Flood Resilient Homes Program

Helping residents prepare for and recover from overland flow flooding by implementing flood-resilient building strategies in their homes.

About the program

The pilot Flood Resilient Homes Program is designed to help residents prepare for, live through and recover from overland flow flooding, and is currently active in locations across the city that have a history of this type of flooding.

Residents receive a free Home Service by flood-resilience experts, followed by recommendations which may include works to increase the flood resilience of a property funded through the Incentive Scheme. These works are designed by architects and undertaken by licensed builders and can range from raising power points to tiling floors and more extensive works. In most cases there is no cost to the property owner.

Flood-resilient design enables homeowners and residents to safely store belongings prior to a flood event, and easily clean, repair and quickly move back in after floods with minimal long-term disruption.

The Flood Resilient Homes Program is an initiative of Brisbane City Council, delivered in partnership with Brisbane Sustainability Agency.

What is overland flow flooding?

Overland flow is excess rainfall runoff from homes, driveways and other surfaces. Overland flow flooding is water that runs across the land after rain, either before it enters a creek or stream or after rising to the surface naturally from underground. Overland flow flooding tends to affect localised areas rather than the whole city at once.

Where is the program being piloted?

The program is being piloted in selected locations across the city that have a history of frequent and severe overland flow flooding. This pilot stage of the program is open to selected properties by invitation only.

Pilot areas have been selected because they are regularly and severely impacted by overland flow flooding. These areas have a 50% chance of flooding from overland flow every year and are located across the Brisbane Local Government Area, in the upper, middle and lower parts of catchments.

Eligibility

The Flood Resilient Homes Program is currently coordinating funded works for existing participants. However, the program is not currently taking new applicants.

If your property is vulnerable to flooding, we recommend considering flood-resilient building and design techniques and checking your eligibility for the Queensland Government’s Resilient Homes Fund.

What is the Resilient Homes Fund?

The Resilient Homes Fund provides funding to support eligible homeowners in Queensland severely impacted by the 2021-22 rainfall and flooding events. The program is funded jointly by the Commonwealth and Queensland governments under Category D of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. This is a separate initiative from Brisbane City Council’s Flood Resilient Homes Program.

For more information, visit the Queensland Government’s Resilient Homes Fund website.

What is involved

Participants are invited to join the program, consisting of three steps:

Home Service – a free in-home assessment of your property’s flood resilience.

Home Service Recommendations – the recommendations follow your Home Service and may include recommended building or design works to increase the flood resilience of your property.

Incentive Scheme – if any building or design recommendations have been made, properties may progress to the Incentive Scheme for financial assistance.

For more information on the program steps view the Program Journey. For more information about the program, read the Frequently Asked Questions and our Flyer.

What is flood-resilient design?

Flood-resilient design is the use of materials, construction systems and design types that can withstand substantial and multiple inundations of water by actively mitigating the effects and minimising the cost of flooding. Flood resilient design enables property owners to take action before a flood event, easily clean and quickly move back in after such an event with minimal long-term disruption. By implementing flood-resilient design measures, property owners can actively mitigate or minimise the effects of flooding.

View below for examples of flood-resilient design and building solutions in practice in a house:

Even if you are not eligible for the Flood Resilient Suburbs – Apartments Program, we strongly recommend investigating flood-resilient building and construction techniques for your building. To do this, view any of the resources below.

LEARN FLOOD RESILIENCE FOR HOUSE OWNERS

LEARN FLOOD RESILIENCE FOR APARTMENT BUILDINGS

LEARN FLOOD RESILIENCE FOR BUSINESSES

LEARN FLOOD RESILIENCE FOR BUILDERS & ARCHITECTS

What residents say

Nancy’s story

Peter’s story

Alisa’s story

Philip’s story

William & Rosey’s story

Flooding phone numbers

Life-threatening emergencies: 000
Brisbane City Council: 07 3403 8888
State Emergency Service (SES): 132 500
Energex (power lines): 13 19 62
Queensland Urban Utilities: 13 26 57 (13 23 64 for emergencies)
Community Recovery Hotline: 1800 173 349
Lifeline: 13 11 14

In the media

As floods worsen, some say it is time to rethink how Queenslanders build for the future

The Guardian 19 Mar 2022

The Guardian defines climate-resilience design and discusses how the Flood Resilient Homes Program has been successful for participants in the recent flood event.

Read

Rebuilding flood-resistant homes

ABC Radio 9 Mar 2022

Flood Resilient Homes Program participants Catherine and Margherita share how the work done on their property reduced the clean up after this year’s February flood.

Featuring program partner James Davidson, of local architecture firm, JDA Co.

Listen

Can a flood-resilient house program protect more homes like Rusty’s in future?

ABC News 18 Mar 2022

ABC News highlights how the Flood Resilience Homes Program have helped participants, like Rusty Adams, in the wake of the recent flood event and how Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner wants the program to be expanded.

Read