Throwing an arm around Rochester: Sir Peter Cosgrove (left) with Business Council of Australia chief executive officer Jennifer Westacott and Rochester Business Network president Glenda Nichol during the BizRebuild patron's visit to Rochester last week. Sixty five businesses received $2000 vouchers to assist in the flood recovery effort.
One of Australia’s most celebrated leaders walked the streets of Rochester last week to add his weight to the town’s recovery effort from the flood events of 2022.
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Former Australian Defence Force chief and Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove was a guest of Rochester Business Network in his role as patron of Business Council of Australia’s disaster recovery program BizRebuild.
He delivered a sobering message, one which carried more weight from a man who 17 years ago led the Cyclone Larry Taskforce after the Category 5 tropical cyclone devastated the Innisfail region of North Queensland in 2006.
“The work’s not done,” he said.
“A lot of people would have read about Rochester and seen the devastation on television, but a few months on, most of us move on.
“The community itself still needs support. There are some people who have moved out of Rochester, but a lot more would have gone if not for the courage of these businesses to re-open their doors.”
Sir Peter has a better understanding than most about rebuilding, having 24 years ago led the international peacekeeping force to East Timor after civil unrest led to the death of 1400 people.
The Vietnam War veteran, 75, was the 26th Governor-General of Australia from 2014-19 and saw three prime ministers in his time.
In Rochester last week, he inspected several of the flood-affected businesses which had benefited from 65 $2000 grants to assist in the purchase of essential business items.
Having only 18 months earlier experienced the devastation of Lismore, where BizRebuild also played a key role in the recovery effort, Sir Peter said he continued to be amazed by the random nature of natural disasters.
He was speaking from the bar of Moore St business The Tavern when he was informed about the interior of one business being untouched, while only five doors away another was inundated with water.
Ninety-eight per cent of the Rochester businesses that applied for BizRebuild grants were successful.
Among the recipients were pharmacist Brett Phillips and his Terry White Chemist.
With flooring still not finished in the Gillies St building, Mr Phillips said a trestle table in the doorway of the business acted as the counter for the three days immediately after the flood.
A new basin for a Mackay St hairdresser, bathroom repair works at Rochester Silos, a new laptop for renowned Moore St homewares and fashion business Parsons, along with contributions to real estate companies Ray White and F.P. Nevins were also slated for inspection by Sir Peter.
Back in business: Parsons of Moore Street’s Belinda Gordon (second from right) talks to Campaspe Shire's Cr Paul Jarman, Sir Peter Cosgrove and Business Council of Australia chief executive officer Jennifer Westacott.
Sir Peter is chair of BizRebuild’s fundraising panel and was flanked by RBN president Glenda Nichol, Campaspe Shire's Cr Paul Jarman and Business Council of Australia chief executive officer Jennifer Westacott.
BizRebuild is designed to provide on-the-ground assistance to small businesses devastated by natural disasters and since 2019 has donated $10,000 to communities affected by flood and fire through its Community Rebuilding Trust.
The Rochester visit was the third conducted by Sir Peter in recent times, with the former army chief particularly taken by the story of The Tavern owner Olivia James.
Ms James shared her property with flood-affected residents, having swags on the second-storey balcony of the business, mattresses in the hallway and a front row seat to the devastation.
She opened the doors to people, among an immeasurable number of heroic stories from last October
“We couldn’t just stand by and do nothing,” she said.
“Our concerns were for the people, it wasn’t about the business at that point.’’
RBN president Glenda Nichol shared the wider community’s frustration with the ongoing problems with insurance companies.
A community afternoon tea was held at Cafe Rochester at the end of the two-hour street tour.
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