Australians,Wrong colour,wrong religion or too rich

[SalvadorDalek]

I have not seen a disaster appeal for the floods in Australia (I dont know if there is one so forgive me if there is)
Are they not worthy?

drfatray, is your house anf family ok?
:( It must be just dreadful. Much sympathy from me in NSW, we are all thinking of you guys up there.

I am horrified by some of the comments and attitudes towards what has happened here ( yes, I'm in Queensland)

Does it matter where people come from?, the colour of their flag?, the state of the Govenment finances?, whether people are stupid for not having the appropriate insurance?, what the Government chose to spent money on?

We need help and empathy, every-one deserves that, regardless of where you live and what you have.

I have seen things that no-one should ever have to see, it is beyond words the devastation here. I really hope that some of you don't ever find your-self in this situation and have others think you don't need or deserve help.

Well TBH we don't need much outside help, we can and will look after our own.

We pay quite high taxes compared to many countries and this is what it should be used for.

Very unlikely in Oz that people are going to die of malnutrition etc, we are a rich country.

Most people live above the poverty level

But most of those who lost property were uninsurable, as they lived in a previously flooded area.

They would have to be dopey to not insure...i insured for EVERYTHING

Good for you!

Some can't afford it.
Some took the insurance out recently, but can't claim because it is too soon
People are being told to take photos of their damaged belongings to prove they were flooded.

It is as simple as some insurance companies not paying out. The floods were a natural disaster. many ins companies don't pay out for those.

Sorry meant to add, I heard that even if the insurance companies DO payout, they couldn't afford to pay out on them all.

Can I reiterate for those that keep harping on about insurance, for many of these communities it is impossible to get insurance. For many others, the insurance they get will not cover flood damage.
It is a horrible situation with profound implicaitons for rural communties. Several towns in rural WA were wiped out by flooding last month and may have to be abandoned completely because properties could not get insurance.

Thanks Astrophe, my kids and I are good and so is the house. My DH is stuck between Grafton and Coffs as the road is closed.

I think threads like these are neither useful nor helpful.

It is going to very hard journey for the people of Queensland and for some I suspect and going to face a very bleak future. But it just can't compare to what those who live in the poorest countries have to face where there is literally nothing without internatinal charitable donations

Unless they lost loved ones, of course. Lets not forget 15 dead. No money will help their famailies.

I agree drfayray These threads are not useful or helpful.

Unless you have actually visited or lived in Australia it is absolutely useless to comment.

Yes these floods are devestating and horrific but we all have a feeling of pride when we see everyone helping out their neighbours and complete strangers.

At 5 pm today every hotel in Australia is putting a bucket on the bar to collect money. How Aussie is that!!!

This disaster has prompted me to google a poem I learned as a five year old at school. "My Country" by Doreathea Mckellar.

If you want to help, please google this poem and you will understand how we Aussies feel about our country.

All we need from you is empathy, because we can truly look after ourselves.

That's a not bad poem, Angels, if only for the line "wide brown land", which is spot on.

I disagree about the labelling of this thread as "not useful or helpful"; there may well be points made here that help clarify matters for the less well-informed.

To say that comment is invalid if someone hasn't visited or lived in Oz isn't rational: if we had to personally experience everything before we could have a valid opinion, we'd be in a state.

MN would fall apart.

I hope you and your family and friends are safe and well.

My norman park house is a bit of a mess but I was insured...its not a case of "good for me". I am really funny about insurance- i even have insurance for freezer contents.

We were just about to buy a caravan park alongside atkinson dam...wonder if its even still there

Too true echt.

I guess what I meant was people making inane comments such as "our own fault for not having flood infrastructure in place"

I think you can have a valid opinion without having visited a particular country.

However, a valid opinion isn't *How stupid for not having insurance" etc.

Most posters are pretty sympathic but a quick google would reveal how vast our country is. Yes it is a harsh country but it is also a beautiful and loving country.

My mum grew up in the country and often tells us of a "creek bed" about 5 miles wide bone dry for years and in a matter of minutes flooding everywhere.

Agree, Angels, that comment got up my snecker, too.

The mistaking of the size of Oz continues to amaze and amuse, e,g. visiting friends who think you can "do" Australia in 3 weeks. Er, no.

Still astounded at the dams here in Victoria which were predicted 3 years to get back to normal after the drought, but are now at 100%. Having said that, we could be back to parched lands next year, but that's Australia ( and global warming) for you.

Australians,Wrong colour,wrong religion or too rich

Um what colour and what religion are australians? Or you do you mean aboriginals?

saturdaynightpants, it was your attitude...calling people 'dopey' for not insuring is patronising at best!

I hope your insurance pay out. I heard recently on sky that they may avoid paying due to it being a 'natural disaster' and may not be able cover all claims. Have you checked your small print?

Lets hope you are the lucky one, still don't think it is wise calling people 'dopey' tho.

I think if you read "dopey" with an Australian accent you will find its not as patronising as you imagine.

The mistaking of the size of Oz continues to amaze and amuse, e,g. visiting friends who think you can "do" Australia in 3 weeks. Er, no.

Agree, echt! I live in Adelaide & recently found out my cousin lives in QLD & on hearing that my sister (in UK) suggested we 'meet for coffee'!

Yeah, I'll just hop on a plane!

Each time something happens here, my family ask me if I will be OK. With the floods, the WA fires, the Vic fires..

If only they would listen to me when I explain how vast it is!

its impossible to comprehend for most people in UK diff name.

Do you know what I think is the saddest thing. I am in UK at present and not one single person I know has asked about this.

I'm a Queenslander, but not flooded.

It makes me proud to see how my people help each other. How the govt (ie the people) swing into action when these events knock us down again and again and again. (Many volunteers, I might add)

Some can't get flood insurance and even if they could you often hear of insurance companies having some kind of small print clause to get out of paying.

No amount of insurance will bring back the people lost.

Narky comments about how "wealthy" Aus is or how stupid the uninsured are reflect badly upon the maker of those comments and further upset those of us in tears reading them.

where are you movinggal?

Sorry, but dopey, without or without accent, is a rude way to refer to people!

saturdaynightpants, sad that no one has asked/talked about it with you.