milham (Host) · 43:28
It's very difficult to feel good about your own circumstance when your neighbour and friend and or even family are still struggling. That must be really challenging for you to deal with it. How do you help these people? What's your— what do you do that, that is, you know, when you're faced with people, you can't tell them it's that everything's going to be sorted next week, you know. What do you do?
John Milham (Host) · 46:45
Yeah, well, it's an amazing job you're doing.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 46:50
Thank you.
John Milham (Host) · 46:51
On that, um, you know, it just sounds incredible, uh, the, the work in front of you. What, what, what would help you if, you know, if you had, um, an open checkbook or, uh, you know, a, a bucket with no bottom, right? What would you reach in and pull out?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 47:10
Definitely, so additional funding for a wellbeing officer because obviously the wellbeing officer is only funded till the end of this month.
John Milham (Host) · 47:19
Oh my goodness, right, let's get on to that.
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 47:23
So that would actually make such a huge difference and then I would really love to see regular outreach and regular practitioners who go out into the black hole and make a difference because I'd really like to I'd really like to see a turn in the statistics for the suicide rate. I'd really like to see a positive impact in that. And I think that psychosocial level is undervalued, I think, sometimes as not being very important. But I think we don't let people escalate to they become mentally unhealthy, that we, you know, access it straight away and keep that lines of communication open and less people— obviously some people will always still need clinicians, but, you know, we can reduce that number, I think. And that was— if I had an open bucket, I would love to do that.
John Milham (Host) · 48:18
I think that's brilliant. You know, the recent release of the draft national guidelines on suicide prevention says exactly that, right? You know, that's exactly what they're saying, you know, that psychosocial social determinants and community responses is what we're needing. So I would say, if anyone with policy and funding is listening, we need 2 dozen more Shellys, right? So running around the Riverland, right?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 48:49
Yeah, absolutely. That would be fantastic.
John Milham (Host) · 48:51
Yeah, brilliant. So when you give people a bit of a plan, you introduce hope into their world. What changes, what changes for them and their community?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 49:02
I think for them, um, they can see a clear path to getting out of it, and I think before that they can't see a clear path. And then also I think that when they go to the local shop and they purchase something, you know, they spread that love as well, because then they tell that person that, hey, actually, you know, I've got this plan and I'm going this and I'm going to do this and these are the steps I need to take to get out of it, and that is contagious. And people tell the next person and they tell the next person. And, you know, I think that that's how I managed to build rapport in communities that weren't mine as well, is that, you know, I managed to help one person who then had a voice, who then, you know, said she was great, you know, come and see her, blah blah blah, and things like that. And then, you know, people who said they just didn't know where to start and they very much needed things written down for them because, you know, it's just when it becomes— when your brain becomes so busy, you just can't think. And then, you know, we had all the basic details written on there that they needed. So if they went to any appointment, they had all of the basics that they needed.
John Milham (Host) · 50:11
Well, you know, in some ways, you know, we know that, you know, people can't think through threat. You know, the fight-flight, and this is, you know, as big a threat as you get. So, you know, that anchoring, you know, that work to calm them down that you're doing is amazing. So what do you see in the people of your area, of your community now? What do you now— what have you added as an impression of them?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 50:43
Well, I think You know, I think people don't— they underestimate how resilient they are and how they can actually stand on their own two feet. And I think, you know, with those plans, you know, I had other people who were starting to teach other— their other neighbors how to do it, and beautiful, or, you know, copying their plan and saying, well, this plan is going to work for me, it'll probably work for you as well. Um, you know, that kind of thing. And, you know, that builds resilience without, you know because they're actually looking after themselves. And, you know, the Indigenous community have told me, the elders, that this was a small— they call it the little sister. And apparently we're supposed to be getting a bigger flood in the future. Oh, wow. So, you know, I don't advertise that for too much, but, you know, that it's very, it's very common for them to tell me that this something small. And that, so hopefully, um, my impact in the community has been that we've built that little bit of resilience should we ever have, and we will have, some sort of natural disaster, whether it be another flood, you know, some sort of fire, that they, you know, can use the skills that they have gained and then, you know, manage to help their community get back on their feet.
John Milham (Host) · 52:03
Yeah, that's a bit— wow, you know, and of course that, um, local knowledge that goes back thousands of years. That's hard to ignore that depth of experience and knowledge, isn't it?
Shelley Rose (Guest) · 52:16
Absolutely. Because the majority of the time they're always right. So yeah, definitely. And I always keep that in the back of my mind that I won't be buying a river property. But the thing is that they generally are right with that sort of thing. So yeah. And who knows with the weather patterns that we're having at the moment.
John Milham (Host) · 52:40
Absolutely. It's interesting that listening to the local knowledge and to the feedback you get from locals and your experience on the ground. And of course, the institutions were heavily involved in responding to this. As you said, it was a community, local council and local organizations were heavily responding. So when you bring all that, when you observe what they did right and wrong, what have we learned, you know, with the prospect of something else happening? What have we learned?
John Milham (Host) · 58:11
Thank you for listening to this episode of Riverland Recovery Stories. If anything in this conversation has had a triggering effect, please seek support and reach out to someone who can help keep you safe. If you found this conversation interesting or helpful, please share it with your friends, family, and colleagues so we can help more people with their recovery from natural disasters. To find out more about Kintsugi Heroes and our other projects, head to kintsugiheroes.com.au. Thank you to our production team, Kintsugi Heroes volunteers, and most importantly, the Riverland community for sharing their lived experience.
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