Up to 1000 additional Queensland homeowners inundated by the major 2021-22 flooding events could now be eligible to access additional funding to raise their homes.
Expansions to the assessment criteria under the Palaszczuk Government’s nation-leading $741 million Resilient Homes Fund means more homeowners can apply for additional house-raising and retro fitting measures.
Additional funding will be available for up to 1000 homeowners who previously did not meet house raising criteria, but were instead assessed as eligible for funding under the resilient retrofit option.
The Palaszczuk Government broadened the criteria to enhance the reach and benefit of the program following feedback from impacted Queenslanders.
Households who previously registered their homes under the Resilient Homes Fund will now be eligible for funding under the House Raising Program, or can use funds originally intended for a resilient retrofit to instead raise their home.
The change comes as the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) launches a public register of contractors suitably qualified to carry out work under the Resilient Homes Fund.
More than 530 builders are listed on the RHF Contractor Register, which can be found at https://my.qbcc.qld.gov.au/s/resilient-home-fund
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Public Works and Procurement, Mick de Brenni:
“We know many in the community are still dealing with the lasting impacts of these devastating floods, which is why we are doing more for those impacted households.
“We’ve listened to Queenslanders and have broadened the criteria, meaning more Queenslanders can live in their homes and communities after flood waters recede without the stress of damaged or unsafe homes.
“Not only is this good news for flood affected Queenslanders, but it also means fewer insurance claims and lower premiums following extreme flooding in the future.
“We’ve also set up a new register of builders so Queenslanders accessing this additional support will be easily able to find the builders and tradies who are best suited to help them.
“This is about making it easier for homeowners to search for suitably licensed and qualified builders in their area, who are well equipped to get the job done.”
Quotes attributable to flood affected Deagon resident, Joshua Lind:
“This is going to make a lot of people very happy, making these changes.
“We lost everything in the floods - our cars, our contents, my work tools - absolutely everything.
“This announcement means a lot, because we didn’t want the risk of losing everything again, and this helps with the large financial burden we thought we’d have to face from raising our home.
“We had only been living in our home for six months before the floods, so it wasn’t an option for us to move afterwards. We love the area, so it’s about making it safe for us to live here into the future.
“I’m happy for myself and I’m extremely happy to hear it for a lot of people around me, in the area and on my street, who will be able to raise their homes in case of flooding in the future.”
Quotes attributable to flood affected Paddington resident, Laura Galeano:
“The changes that are coming through are really important for our family, it’s not really an option for us to build in knowing we could flood again.
“The fact that the department now recognises we are eligible means we have greater certainty when planning, which is about how we rebuild in a way that is suitable.
“The option would have been to move, but we love where we live and we don’t want to move, and with this $100 thousand, we know we have more flexibility.
“There’s nowhere else we want to go, we love where we live and we don’t want to leave.”
Quotes attributable to Adam Seager, Operations Manager at Raise My House:
"This is fantastic for registered homeowners, offering greater funding flexibility.
“While resilience retrofit works for many homeowners and their homes, many will welcome this change to improve their flood resilience.
“Expanding criteria ensures more homeowners can raise their home and gain peace of mind.
"It will also provide a pipeline of work for licensed contractors like me, and it’s important work, helping homeowners to rebuild their lives."
Explainer/fast fact and or further information:
The register can be found at: https://my.qbcc.qld.gov.au/s/resilient-home-fund
Information and resources for builders and contractors are available on the Resilient Homes Fund website on the “Support for Licensed Contractors” page: https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/financial-help-concessions/resilient-homes-fund/builders
