WATERMARK CONSTRUCTIONS
On April 19 2020 Rockhampton and the surrounding region were rocked by the worst hailstorm the region had seen in over a decade.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported hail up to eight centimeters in diameter hit Rockhampton and Yeppoon, with wind gusts more than 100 kilometers per hour.
No one was seriously injured during the storm however a massive recovery operation ensued, including an insurance repair bill estimated to be more than $850 million.
In response to this, our team at Watermark Constructions were mobilised to meet the needs of the townspeople. We found ourselves embracing those effected, assessing damages and rebuilding over 1400 homes and businesses across the Rockhampton and Yeppoon region.
As with much in life, this endeavour presented a suit of challenges. Some we have become expert at surmounting over the years, whilst some others can be unforeseen.
At the beginning of the recovery process, all available Watermark Constructions crews were mobilised and setup to commence works within the region. Due to the sheer volume of homes and business’ requiring new roofs and many additional works, we drew upon a broad suite of qualified sub-contractors from Rockhampton, Gladstone, Biloela, Mackay and other surrounding areas with whom we have worked for many years.
The employment of local contractors is a strategy we deploy within every catastrophe event we take part. In doing so we grow our capability and regional footprint, and at the same time ensure ongoing work is available for local tradespeople, supporting regional development initiatives.
The vetting and rigour around quality practices and workmanship is always high. We work alongside all our sub-contractors, and we were proud to have them represent us in support of the expanding schedule of homes and business’ we were engendered to repair.
In September of the same year, another catastrophic hailstorm tore a path through Springfield Lakes in the Brisbane area and our workload more than doubled. Mobilising, upskilling, mentoring, vetting, and supervising crews, and property rebuilds across two major Queensland regions was a challenge we didn’t foresee yet one we rose to meet.
Based upon the strong foundation of project management expertise and quality controls, along with the ability to draw upon such a broad and established workforce, we grew to levels allowing us to resource both regions and maintain scheduling.
With so many local connections made over the previous 12 years we have been completing repairs in Rockhampton, returning to support the community in the wake of the hailstorm was like coming home.
We worked through each project methodically, not only replacing awnings, carports, solar panels and roofs, but in many instances completing major structural upgrades. The extended age of the properties across Rockhampton and Yeppoon, meant we were strengthening structural timbers and upgrading the roofing materials to bring the homes to current building standards for a cyclonic region.
One such property we worked on, was for Carly and Geoff of Park Avenue, Rockhampton. Carly and Geoff had not long bought their first home ahead of the hailstorm. The resultant damage saw us completing major repairs, replacing their roof, including significant upgrades. They also had water enter the home causing damage to the asbestos ceiling and walls, seeing us carefully strip and replace with modern plasterboard materials.
Carly remarked one day as we drew toward completion of their repairs, ‘we feel like you built us a brand-new home! When this all began, we were terrified of the process as nothing like this had ever happened to us before. You took or returned our every call, you came into our home and made us feel like we matter, that it was ok to ask questions, ok to have no idea about construction and ok to share how hard and emotional some days were.’
And that is part of what makes disaster recovery work as an insurance repair builder, both incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding.
We have had some smaller hail and heavy rain events across Rockhampton in the years since the hailstorm of April 19, 2020. yet none quite as impactful. We have established an office in Yeppoon and this area will always feel like home. The region is absolutely saturated with genuine, patient, and good-hearted people.
