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Redesign Your Property to be Flood Resilient

Practical building upgrades for flood resilience

There are some practical building upgrades you can take to make your home more flood resilient. Some ideas include:

  • wet-proofing the lower level of a home by installing polished concrete or tiled floors can significantly reduce clean up and recovery efforts following floods.
  • installing louvres in the walls of the lower level of your home to enable water to easily flow through the home during a flood and reduce damage.
  • widening the stairs from the lower level of your home to allow you to easily move furniture upstairs ahead of a flood to protect your possessions.

For some ideas on possible flood resilient home features click the hotspots on the home below, then talk to a licensed builder or architect about what measures could be incorporated into your home.

(Acknowledgement: James Davidson Architect, Woolloongabba, Queensland)

We can learn a lot from our northern neighbours

Queensland is the most disaster impacted state in Australia, with flooding being the disaster event that happens most frequently.  They have a Reconstruction Authority and this department has done the work and published information to help people improve their home's flood resilience.

We can’t stop floods from occurring, but we can take steps to reduce their impact. Flood resilient design is one of the many ways Queenslanders can build their resilience to floods. It involves adapting the design, construction and materials incorporated into buildings to minimise damage caused by floodwaters.

The Flood Resilient Building Guidance for Queensland Homes provides information about improving the flood resilience of new and existing Queensland homes.

The guideline is based on lessons learned through consultation with the building industry, local governments and Queensland Government agencies.

It provides information about reducing the impact of floods on Queensland homes and families. It is suitable for building industry professionals, state and local authorities, and owners of residential properties in flood prone areas across Queensland.

It also provides clear guidance on flood resilient design principles, strategies, construction details, materials and the expected benefits and costs of flood resilient design.

(Acknowledgement: James Davidson Architect, Woolloongabba, Queensland)

Click the link below to read more and access the Flood Resilient Building Guidance for Queensland Homes PDF that provides guidance on resilient design and construction materials for new and existing homes.

Facebook resources for sharing flood adaptation information and giving and receiving donations

If you use Facebook here are some pages and groups involved with the community flood response:

Mullum Cares has created a group specifically to share information like this blog post and for community to contribute their ideas and experience of flood resilient building materials and furniture:

Build Back Better Northern Rivers 

If you have donations of the following items but they need repair: hardwood timber furniture, washing machines, fridges, power tools and mowers send a message via Facebook (with a photo if that's easy) to:

Repair Cafe Mullumbimby

If you have other items in need of repair such as other white goods, small kitchen appliances and push bikes please hold these until the Repair Cafe can secure more space.

If you have donations in great condition Facebook marketplace and these Fb groups are great ways to not just donate the item but also the time and effort required to get a donation from you into the hands of a person in need.

Unconditional Giving & Receiving Byron & Byron Shire Urgent Flood Assistance

The Library of Stuff is offering FREE memberships to flood impacted locals and are always keen to receive donations of items in great condition that are helpful to people to borrow for a week or two at a time.   All info can be found on their website libraryofstuff.org.au or Fb:

Library of Stuff Mullumbimby

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