Rutherglen Rumble praised for supporting community after floods

Rutherglen's Sue Prescott, who is still waiting for insurance money after her Motel Woongarra was damaged in the floods, said she was moved by the thousands of people attending the Rutherglen Rumble car, bike and truck show fundraiser at the town's showgrounds yesterday.

"It gives you goosebumps, you're speechless, it's so good to see," she said.

"A lot are locals, but a lot of people have come from out of town as well, I was on the gate earlier, and it's a gold coin donation and some people will give you a $50 note and you say 'I'll give you some change', 'no, just take that', they're just so generous, just wonderful."

Rutherglen Lions Club helped coordinate the event and its president elect Herb Ellerbock said he was "over the moon" with the way it turned out.

"We're just totally blown away by what we've seen here," he said.

"I just cant describe it I get a bit too emotional, with all the support we've been getting it's been brilliant."

Mr Ellerbock said the Lions Club had identified 91 families who had been impacted by the floods, but Gateway Health case managers would assess each person's situation to inform how the Club would donate the money raised.

"We want to raise a little bit of money to help these people, even if it's just to get away for a weekend," he said.

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Caffeine n Machine cafe owner Nick Hawtin, a key organiser of the event, said he was passionate about the Rumble because he saw what the floods did to the town.

"I saw what it did to people and displaced people and how the town got forgotten," he said.

"There's no rentals, there's nothing, we've got people living in motels and there's no builders, because the builders are all busy building other homes and the insurance companies are copping out.

"There's people who've lost everything and are still waiting on income insurance; there's people who've lost businesses that have been wiped out, that have had to fork out up to $80,000 to $90,000 of their own money that they shouldn't have to because they're insured.

Mr Hawtin said he hoped insurance companies would be held to account.

Ms Prescott said it had been terrible waiting for insurance claims to be processed.

"It's been horrendous," she said.

"We were full with guests, we had to bring all the carpet out the next day, we had to strip everything, we had to cancel bookings, the insurance company still hasn't come to the party, [we're] still waiting for them to decide which way we're going to go.

"But we've had to start renovating ourself, because we cant afford to sit back and wait any longer and as a I said I lost my March long weekend, I've lost Easter, and I've also lost the June long weekend, because there's nothing left in the rooms."

Ms Prescott said she was shattered and stressed.

"Because while I'm just sitting here waiting for them to decide which way we're going to go I'm still paying bills,' she said.

"I'll end up going broke, because I just wont be able to survive.

"I don't think they understand and I have spoken to a couple of them and they said well the floods up in Lismore and Brisbane they hit, and I said well actually that was four or five weeks after it flooded here in Rutherglen."

Ms Prescott said the whole community was impacted.

"It's really sad, a lot of people are out of their homes," she said.

Mr Hawtin said he felt for his fellow residents.

"I've watched people that have gone through COVID, there's people who've been wiped out nine years ago with the tornado and then they lose everything again with the flood," he said.

"How many hits can they take?

"That's what this is about, this is about supporting the people who keep getting hit and keep getting back up and keep getting hit and keep getting back up, and Rutherglen is just one of those towns where everybody's embraced it and gotten behind it and that's what the greatest thing is."

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