Registrations have opened today for Queenslanders with flood-affected homes to access a $741 million Resilient Homes Fund.
The Scheme, funded jointly by State and Federal governments, will allow properties to be raised, repaired and retrofitted – or voluntarily bought back.
From initial assessments, there have been nearly 7000 homes partly damaged and over 3600 uninhabitable following the recent South East Queensland floods.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the funding will make Queensland homes more flood resilient for any future disasters.
“This is the largest home resilience program of its kind to ever be delivered in Australia,” the Premier says
“We can’t stop floods from occurring, but we can take steps to reduce their impact.”
Grants will be available to repair or retrofit flood-affected homes to incorporate flood resilient design and materials.
Measures include adding floor coverings with a water-resistant finish like tiles or polished concrete and moving power outlets to above recognised flood levels.
Funding to raise homes will also be available – which would reduce the impacts of future flood events by lifting living areas and rooms above the defined flood level.
State Recovery Coordinator Major General Jake Ellwood says he has travelled throughout the South East and seen first hand how devastating the floods have been.
“It’s fantastic to see that the Resilient Homes Fund will give people options, which is important because every individual has different needs and priorities,” Major General Ellwood says.
“A lot of the people I’ve spoken to just want to make their homes more resilient – either by retrofitting or raising them above the flood level, while others want to sell their homes and make a fresh start somewhere else.”
In high-risk situations where repairing, retrofitting or raising are not considered suitable options, a voluntary buy-back of the residence will be considered.
Voluntary home buy-back cases will consider a range of factors including the frequency of flooding, severity of flooding, structural safety of the property, future flood risk and broader social impacts.
Queensland homeowners across 37 local government areas whose property was inundated as a result of any of the three major floods in 2021-22 are eligible to apply.
Registrations are now open at qld.gov.au/resilienthomes
