Free flood checks for more than 2,000 Brisbane businesses
Brisbane City Council's Flood Resilient Suburbs program offers free assessments to more than 2,000 businesses and to apartment complexes.
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Brisbane City Council has offered free flood-resilience help to more than 2,000 local businesses under the Flood Resilient Suburbs – Business Resilience Program, announced in December 2022.
What businesses get
The program expands the council's Flood Resilient Homes Pilot Program, which began in 2018. Eligible commercial properties can choose either:
- a free assessment by flood-resilience experts, with advice on physical changes or upgrades to the property, or
- a free Business Flood Continuity Plan, aimed at limiting disruption and financial stress.
The council said it would contact businesses that flooded in the February floods and invite them to join. The article announcing the program doesn't give a registration process or a funding amount. The Brisbane Sustainability Agency and Brisbane Economic Development Agency are delivery partners.
Apartments too
A companion Apartments Program offers a free Building Resilience Assessment, covering flood risks and design, engineering and construction options. It is aimed at complexes with basements in areas with a 50 per cent annual chance of overland or creek flooding, or a 1 per cent annual chance of river flooding.
Results so far
The council said 91 per cent of flood-affected participants in the original homes pilot gave positive feedback on their property's improved resilience.
Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said Brisbane is built on a floodplain "so we can't prevent flooding, but we can be better prepared."
This is as announced in December 2022. Check Brisbane City Council for whether the program is still open and who is eligible.