Tony Buckles one of hundreds waiting for outcome of flood buyback scheme

Almost six months after the 2022 flood decimated 800 Gympie homes and businesses, local families wanting in on the $741m State flood buyback scheme are still waiting. Here is the latest.

The State Government has revealed more than 26 Gympie homeowners want to have their flood-prone homes bought back following the disastrous floods of 2022.

Figures released by the Energy and Public Works Department have revealed 156 Gympie region residents have been fund eligible for assistance under its $741m Resilient Homes Program.

Of these, 26 expressed interest in the home buy back scheme, while 45 had inquired about rebuilding.

Sixty more were looking for their houses to be raised.

The remaining 25 were unsure what they wanted to do, a Department spokesperson said.

About 800 homes across the Gympie region were impacted by the February 2022 flood, which reached almost 23m.

More than 800 Gympie properties were reportedly impacted by the February 2022 floods, with 156 residents deemed eligible under the State Government’s resilience scheme, which allows for homes to be bought back, rebuilt or raised.

Just north of Gympie, 67 Fraser Coast residents were deemed eligible for the scheme, including 10 seeking to have their home bought back, 16 looking for a rebuild, and 22 interested in having theirs raised.

The remaining 19 were unsure.

The figures across Gympie and the Fraser Coast accounted for only 5 per cent of the 3943 inquiries deemed eligible under the scheme.

Eleven per cent of these (445) were for buybacks while more than half (1542) were for rebuilds.

Gympie couple Tony and Shirley Buckles have registered under the scheme.

Southside couple Tony and Shirley Buckles are halfway through the process of having their home assessed for eligibility under the State Government’s flood buyback scheme.

The Buckles lost everything when their home was submerged to the roofline in the February 2022 disaster.

Mr Buckles said they were now approaching stage three of the four-stage process.

Unfortunately, when the end would arrive was still unknown.

“No-one can tell you how long it’s going to take,” Mr Buckles said.

“Just reaching stage two doesn’t mean you’re going to get anything.”

Gympie MP Tony Perrett was concerned with the speed of the scheme as well.

Mr Perrett said there had been minimal movement even though it had been almost half a year since the disasters.

Sixty seven Fraser Coast residents have been ruled eligible under the State Government’s program, including 10 seeking to have their home bought back.

“What is concerning is that the Federal and State Labor Governments have been incredibly slow with the rollout of the program,” Mr Perrett said.

“No homes have been bought back and people right across Gympie and southeast Queensland are waiting.

“Minister de Brenni confirmed during Estimates that people will still be waiting next year.

“Unfortunately, the program lacks detail which leads to concerns about the implications such as who is liable for the block or who is responsible for maintaining residential blocks where the home has been bought back.

“There are still far too many unanswered questions about how this scheme will work.”

He did giving homeowners a choice on whether to stay or sell.

“The location of houses in flood prone areas is our legacy of historical planning issues,” Mr Perrett said.

Residents interested in the scheme can register at the State Government’s website.