Brookland Greens mother Janelle Rhodes wants to reclaim her family\’s life in the wake of the methane gass mess
By Glen Atwell
JANELLE Rhodes wants her life back.
A week ago, she lived in a quiet cul de sac in Brookland Greens with her husband Nathan and their twin children Jaiden and Hannah.
Tonight, she has no idea where her family will sleep.
The methane gas crisis has taken its toll on her family, and the stress of leaving home has aggravated the chronic lung disease that both her children suffer.
Janelle’s internet business is failing, the result of her spending the past seven nights in seven different houses.
“I’m tired and I’ve had enough,” she said.
“My children were in tears last night because they had to share a single bed. My husband and I shared an air mattress on my brother-in-law’s floor.
“My family wants to go home, but the health risk to my children is keeping us away.
“The pediatrician needs to take blood tests before the kids can return home.
“At the moment, the thing we desperately need is money,” Janelle said.
Janelle received the initial $1000 on offer for affected residents, but is still waiting for the additional $8650 promised by the state government.
“I applied for the additional grant and had an assessment interview with City of Casey officers at the Balla Balla Community Centre last Saturday,” she said.
Janelle answered questions about her rental costs and day-to-day expenses, but has yet to see a single dollar.
“I went back to the Balla Balla centre on Tuesday and was told there had been a ‘glitch’ with the grant. The Casey officers said they had no idea what had happened,” she said.
“I can’t go on living like this. They’re telling me to hire a holiday house for an extended period, or rent another property. But I’ve got no money and no idea how long I’ll have to stay away from my house,” Janelle said.
The $8650 emergency accommodation grant is available to residents required to leave their properties.
Eligible families will receive a weekly amount of $200 per adult and $100 per child in the household.
Families receiving the grant will need to provide receipts to prove their incurred costs.
