A Logan-based couple are looking forward to moving into a new home after three years of hardship marred by covid, floods, burglaries and death.
After more than 30 years of marriage, Barry and Lynette Hawkins have been through the many highs and lows life can throw.
Following the 2022 floods, Mr and Mrs Hawkins participated in the state government’s home buy-back scheme.
The program enables homeowners to sell their flood-affected properties to the local council at a pre-flood value.
The Hawkins sold their property in Chambers flat six weeks ago and have since moved into their new home in Flagstone.
“They gave us two options: take $725,000 for the house and forfeit the insurance money, or keep our insurance money and get $600,000,” Mr Hawkins said.
They took the second option and purchased their new two-acre property for $870,000.
On 1 March last year, the Hawkins were forced to leave their home because of the floods which saw water inundate their home to reach the first floor ceiling.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” Mrs Hawkins said.
“We had friends who had just moved in with us downstairs.
“Their whole shipping container worth of furniture moved into our shed two weeks before the floods – they lost everything.”
The Hawkins spent the next night in their camper trailer, parked in a bus stop.
The next day, a local offered her backyard to them and their friends.
“She let us stay there for twelve weeks until we could get back into our place,” Mrs Hawkins said.
“She was brilliant – she didn’t want a thing for it.”
“There were seven people living on one property for twelve weeks,” Mr Hawkins said.
After three months, they moved back into their home, but the drama wasn’t over.
A few weeks later, the Hawkins’ house was burgled, with jewellery, including Mrs Hawkins’ engagement ring, stolen.
“They took everything else that wasn’t ruined in the floods,” she said.
Mrs Hawkins said she wasn’t concerned about the monetary value of what was stolen, rather the sentimental value.
A pin she’d had for 55 years, given to her by her father, was stolen.
“It’s not worth anything, but the little things like that… it upset me quite a bit,” she said.
The Hawkins’ said going through those experiences had changed the way they lived.
“Where we lived in Chambers Flat was the first time, I’d ever really felt safe,” Mrs Hawkins said.
“It’s a bit of a traumatic thing to go through.”
A year before the floods Mr Hawkins’ his mother had died and Mrs Hawkins’ father suffered a stroke.
“But you either sit in the corner and cry or you move on,” Mrs Hawkins said.
Despite their hardships, they were appreciative of how lucky they were and said they felt lucky to have a home, a family and jobs.
“In 2023, everything has changed – all the bad has gone,” Mr Hawkins said.
Mr Hawkins commended the buy-back program, and said it helped save them in their time of need.
He said it was important for the government to get “properties that are flooding out of the market”.
“I think they’ve done a great job,” he said.
Mrs Hawkins is said she was happy because her daughter and her grandkids have moved into the granny flat out the back.
“The sun shines again the next day,” she said.
“Yeah, and hopefully no rain,” Mr Hawkins said.
