As Australians, we do everything we can not to let our friends down, says Mick Fanning, who says the devastation he witnessed during and after the deadly Northern Rivers floods in 2022 still tears his heart.
At least 22 people were killed, hundreds were injured and thousands of families and communities were displaced when catastrophic flooding hit much of northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland in February and March 2022.
In New South Wales alone, unprecedented flooding damaged around 15,000 homes, more than 5,000 of them uninhabitable, and caused more than $500 million in agricultural losses and $2.7 billion in infrastructure damage.
The disaster was the most expensive insurance event in Australian history, with losses estimated at more than $6 billion, according to a 2023 Deloitte report.
More than two years on, the Australian surfing legend says communities and families are still suffering from the trail of destruction left behind by the floods, and he is determined to bring his ordeal to light.
“I have a young family and seeing people whose children are homeless is very devastating,” Fanning said.
The three-time world surfing champion, who was born in Penrith, has a long-standing connection with the Northern Rivers, having moved to Ballina aged 7, where he learned to surf and lived until he was 12.
Surfing legend Mick Fanning wants Australians to remember victims of the 2022 Northern Rivers floods in New South Wales
The surfing champion has long been an advocate for those who lost everything and says the work does not end in restoring normality to the region.
An aerial image of Lismore in northern New South Wales shows extensive flooding as the region experiences its worst flooding in a century.
He has fond memories of that time and described his family home as “an unofficial clubhouse where my brothers and all their mates would come and hang out, it was a lot of fun.”
Fanning, who now lives in Tugan, said he often goes along the Northern Rivers path to surf and still has “strong connections” to the area, with friends and family there, including his mother, who still lives in Tweed.
So when the floods hit in February 2022 and he received a message from fellow surf champion Joel Parkinson about the “truly terrible” situation affecting Northern Rivers communities, Fanning, along with a group of friends, jumped on to their jet skis and took down the Tweed. River to see how they could help.
A large-scale group effort quickly emerged, made up of friends, surfers and members of the local Gold Coast community, with around 40 to 50 people on jet skis and boats delivering essential supplies and ferrying people to safety, and another 20 to 30 people back at a ‘hub’ in Currumbin helping to co-ordinate efforts.
Fanning described the scenes he saw as first responders as “horrible,” with people with small children and their animals in boats searching for safety, houses destroyed, some completely underwater, and cows trapped on roofs and in trees and swept away by the river. river.
“It was just a disaster zone,” he said.
Fanning’s role evolved throughout the week, from jet ski rescues, to calling friends to fly helicopters loaded with supplies to people who were isolated, to speaking to the media to get more funds and attention from the government, to speaking directly with the premier of New South Wales. and the disaster rescue team about the rescue effort.
Flooding in West Ballina on 4 March 2022 leaving hundreds of homes flooded
Mick Fanning’s third charity golf day will take place on June 14 to help flood victims
He even launched a plea for help in a tweet to Elon Musk after hearing that Musk’s Starlinks, which provides Internet coverage from satellites, would give coverage to people in rural areas that were cut off so they could notify authorities and their families if were safe or if they needed help.
“And then the next minute, Chris Hemsworth calls me and says, hey, one of my good friends is actually the CEO of Starlink,” Fanning said.
‘Fortunately, through Chris we were able to bring a lot of Starlinks to those rural areas.
“I was actually very surprised that the government hadn’t implemented it already.”
June 14 will be Mr Fanning’s third annual charity golf day, with all funds raised going to flood-affected communities, many of which Mr Fanning has stayed in touch with since 2022.
“You learn a lot about people in the darkest of times and you meet these people and you hear their stories, you build these friendships and I think as Australians we try our best not to let our friends down,” Fanning said.
“I can’t walk away from this until I know these people are in their homes and they’re safe.”
“I will continue to fight for them and continue to remind people that they still need help.”
Fanning says he won’t move away from people affected by the floods until he knows they are safe again in their own homes.
The flood was the largest in a century and devastated the region, leaving countless people homeless.
The golf day will see Mr Fanning joined on the green by players including Andy Lee, Hamish Blake, Ash Barty, Bernard Fanning, Nedd Brockman, Cam Smith, Pat Rafter, Dylan Alcott, Ellidy Pullin, Guy Sebastian, Leila McKinnon, Max Gawn. and Rory Sloane.
The public can participate by entering a drawing to win Balter beer for a year, or by participating in the online auction that includes items and experiences such as a Daniel Ricciardo racing suit, fishing with Cam Smith and the Mad Hueys, a stay at the Mr. Fanning’s private estate and the opportunity to play golf that day alongside the stars.
The event has raised more than $1 million since its inception in 2022.
More information is available at www.mickfanningcharitygolfday.com.