Gympie council tweaks rules to help homeowners after 2022 floods

Almost two thirds of homeowners impacted by the 2022 floods don’t want to move. A shift in council building height limits will keep them safe from the muddy Mary River floodwaters but change the Gympie skyline.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig and his council have approved changes to some of the region’s planning rules, allowing for buildings to be raised above a maxiumum of 8.5m provided the change did not impact the city’s aesthetics.

Residential buildings heights in Gympie have been relaxed in flood prone areas of the city after hundreds of homes were inundated in the 2022 floods.

A majority of the Gympie victims of the near-record February 2022 flood have opted to stay at the same location but build up, according to applications made to the Resilient Homes Fund.

Latest figures from the state government reveal 105 of the 162 active Gympie region registrations of interest made with the Fund were for either raising buildings or rebuilding them with better protection.

Raising was the preferred choice, with 56 expressions of interest.

Of the remaining registrations, 29 were for potential buybacks and another 28 homeowners remained unsure which route to take.

Movement within the scheme was at a crawl, though.

As of Monday, February 27, 2023, there had been 13 offers to buy homes back presented (with five settled), while eight homeowners had sourced quotes from licensed builders and submitted applications for rebuilds.

Almost two thirds of homeowners affected by the 2022 floods in Gympie want to stay put and either raise their homes, or rebuild with better protection, according state government flood recovery restoration data. Picture: Infinity Flights Photography,

At a council meeting on February 22, changes were approved which would soften an 8.5m limit on the maximum height houses could be raised, within limits.

Staff said in the report on the changes tabled at the meeting, raising an existing dated building by extending the height of supporting stumps may achieve flood immunity, it may not have the desired outcome from an amenity and aesthetic consideration.

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The changes apply to applications to move houses to higher ground within properties, too.

The widespread nature of the disaster, which stretched from the Fraser Coast to Northern New South Wales, has caused delays to flood recovery efforts as a result of supply and worker shortages. Picture: Infinity Flights Photography.

However a Resilient Homes Fund spokesman said no applications to raise houses in Gympie had been lodged yet.

“Some homeowners have told us they are experiencing delays clarifying levels of insurance cover and that there are ongoing challenges sourcing building quotes,” the spokesman said.

“The program team has been working closely with insurers and the building industry to promote the program and understand challenges such as supply chain disruptions and skills shortages.

“Our assessors have also been talking individually to homeowners and helping them through the process.”

The scheme has forced Gympie Regional Council to tweak its own rules.

Across the state there were 5923 registrations received by the scheme, the Fund spokesman said.

“Of the 4925 still involved in various stages of the program, 13.2 per cent expressed interest in a buyback, 29.85 per cent in raising and 40.53 per cent in a resilient retrofit,” he said.

The scale of the devastation has created its own problems with reports thousands of residents across Queensland remain in limbo, or are homeless.

The scheme is jointly funded by the state and federal governments.