Dale Parker Place

In early February 2019, Townsville experienced an extreme weather event that dumped sustained and heavy monsoonal rain on the region and flooded many of the city’s riverside suburbs. Some suburbs were inaccessible for days, and many residents had to be evacuated or rescued from their homes.

This deluge left particular suburbs inundated, and even inaccessible for days. More than 3300 homes were damaged, and close to 1500 rendered uninhabitable, including Jerry Reuben’s Hermit Park unit that he shares with his partner of 18 years, Katie.

“Once the water started to rise, we prepared as best we could, picked up anything we could,” shares Jerry. “We saved most of our belongings, clothing and stuff, but lost our furniture and white goods.”

Jerry and Katie were placed into a make-shift shelter at Ignatius Park College, where they stayed for one week. They then moved to another shelter at Heatley Secondary College, before Red Cross relocated the couple to a motel. After two weeks, Red Cross connected Jerry and Katie with Yumba-Meta. In late March 2019, Jerry and Katie moved into Dale Parker Place, where they remain tenants today.

“It’s good at Dale Parker Place,” says Jerry. “It’s a self-contained studio apartment, with our own bathroom, washing machine, oven, stove, mattress, everything we need. It’s a beautiful place too.

“We had employment before the floods, but then work slowed down,” recalls Jerry. “Katie picked up work again, she’s at Coles now and has been there a while. As for myself, I was at Copper refinery, then when coronavirus came they let nine people go. Because my employer could confirm I had stable accommodation here at Dale Parker Place, I got new work at a recycling group out at Bohle.”

While the commute from Rosslea to Bohle would be difficult without a car (Jerry and Katie’s car seized up after the floods), the Dale Parker Place staff offer tenants transport. “While we save to buy a new vehicle, I can still get to work and other appointments like medical, Centrelink and even to the shops, because I can’t push the trolley home!”

The staff also organise regular activities, such as arts and crafts, fishing and barbecues and day trips around North Queensland. “They take us everywhere, everyone gets involved. We all come together, like a family,” says Jerry. “It’s good to be active.”

For Jerry and Katie, Dale Parker Place has helped them get back on their feet. “After our place was washed out, we could have been couch surfing or homeless, but they pulled us in and helped us get set up. We are still replacing things we lost in the floods, like computers, but we’re in a good place right now.”