Flood hits Nambour Men’s Shed, recovery underway

The Nambour Men’s Shed is recovering after floodwaters from Petrie Creek swept through its lower floor on Monday, 10 March, inundating the metalworking shop and storage area under one metre of water.

A stack of cypress pine boards weighing a tonne was swept away but fortunately came to rest 50 metres downstream in a thicket of camphor laurel trees. The timber was later recovered.

Apart from the chaos of timber and mud strewn everywhere, some valuable items sustained damage and may be irreparable. These included a 9 kW battery for the solar power system, an almost new electric ride-on mower and a couple of welding machines. 

Unfortunately, the Australian Men’s Shed Association group insurance policy excludes flood cover. Adding this option on comes at a substantial extra cost. But the Men’s Shed ethos is to roll up the sleeves and crack into it. 

All this week, members have been turning up to tidy up the chaos and clean the premises. This is in addition to manning a Bunnings fundraising barbecue, which happens once a month. Thanks to a big effort from the team, the Men’s Shed hoped to be back to near normal operations by Monday (17 March). The shed plans to hold a fundraising raffle and garage sale in the coming months to help replace some of the lost equipment.  

• Donations  are always welcome to support the recovery efforts. Contact sec@nambourmensshed.com.au.