NEWS

Building a resilient city

Brisbane Sustainability Agency’s recent projects have focused on building a resilient city to enhance the long-term viability of our businesses, community and lifestyle.

‘Resilience’ and the need for resilient cities is something that is often being mentioned, no less so than in recent times where the resilience of many of our city, business and community institutions are being tested by COVID-19. But when you try and unpack what these terms mean in a city context, it is often hard to form a clear view as to what a resilient city actually looks like.

For Brisbane Sustainability Agency, a resilient city is realised through working in concert across the community, business and government sectors to provide practical solutions to reduce greenhouse emissions, adapt to climate change, and enhance the long-term viability of our businesses, communities and lifestyle.

At Brisbane Sustainability Agency, rather than just talking about a plan for future city resilience, we are taking action in the here and now, moving things quickly from high level plans, strategies and concepts, through to practical, on-ground initiatives that deliver tangible and measurable resilience outcomes for the Brisbane region, at scale.

As part of our strategic plan for supporting Brisbane to remain at the forefront as a Clean, Green and Sustainable city, we’ve recently launched a suite of programs focused on improving city resilience and adapting to climate events, both under current and future climate scenarios. Critically, these represent some of the only examples within Australia of on-ground, practical resilience solutions being rolled out at scale across community organisations and households.

Here are two programs we are currently delivering in Brisbane and a new initiative planned in South East Queensland.

Resilient Clubs Support Program

Brisbane Sustainability Agency is proud to deliver Brisbane City Council’s, Resilient Clubs Support Program. The program aims to help community organisations with leased facilities become more energy and water efficient and reduce operational costs. This initiative is fully funded by Council and will be provided as a free service to participating clubs over the next two years.

The $3.3 million program includes energy and water efficiency audits, the development of water and energy efficiency action plans, a coaching and support program to assist with implementing the action plan, and selected water and energy-related infrastructure improvements. These improvements can significantly reduce the operating cost of clubs while also optimising the use of natural resources, future-proofing them for the benefit of the Brisbane community. 

Flood Resilient Homes Program

The Flood Resilient Homes Program is an initiative of Brisbane City Council, delivered in partnership with Brisbane Sustainability Agency. Flood resilience is the ability to prepare, live through and then quickly return to normal household routines after an overland flow flooding event, with the least amount of disruption, and ultimately building a more resilient city.

The program offers invited property owners a free Home Service assessment, which assesses the property’s existing resilience and provides a list of recommended building or design works to increase flood resilience. If any building or design recommendations are made, financial assistance may be provided via an incentive scheme. 

Climate Adaptive Homes Program

NRMA Insurance, supported through its parent company IAG, has partnered with Brisbane Sustainability Agency on a Climate Adaptive Homes project. The project is aimed at identifying, developing and testing a series of solutions and initiatives to help homeowners in South East Queensland communities be better prepared for severe weather events, such as storms, floods and bushfires.

With a pilot initiative planned to launch in 2021, the NRMA Insurance customer solution or initiative will make it easier for homeowners to take actions to reduce the risks to their property and make their homes more resilient to weather events. Brisbane Sustainability Agency and NRMA Insurance will work with community organisations and businesses to identify and develop these solutions or initiatives.

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