Some 34 flood-impacted homeowners in Ipswich and Brisbane have now accepted the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s offer to buy back their home following the catastrophic floods earlier in the year.
In a statement, the Authority said there had been 25 offers accepted within Ipswich City Council area and nine in Brisbane.
“The homes will be bought back thanks to the $741 million Resilient Homes Fund, a jointly-funded initiative delivered through Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA),” the statement said.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt said it was a great outcome for the homeowners involved.
“Every property we can buy back through this program is a win for disaster resilience in Queensland and another step in ensuring we are better prepared for the next flood,” Senator Watt said.
“These Queenslanders, once vulnerable, can now look towards a brighter future without fear of rising flood waters.”
He said the number of acceptances would continue to increase in the coming days and weeks.
Minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Steven Miles said the Authority aimed to have all properties identified for valuation by the end of the year.
“We can’t stop floods from occurring, but we can take steps to reduce their impact and that’s why we put together the largest home resilience program of its kind to ever be delivered in Australia,” Dr Miles said.
“With $350 million allocated for our Voluntary Home Buy Back Program, we expect to be able to purchase roughly 500 homes.”
