It’s been 12 months since storms ripped through the Yarra Ranges, damaging 173 properties. But many homes remain unrepaired, and residents are walking away.
Fierce storms ripped through the Yarra Ranges last June, bringing down more than 25,000 trees and damaging 173 properties.Some residents still rely on Kalorama’s church for emotional support and food. Others say they can’t live on the mountain again.Some time in the next two weeks, Lyn Osborne will return to her gutted house in the Dandenong Ranges and take a moment to say goodbye.
While the Yarra Ranges Shire could not provide figures, some residents have spoken about many neighbours leaving the mountain.Reverend Andrew Smith, of St Michael’s Church in Kalorama, said he knew of five families that had sold their properties and left since January. Kalorama resident Thomas Corbin and his wife, Samantha, decided to stay despite trees smashing part of their roof and destroying their car in the storm. But he said it was tempting to leave, and he knew of eight households that had made that decision.Strong winds still trigger anxious memories for Corbin, particularly at night.
An insurance council spokeswoman said difficult terrain had hampered the recovery from the June storms, in addition to labour, trades and building supply shortages. Lyn Osborne lived in Kalorama for more than 40 years before the storm prompted her difficult decision to sell.However, the local real estate market has remained strong, with median house prices in Olinda increasing by 27.7 per cent in the past year to $1.2 million, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
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