Resilient Homes Program frequently asked questions

Answers to frequently asked questions about the Resilient Homes Program.

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About the Resilient Homes Program

What is the Resilient Homes Program?

The Resilient Homes Program is providing financial support for rebuilding with flood hardened materials, house raising and voluntary buybacks to build greater resilience to future flooding within impacted communities. 

The Australian and NSW Governments announced the Resilient Homes Program on 28 October 2022. 

The NSW Reconstruction Authority commenced customer and community outreach from November 2022.

What activities will be funded under the Resilient Homes Program?

The Resilient Homes Program will offer prioritised homeowners one of the three available streams: 

  • Home buybacks – the homeowner receives a payment for the purchase of their house and land; or 
  • Home raising – funding is committed to elevate liveable areas above a property-specific flood level; or 
  • Home retrofit – funding is committed to retrofit and/or repair liveable areas to improve the resilience of these areas for future floods. 

These streams are prioritised based on flood mapping informed by the most up-to-date data from councils, NSW SES and other sources.   

What is the timeframe to complete the program?

Home Buyback, Home Raising and Home Retrofit offers are already proceeding and are prioritised based homes that are at the greatest risk to life under most flood scenarios.  

Based on the scale of the work involved, access to labour and materials, it is anticipated the Resilient Homes Program will be funded and delivered in phases over approximately five years.

Can homeowners still register for the program?

Homeowners can register using the online homeowner registration application form. 

If you require assistance filling out the online form, please arrange a time to visit one of our pop-ups or to have someone aid over the phone by calling 1800 844 085. A Case Manager can provide you with support and advise what information to attach to your application.

From Monday 4 September 2023 if you apply for the Flood Property Assessment Program (FPAP) or Disaster Relief Grant (DRG) and have not applied for the Resilient Homes Program you will need to complete a separate registration for the Resilient Homes Program. 

If you were engaged in the FPAP or DRG programs before Monday 4 September 2023 you will be contacted automatically and do not need to complete a registration for the RHP.   A case manager will contact you to request further information via a Smarty Grants form. 

Please note your eligibility under the Resilient Homes Program is not affected by your participation in the Flood Property Assessment Program.

What is the process once a homeowner has registered with the Resilient Homes Program?

This process is dependent on which stream a homeowner is prioritised for.  

More information about the stages of Home Buyback, Home Raising or Home Retrofit is available in the following fact sheets: 

How are homes being prioritised?

New flood mapping and analysis has been released to support the roll out of the Resilient Homes Program and will be used to prioritise Home Buybacks, Home Raisings and Home Retrofits. 

Homes being prioritised under the Resilient Homes Program present the greatest risk to life to both residents and emergency response agencies sent to evacuate or rescue them. 

The NSW Reconstruction Authority’s method for determining the location of prioritised homes includes where the risk to life is greatest under most flood scenarios and are likely to be inundated by high and fast floodwaters.  

For more information, please refer to the Fact Sheet – Prioritisation of Homes (PDF 339.16KB). 

What homes are being prioritised for a Home Buyback?

The new flood mapping and analysis indicates specific areas across the Northern Rivers which pose the greatest risk to life in most floods and therefore will be the first priority for Home Buybacks.  

Homes being prioritised for a Home Buyback are in areas with more frequent, high and fast floods. There is a severe risk of future flood damage and a high risk to life in these areas. This includes the greatest risk to life to both residents and emergency response agencies sent to rescue them. 

For more information, please refer to the Fact Sheet – Home Buyback (PDF 139.24KB).

What homes are being prioritised for a Home Raising or Home Retrofit?

Home Raising and Home Retrofit are to reduce economic damage to homes and contents in the floodplain by making homes more flood resilient.   

Homes prioritised under these streams have been assessed as a likely to moderate risk of future flood damage, based on flood mapping and analysis. 

For more information, please refer to the Fact Sheet – Home Raising and Home Retrofit. (PDF 173.16KB)

I have been offered a Home Raising or Home Retrofit - can I receive a Home Buyback instead?

