Not alone: supporting recovery and planning for the future after Cyclone Jasper
Andrew worked to make sure the family understood everything available to them.
Andrew Grist was one of the dedicated Rural Financial Counsellors, funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements following Cyclone Jasper - helping farming families like the Vangs get back on their feet and plan for a more resilient future. Andrew is based on the Cassowary Coast, and continues to work with producers across the region.
Among the farming families Andrew Grist worked with after Cyclone Jasper, the story of Mei Vang and her son Kee has stayed with him. “It was great speaking to Mei and her son Kee today,” Andrew said. “To hear their firsthand experience of the devastation, and I suppose what is really helpful from their story, is to demonstrate that you're not alone.”
For the Vang family, language added another layer of difficulty on top of the disaster itself. “They had challenges with language and understanding the various procedures and forms,” Andrew said. “Making sure they knew they weren't facing it by themselves was crucial.”
Andrew worked to make sure the family understood everything available to them, “not only grants, but things like disaster loans and income support, support from their bank,” while helping them prioritise their resources to get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
Even with that support, recovery took time. For the Vangs, flooding and the damage to their crops, paddocks tractors and water pumps pushed that out to eighteen months before they could start earning again.
“There was a significant delay to support the four generations,” Andrew said. “It was an enormous amount of work to get them through, to be able to replant and to get that income coming in.”
The experience also prompted a broader, more honest conversation about the future of the farm. “They're doing things to try and stop that impact again, because it is so devastating to go through.” This has included relocating some plantings and changing what they grow, alongside the crops they've rebuilt.
Andrew's role, as he describes it, was to be a steady support through those decisions. “We’re here help them to understand the processes, what’s available and to make their own decisions to benefit their business.”
Seeing the outcome has stayed with him. “Coming back today and seeing the new farm with new crops, and not so down and stressful, that they've recovered, is quite rewarding,” Andrew said.
“I knew they were really hard workers, so if anyone could come back, they could.”
For Andrew, the language barrier the family faced only sharpened how much the support mattered. “The challenges that they faced were unique with their language. The experience would have been very difficult... but there is government and community support. They're not alone.”
Assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
