Happy to be on higher ground

BRICK by brick, house by house, Grantham is being rebuilt.

The first house was moved into the new Grantham Estate yesterday. . Picture: Contributed

BRICK by brick, house by house, Grantham is being rebuilt.

The first house was moved into place yesterday, joining a nearly completed Lockyer Valley Regional Council display house and a number of private residences.

A truck carried Grantham resident Bill Jones' flood-affected house from its location in old Grantham up the hill to its new home on the hill yesterday morning.

Mr Jones said he was glad to see his house safe above the flood levels on the new estate.

"People down here now see a house on the subdivision, which makes it a reality and shows them it can happen and more and more of it will happen in the future," he said.

Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones said the movement was the beginning of a safer era for residents of the town.

"This first house being moved really is at the cornerstone of the original idea of the estate - moving homes out of harm's way up on to safe ground," Cr Jones said.

"All along we've wanted people to be able to live in a safe environment where they know when it rains there is no chance they can be flooded.

"We also welcomed the assistance provided by Main Roads in allowing transportation of the home, particularly with the installation of a temporary crossing of the railway line and we look forward to a permanent overpass being in place soon to link the new and old Grantham."

The Lockyer Valley council is in the preliminary planning stages for the land it now owns in the flood zone, with the most likely uses including parklands, community market gardens and farming.

Originally published as Happy to be on higher ground