With each flood event, the tricky reality of Brisbane’s geography becomes more clear. Much of the city is built on floodplain and insurance is becoming increasingly unaffordable. The Queensland government [is] identifying ‘no-go zones’ for future development. The guidelines are yet to be implemented.
Nicole Bennetts, Queensland and Northern Territory manager for the Planning Institute of Australia, says it was time to talk about what she called “back zoning” more of the city. “It’s a really tricky topic, because it means taking away development rights, or property rights from people that have held property for a long time,” she says.
More than $1bn of state and commonwealth funding has been put toward retrofitting, raising, or buying back homes in flood-prone areas.