Your guide to preparing Brisbane homes for flooding events. Resources and advice for residents, trade contractors and builders.
Flooding is a natural process and can occur anywhere. Our location on a floodplain, along with our sub-tropical climate and unique land features, mean that residents may experience flooding in their lifetime.
As our climate changes we want to ensure our community remains safe by adapting and preparing for future flood events from all sources including river, creek, overland and coastal flooding.
In many cases it’s not possible to completely avoid flooding. Flood resilience means you can plan, prepare, respond and return to normal life with minimal disruption following flooding. Here’s what you need to know:
Understand your flood risk – In order to prepare a home for floods, you first need to know what type of effect flood will have on the property.
Build your resilience – Preparing your property to reduce the impact of flooding will allow you to get through a flood event with less damage and expense.
Where can I find flood information for my property?
Check the Flood awareness maps. This is the official flood awareness map for the Brisbane area. Search your address and download your FloodWise Property report to see if your property is at risk of flooding. You can see what type of flooding may affect your property and what levels you need to prepare for. Learn more about the types of flooding featured in your FloodWise Property report with the Brisbane City Council Flooding in Brisbane Guide for Residents.
What parts of my property are affected by flooding, and how deep could the flooding be?
A Property Level Survey will show you the exact levels of the land and building on your property. You can obtain one from a professional surveyor. Compare these levels to those in the FloodWise Property report from Council, to understand what parts of your property are likely to be affected by flooding, how often it might occur, and how deep that flooding could be.
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Now that you know how your property could be affected by flood, you can use that knowledge to work out your own flood resilience strategies.
What strategies should I consider?
Flood-resilience strategies won’t stop the flooding, but they’ll ensure you spend less time cleaning up with less damage and expense. If you’re renovating or thinking about it, it’s worth discussing flood-resilience strategies with your builder or architect. Some of these include raising electrical outlets and hot water units, and using flood-resilient materials such as solid core doors.
What types of resilient materials are available?
Flood waters can cause damage to floors, walls, electrical outlets and cabinetry. By using flood-resilient materials you will be able to recover more quickly after a flooding event. Watch these videos to see what solutions Brisbane residents are using to build their flood resilience.
Can using flood-resilience strategies reduce my insurance premiums?
Incorporating these strategies into your home may also have insurance benefits. Read how incorporating flood-resilient strategies into a Graceville renovation resulted in reduced insurance premiums. Improving the Flood Resilience of Queensland Homes.
My property is already flood-affected. What do I need to know?
If you are affected by a flood, short term strategies will keep you safe and help you get back on your feet while the long-term solutions are being prepared. See what options are available for your home in this Homeowner’s Guide. A Homeowners Guide to Rebuilding After a Flood. It is important to understand the risks that may exist in you home and surroundings after a flood, so that you can stay safe while these strategies are being put into place. Flood Safety Fact Sheet.
Why should I consider recommending flood resilience techniques to my customers?
There is a growing demand for flood and climate-resilient strategies when renovating and building new homes. Customers want a home where they feel safe and have peace of mind that their investment is protected. By proactively offering flood resilient outcomes for your clients, you are positioning your business as one that’s up to date with current building techniques. Techniques that consider sustainability, and future-proof your customer’s property against potential flooding.
How can I start using flood resilient strategies?
When working on a flood-prone property, you can adapt what you are currently doing to introduce the best flood-resilient techniques into your work. Simple things like:
You can learn about flood-resilience strategies for different properties in this comprehensive guide. Flood Resilience Building Guidance. Many recommended techniques already used in the Flood Resilient Homes Program can be found here. Flood-resilience strategies.
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