People in Far North Queensland are still trying to rebuild their homes and lives one year on from the devastating Cyclone Jasper.
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00:00The floodwaters may have dried up, but damaged homes and scars on the landscape aren't the
00:08only reminder of Tropical Cyclone Jasper's wrath.
00:11Every time when I see, especially the rain on top, I get very scary and I still have
00:18that trauma and I don't go to sleep.
00:22I still hear the water, the rocks are rolling and I don't know how to get over it.
00:31Thomas Herridge and his young family are back in their Maitland's Beach home in time for
00:35Christmas.
00:37The fanciness doesn't really matter, just the fact that it's our place, our family home.
00:42We're in a suburb I've lived in my whole life and hopefully I can raise my kids in.
00:48Mr Herridge spent the year fearing financial ruin, until the Financial Complaints Authority
00:53directed his insurer to cover the cost of renting temporary accommodation.
00:58If there was no AFCA it would be more than $100,000.
01:02CentiCare has helped 800 far north Queenslanders since the disaster and about 50 cases are
01:07still open, mostly people needing mental health support.
01:11Generally two to three years or more is how long long term recovery takes.
01:17The federal and state governments today announced a $206 million funding package to help the
01:22far north continue its recovery, acknowledging there is still much to do.
01:27$14 million will be dedicated specifically for Wujal Wujal, where Aunty Kathleen is worried
01:32about what will happen if disaster strikes again.
01:35Where can we go?
01:37We got no safe place.
01:39We can't go back to Aunty Lily because she's got overcrowding house too.
01:44It's just a safe house for our people.