Funding
Funding for House Raising and Relocations
The Australian Federal and State Governments have recognised that investment in flood mitigation as compared to clean up and rebuild makes commercial sense with $1 of spend on flood mitigation saving $8+ in costs associated with a flood event[1].
Australian State and Federal Governments have teamed up on a 50:50 basis to provide grants in many flood affected areas which can help you get your home elevated or relocated out of the flood zone with a significant reduction in out-of-pocket cost. We can assist you in finding and navigating the grant programs which may qualify you for elevation or relocation funds.
Queensland
The Queensland and Australian Governments have developed the Resilient Homes Fund to help Queenslanders across 39 local government areas whose homes were impacted by the 2021-2022 floods.
The aim of the program is to help as many Queenslanders as possible with the funding available. You can apply for funding of up to $100,000 towards the cost of home raising. If the cost of the works is estimated to exceed $100,000, you will be required to co-contribute on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
For example:
A raise costing $120,000 would receive a grant consisting of:
the base funding of $100,000
then a further $10,000 co-contribution from the Fund. You, the homeowner, will also be required to contribute $10,000.
To qualify for a Queensland grant, you need to first register your interest through the Queensland Government’s (Department of Energy and Public Works) website.
Registration of interest is necessary to be considered for grant funding; to secure your place in the queue and to start the process. It also provides awareness of those in need.
Registration of interest IS NOT A COMMITMENT to raise your house; it is purely an expression of interest to be considered for the grant program. Registration of interest must be undertaken by the homeowner, but Mammoth is here to help guide you along the way.
Once registered, your application will be assessed for eligibility, you will be contacted and your application moved into the process which is broadly summarised below:
Assessment Process
Run by the Department of Energy and Public Works
Step 1: Homeowner registers interest in receiving funding.
Step 2: An initial eligibility check of registrations is completed.
Step 3: A Home Assessment is completed to confirm eligibility and identify suitable resilience options.
Step 4: A Home Assessment Report is provided to the homeowner, raising awareness of flood risks and identifying resilience options to consider.
Implementation Process
Run by Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority
Step 5: Homeowner seeks quotes for works from licensed contractor/s and formally applies for funding via the Queensland Rural and Industry Development’s (QRIDA) website portal (https://applyonline.qrida.qld.gov.au/). Creating a profile on that site will be required.
Step 6: Homeowner notified of funding approval, after our team reviews quote, checks all eligibility requirements are met and is satisfied that the quote represents value for money.
Step 7: Homeowner enters into a funding agreement with the Queensland Government and a contract with a licenced contractor to complete the works.
Step 8: Resilient Homes Fund payments are made directly to the licenced contractor in accordance with agreed milestones.
Step 9: Upon completion of works our resilience experts will visit the home to verify works have been completed before making final payment.
Step 10: An Outcomes Report is provided to the homeowner detailing resilience outcomes achieved through the Resilient Homes Fund.
New South Wales
The Commonwealth and New South Wales Government joint funding was announced in late October 2022. The funding will support residential homeowners impacted in the 2022 floods, in the seven Local Government Areas of Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed.
Information sessions were held in early November 2022 where the public were informed that the Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Fund package provides for financial assistance similar to that provided in Queensland. Grants of up to $100,000 for house raising are available for homeowners in areas where flood risk can be reduced by raising. Where the cost of the works exceeds $100,000, the home owner will be required to co-contribute on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
For example:
A raise costing $140,000 would receive a grant consisting of:
the base funding of $100,000
then a further $20,000 co-contribution from the Fund. You, (the homeowner), will be required to contribute the remaining $20,000.
The NSW grants are administered by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC). To qualify for a NRRC grant, you need to first register your interest through their website. From there you will be assigned a case manager who will be your single point of contact for navigating through the grant process.
The NRRC has identified a red zone which covers areas based on a 20% Annual Exceedance Probability, (essentially a 1 in 5 year flood interval). In these areas buy back grants are being offered. For those areas, the NRRC will support the relocation of houses to new lots to facilitate the recovery process. Mammoth can provide that service to you as an alternative to house raising.
Key to the NRRC program is that each application is looked at on a case by case basis rather than a simple desktop assessment. In this way every homeowner receives a fair assessment of eligibility.
Registration of interest is necessary to secure your place in the queue and to start the process. It also provides awareness of those in need.
Eligibility for grants is independent of whether you have flood insurance or whether you have received a payout from an insurance company.
Registration of interest IS NOT A COMMITMENT to raise or relocate your house; it is purely an expression of interest to be considered for the grant program. Registration of interest is extremely simple – literally a 5 minute process.
Once registered, your application will be assessed for eligibility, you will be contacted and your application moved into the process.
Note that if you have already registered for the Flood Property Assessment Program, delivered by NSW Public Works and Johns Lyng Group, then you are already registered and will be contacted to discuss your options automatically.
South Australia
Commonwealth and South Australian Government joint funding of $126.5 million was announced in January 2023 for People and Homes as well as Business, farmers and Industry in flood affected areas.
The package includes $60 million to clean up hazardous waste, $10 million to assess properties and reconnect their services, and grants of $50,000 for flood-affected businesses and $75,000 for flood-affected primary producers.
The nine local government areas eligible for funding are Alexandrina Council, Berri Barmera Council, Coorong District Council, District Council of Karoonda East Murray, District Council of Loxton Waikerie, Mid Murray Council, Murray Bridge Council, Pastoral Unincorporated Area and Renmark Paringa Council.
Further measures being provided through a separate funding process include $5 million for a range of activities relating to flood mitigation and recovery for impacted councils, and $250,000 for mentors for rural businesses and financial counselling support for families.
The funding announcements appear to fall short of provision of grants to assist with house raising or relocation as a surgical approach to future flood mitigation. Mammoth Movers will monitor developments in this space and will update this website and provide further links as further information comes available.
For those who wish to move forward with mitigation against future events options through your bank such as equity drawdown may be worthy of consideration.
Victoria
Despite flooding events in Victoria including significant portions of townships such like Rochester being subjected to repetitive flooding events in more recent times.
Mammoth Movers is not aware of any current funding being offered to Victorian flooded affected property owners or occupiers for future flood mitigation works such as house raising or relocation to higher ground. In this respect, the State is languishing relative to other flood impacted regions of the country.
Mammoth Movers will be watching for future announcements of funding for house raising or relocation as a surgical approach to future flood mitigation and will update this website and provide relevant links as further information comes available.
For those who want to move forward with mitigation against future events options through your bank such as equity drawdown may be worthy of consideration.
Equity Drawdown
For those homeowners which have no or small loans outstanding on their property, it may be possible to redraw or extend your loan to enable you to undertake house raising works. This opportunity is unlikely to be available for house relocation projects as the mortgage is applied to the current house and land. However this provides an opportunity to raise your house, thereby reducing the risk of future flooding, restoring and most likely increasing the value of your property and enabling some time independence from the grant process.