The young people of Rochester are front and centre in Rochester Secondary College’s Youth of Rochester: A Voice in Flood and Recovery situation report.

Shared with the community at an event on Tuesday, March 25, students and staff reflected on the past two-and-a-half years, particularly their experiences during and after the October 2022 flood event.

It is a perspective sometimes forgotten in disasters and recovery.

Rochester Secondary College recovery officer Holly Thompson joined the school in January 2024. The role wasw created to support students as they navigate life post-floods.

Miss Thompson’s position has been funded by Melbourne-based philanthropic organisation The Helen and David Hains Foundation and has provided students with key resources and initiatives to assist in recovery.

“When I stepped into my role here just over a year ago, I was the only person in the Department of Education placed in a school with the sole focus on recovery,” Miss Thompson said.

“I knew the role was unique, but I quickly realised that so was the situation here in Rochy.

“What I found was a community still carrying the weight of not one, but multiple disruption and a group of students whose stories deserve to be heard.”

Produced by Miss Thompson, the situation report provides insight into young people’s experiences of the October 2022 flood event and aftermath, including travelling to Bendigo Senior Secondary College for school, living outside of their homes for extended periods, and supporting friends and family while recovering in their own right.

The report unpacks initiatives put in place to support Rochester’s youth, with first-hand student accounts of the success of such programs.

“This report has been a 12-month journey, one that has opened my eyes to the reality of what our young people in Rochester have faced,” Miss Thompson said.

“This is an important moment, not just for our school, but for the entire Rochester community.

“This report isn't just a document, it's a reflection of everything our young people have experienced, the progress we've made together, and most importantly, the work that still lies ahead.”

A recording of the 2024 Year 11 Vocational Major students’ headspace podcast challenge was played at the launch.

Rochester Secondary College school captains Jordy Rasmussen, Letisha Mountjoy, Payton Tiller and Oakley Tarrant also shared personal accounts from the October 2022 floods.

“After the floods hit, for the next three straight days, my family and friends went from house to house, moving furniture and ripping up wet carpet,” Jordy said.

“I was mentally drained.

“Having strangers be thankful to us for destroying their houses — houses that have been lived in for years — all day for three straight days, as a 15-year-old boy, this is pretty hard to handle.”

Letisha said the strain was felt around the town.

“The whole community felt strained,” Letisha said.

“The shared stress and fear were visible in every conversation in every place.

“The scars of this disaster are still visible, not just in the landscape, but in the hearts of people who have endured it.”

Payton said the flood had a far-reaching effect.

“The flood didn't just destroy my home, but it destroyed my school, my work and the places I would play the sport that I love very much,” she said.

“Being a 15-year-old and experiencing so much loss at once made me feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

“But (without) the support of those around me, it would have made life feel like it was even more of a challenge than what it already was.”

Oakley praised the support offered by the school.

“Our school culture here at Rochester Secondary College is phenomenal,” Oakley said.

“We are pushed, encouraged, supported.

“We are pushed to seek mental health if we need it, or just chat to someone ... we have great school support, like our counsellor, Kirsty.”

While the situation report has a strong focus on past reflections, it also points to future recommendations, with Miss Thompson’s role laying groundwork for communities to look to after disasters.

For Miss Thompson, the most important part of her role has been listening to students’ needs and amplifying their voices.

“(The report) captures both the reality and strength of our young people,” she said.

“It shows where support is needed, but also what's possible when that support is sustained.

“It tells us that recovery can't rely on short-term fixes, that students don't just need support, they need to be part of the solution.

“And more than anything, it makes one thing clear: after everything they've faced, Rochester's young people don't just deserve to be included in the conversation, they must be at the centre of it.

“They've earned that right.”

Copies of the report are available at Rochester Secondary College and Rochester Community House, as well as online at rochsec.vic.edu.au/situation-report

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