130 Queensland homes bought back following 2022 flooding

More than 130 disaster-affected Queensland homes have been bought back following the devastating 2022 floods in the state’s South Easter, with as many as 500 eventually likely to be included in the scheme.

More than 130 disaster-affected Queensland homes have been bought back following the devastating 2022 floods in the state’s South East.

Acting Premier Steven Miles announced on Wednesday that more than 180 offers had now been made to homeowners under the buyback scheme, with 131 agreeing to sell up.

Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast, Gympie, Moreton Bay, and the Lockyer Valley are among the council areas where land has been bought.

“Most of these homeowners were affected by the floods last year – many also affected by earlier flooding events, especially 2011,” Mr Miles said.

Flooding in Rocklea, in Brisbane’s south, in February 2022. Picture: Liam Kidston

“The program is now allowing those homeowners to move on without the fear that every summer their home will be flooded.”

Mr Miles said at least 500 Queensland properties would likely be bought under the $741m program – which is being jointly funded by the state and federal governments.

Meanwhile, just over 100 grants have so far been given out for about $6m in house raising and retrofitting works to make other homes more flood resilient.

“Understandably, the process for raising and retrofitting does take longer. We need to finalise and agree on plans and funding amounts and source builders and contractors,” Mr Miles said.

“We would always like it to roll out faster, but we’ve always known that this process would take years.”

Acting Premier Steven Miles says 500 homes will be bought under the $741m program. Picture: Liam Kidston

Houses on the purchased properties will be demolished, before the land is transferred to local councils.

Local governments have already foreshadowed turning the properties into new parklands, conservation areas, and green corridors.

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority suggested in April last year that roughly 7800 homes were flood-impacted during the 2022 flood disaster, including an estimated 4000 deemed uninhabitable.

Valuation inspections for the buyback scheme are still taking place in about a dozen local government areas.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt with Luke Greaves at his flood-affected home in Rocklea. Picture: Liam Kidston

Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said a similar buy back scheme was introduced in the town of Grantham following the 2011 floods.

“We saw the benefits of that buy back program in the most recent floods where the people who had moved to higher ground in Grantham had managed to escape the flood waters this time around,” he said.

“And that’s what we want to see as a result of this program as well.”