Fire, flood and the enemy within. Three resilient HIA builders have been to hell and back, scarred and changed by experiences most Australians only read about.

All of them have survived and grown as human beings in ways that influence the way they run their businesses, think about family, interact with clients, and contribute to an evolving industry. 

Greg Webb, who runs GW Property Maintenance at Lake Conjola on the NSW South Coast, lost everything bar a truck and some tools in the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20 and is now finishing off a fire-proof rebuild that can show how to live more safely in fire-prone areas. 

Joel Jensen, who runs Joel Jensen Constructions, battled to keep his business afloat after the cataclysmic Lismore floods, in which he joined the flotilla of small boats rescuing trapped residents and faced life and death decisions. 

Meanwhile, Jamie Knott from South Coast Constructions in Victor Harbour, SA, confronted life-threatening leukemia with a career and young family in full swing, and discovered the priceless power of relationships that carry you through the toughest times. 

All three learnt to look beyond themselves to accept help and want to give back. For Greg, the futility of facing a wall of flame with a garden hose and the loss of a home with more than five decades of family attachment was a humbling experience.

‘I reached out to mental health in the first 12 months – the mental anguish about losing this icon of a house for my boys and the family, for me as a male, for us to be homeless again,’ he recalls. ‘People were wonderful, and I love them for the comfort and community support. We got so much given to us.’ 

For Joel, managing his mental health has been crucial because what happened on the water marked him. ‘It was surreal – something well beyond what I’m designed for,’ explains Joel. ‘We could see someone banging, screaming for help as the water rose. Then, someone else was banging on the other side. Decisions were life and death.’ 

Afterwards, Joel suffered flashbacks, sleepless nights, and anxiety but after spending time with other rescue veterans, he is acutely aware of managing his mental health. Just 33 years old with four children, Joel also spends as much time as possible with his wife and children. ‘It truly re-set my priorities,’ he says. 

Jamie’s world collapsed when told of the leukemia diagnosis in 2006. A rising supervisor at South Coast Constructions, he feared for his job and what it would mean for his young family. 

He needn’t have. His then employers Alan and Kathy Davis did all they could to support him through two years of hospital and recovery after that. ‘I’d become very close with Alan through work – he was a bit like a father figure to me,’ says Jamie. 

‘I was overwhelmed by his loyalty while I battled leukaemia. In turn, I gave my loyalty back to him by being part of South Coast Constructions in whatever capacity he wanted.’ 

Eased back into the company as an estimator, Jamie became a director just five years after the diagnosis when Alan and Kathy handed over the reins after 25 years in charge. He is now sole managing director and talks about the company as his home and family. 

Fit, healthy and energised, he’s taking South Coast Constructions to new levels, winning the 2023 HIA Australian Display Home award.

For Greg Webb, the trauma of the fires and the aftermath seared into him the drive to not just rebuild on the family plot but to do it better. ‘All that remained was the concrete slab, the brickwork and the steel roof and I kept walking past it and I said, “Man, they're the only things that didn't burn”,’ he recalls. ‘So I'm going to make a house out of concrete bricks or aerated concrete and steel. It was a no brainer for me.’ 

It’s been a four-year odyssey for him to research and source designs and materials, mostly Australian, that would mean the new home for him and his wife would survive any new fire. 

The Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating on his house puts it in the highest risk zone, 'BAL-flame zone' so it required certain features such as bushfire shutters, a thermal barrier around the house, and steel downpipes. The goal is to prevent any heat transference and ember infiltration. 

But Greg has gone the extra mile adding features such as an aerated concrete floor, fire wrap within the walls and a tank room under the house for water storage. All up, it has cost him $280,000 but for Greg, the peace of mind will be worth it. It’s more than most will want to do or afford but Greg is excited, despite the painful memories, at the opportunity he’s been afforded to be at the cutting edge of innovation. 

‘I've suffered PTSD, I've suffered the grief and the loss and the mourning, but the post-traumatic growth, the excitement in the building industry, the use of incredible materials… If you stop and think about it, it's very exciting to be able to do it, to be able to utilise that and to step outside the circle and challenge yourself and challenge the industry.’ 

At 69, Greg believes a new career beckons – helping others so they don’t go through what he and his wife experienced. ‘Once I've finished the house, I want to educate myself and contribute,’ he says.

Joel Jensen got through his disaster trauma by focusing on others. Beyond the flood rescues, Joel had more than 20 employees to keep on, clients to look after and a devastated community in need, despite the business hanging by a thread after losing files, tools, equipment, trusses and frames. 

Unable to work for six weeks, Joel threw his team into recovery work, cleaning out people’s homes of mud and debris, doing inspections to assess that properties were safe, and visiting homes to see what neighbours needed. 

‘Helping other people took my mind off what was going on,’ he says. That community spirit was reciprocated when clients helped him keep his business afloat. ‘They all rang to help in any way they could, from payments to plan changes,’ Joel recalls. 

‘Not one client kicked up a stink. They were under pressure too with construction loans and flood-affected sites.’ Not only did Joel manage to keep his team employed during and after the floods, he also walked the talk and hired his ninth apprentice. ‘A lot of people will whinge about the lack of skilled trades coming through. But what are they doing to make a difference? You have to be involved, put your hand up, and be part of fixing the cracks.’

One post-flood project even won an award – HIA’s 2023 Gold Coast/Northern Rivers Small Commercial Project. Joel and his team repaired a badly damaged Top Notch Barber Shop, using recycled local bridge timbers and innovative design elements to create a space that became a beacon for the community and got a family business back up and running.

Joel led and managed the project at no charge and used local suppliers for the build to help them get back on their feet. ‘Looking back, I’m so proud of everyone,’ says Joel. ‘This has never been about money; it’s about being proud of what you do.’

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger but with these three their individual experiences also broadened their perspectives and deepened their appreciation for life. Jamie found a home in the business he loved, Greg discovered a passion for innovation and Joel drew strength in community, and our industry is so much the better for it.

First published 11 December 2024