Unfortunately, no. Homes prioritised for Home Raising or a Home Retrofit do not meet the same risk level as a home prioritised for a Buyback.  

Based on the flood mapping and analysis, Home Buybacks are for homes which pose the greatest risk to life in most floods. 

The Resilient Homes Program is being prioritised in this way to address the greatest risk to life in most floods, while making sure the NSW Reconstruction Authority can distribute funding currently available under the Resilient Homes Program.

Homeowners can request an internal review or an appeal which has been established to enable homeowners to appeal RHP decisions. Learn more by reading the Appeals Policy Process. (PDF 143KB) 

Why is prioritisation needed?

Many homeowners in the Northern Rivers region were affected by the devastating floods of 2022. The Resilient Homes Program has been set up to help reduce the greatest risk to life and damage to homes caused by future floods in the Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and the Tweed Local Government Areas. 

Home Buyback, Home Raising and Home Retrofit offers are being prioritised using flood mapping and analysis to address the greatest risk to life under most flood scenarios. This includes risk to life to both residents and emergency response agencies sent to rescue them.  

The method for determining the location of prioritised homes includes where the risk to life is greatest under most flood scenarios and are likely to be inundated by high and fast floodwaters.  

Prioritisation also helps the NSW Reconstruction Authority distribute funding currently available under the Resilient Homes Program.

Who developed the flood mapping?

An external consultant who specialises in natural hazards and resilience has been engaged to develop the flood mapping and analysis. 

The flood hazard analysis has been defined in accordance with the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience Guideline. More information can be found via the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR).

Additionally, the NSW Reconstruction Authority worked with specialist flood experts and a cross-government Flood Expert Advisory Panel including representatives from:    

  • New South Wales (NSW) Department of Planning and Environment  
  • Infrastructure NSW  
  • NSW State Emergency Service  
  • NSW Reconstruction Authority.   
What data sources have been used to develop the flood mapping?

Data from a range of existing sources has been carefully compiled and reviewed to develop the flood mapping and analysis including:    

  • flood studies prepared by local councils across the region 
  • information from a regional-scale flood model which covers rural areas where no council flood studies exist  
  • council survey data indicating the floor levels of homes which can be used to determine whether flood water is likely to enter a home in different scenarios  
  • flood records on the impacts of the 2022 flood on homes from the NSW State Emergency Service and other government and community sources.  

This is the most comprehensive flood mapping and analysis available in the Northern Rivers and shows the relative risk to life for each neighbourhood. 

The flood mapping and analysis is based on the best data currently available and will continue change over time as flood studies are updated and new information is produced.

How does flood mapping work?

Read more about the flood mapping and analysis released to support the roll out of the Resilient Homes Program. 

 

How does the Resilient Homes Fund and Resilient Homes Program address the recommendations of the independent 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry Report?

The Resilient Homes Fund addresses key recommendations of independent 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry report including: 

  • Commencing a phased program to migrate people off the highest-risk areas of the Lismore and other Northern Rivers floodplains, through a significantly expanded voluntary house purchase scheme; 
  • Providing fair and adequate compensation for landowners wishing to relocate from high-risk flood-impacted areas through house buybacks; and 
  • Enabling new homes to be located away from high-risk areas, or to be raised or retrofit to increase the likelihood of withstanding a future flood event. 
What can people do if they disagree with the Authority's decision?

Homeowners can request an internal review or submit an appeal on one or more of the RHP decisions, being:

  • a homeowner is not prioritised for the Resilient Homes Program
  • a homeowner does not agree with the stream which the NSW Reconstruction Authority assessed as the most appropriate 
  • a homeowner disagrees with the amount of a buyback offer; or 
  • homeowner disagrees with the scope of works proposed. 
What support is available for registered home owners?

The NSW Reconstruction Authority will continue to support homeowners and communities across the Northern Rivers via:  

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