WATERMARK CONSTRUCTIONS
Severe tropical cyclone Debbie made landfall near Airlie Beach on Queensland's Whitsunday coast on Tuesday, 28th March 2017, after crossing the Whitsunday Islands as a large and powerful category-4 strength system. The cyclone devastated resort islands in the Whitsunday group including Hamilton and Daydream Islands, as well as the towns of Airlie Beach and Proserpine.
The impacts of tropical cyclone Debbie were two-fold with storm damage resulting from high winds associated with the cyclone, and the very heavy rain that came in the cyclone's aftermath. Over 40,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in the wake of the cyclone.
Having left a trail of destruction across the Whitsunday Islands, Airlie Beach, Proserpine, Bowen and Collinsville, Watermark Constructions mobilised it's crews from both their Mackay and Townsville bases within 48hrs of the cyclone passing.
For 10 days, no one was able to enter Airlie Beach to set-up a base of operations as the town had no power. As such, the Watermark Construction crews travelled from the Mackay base each day to complete emergency make-safe works and assess for further damages. Once the town had power restored, a base was established in Airlie Beach and the recovery strategy began to take shape.
Due to the high volume of properties damaged across all townships effected, and the complexity of those damages, the Watermark Constructions utilised its vast internal trade and sub-contractor network to manage these works. Repairs included over 40 properties on Hamilton Island which presented a suite of additional challenges due to transport and logistics requirements.
Whilst materials, labour, machinery and transportation were strategised, Watermark Constructions' on-site supervisors and assessors were meeting and supporting people facing some of the hardest moments of their lives. Some people having lost their livelihoods, possessions and a lifetime of treasured mementos. The full breadth of the team were not just there to provide expert construction advice and workmanship, they were also there to be shoulders to cry on and ears to listen.
Often, no matter how thorough the preparation, it cannot prepare a team for what they find when they arrive into a disaster zone. If the team from Watermark Constructions had arrived and just done their jobs, assessing damage and completing repairs, it would not have been enough for what the townspeople of Airlie Beach, Proserpine, Hamilton Island, Bowen or Collinsville needed. The team from Watermark Constructions needed to be people first and trade professionals second; leading with their hearts and creating expert solutions with their heads.
Working alongside local and state government authorities and under the auspice of numerous national insurance companies, a year long recovery plan was enacted. Watermark Constructions laid down roots in the community and remain alongside these communities to this day.
Brendan Woods, Construction Manager said of the event at it's closure: 'With every disaster event of this nature, our team develops a broader understanding of what successful customer touch points need to look like. Who and what we need to be for people to feel safe in our care, trust us to listen and tailor a repair method and schedule, to match their individual circumstance and needs.'
