In response to the flood emergency of recent years, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), Master Builders Australia (MBA) and the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), supported by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) have convened the inaugural National Industry Roundtable: Land Use Planning and Resilience.

State governments, they say, must urgently overhaul their approach to land use planning to ensure no more homes are built without regard to risk on flood plains, organisations representing planners, builders and insurers said today.

Around 60 experts from government, financial services, property, and community joined the discussion, which called on state and territory governments when thinking about future housing challenges, to urgently rethink planning rules so no more homes are built in high-risk flood-prone locations.

The roundtable heard that all Australians are bearing the costs of worsening extreme weather events, and these costs are increasing because of historic planning decisions.

Andrew Hall, CEO Insurance Council of Australia says that, “The flood events of 2022, with almost 300,000 disaster-related claims costing around $7 billion, has driven up premiums and has resulted in affordability constraints for those at highest risk.”

“Without insurance, homeowners likely can’t access a mortgage, and that is the wrong direction for our country.”

With a housing crisis at the forefront for many communities and a growing population, we must ensure that our planning laws are fit for the future and take an appropriate risk-management approach,” says Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia.

“Governments are encouraged to take a balanced approach to development and resist a default of building out with alternative considerations such as building up to take the pressure off the housing system and supported with infrastructure that is more resilient and adaptable to extreme weather events.”

“Without fit for purpose planning laws technical building regulation will always fail. The housing industry needs clear and concise rules, that allow the industry to function and the community to have confidence,” she says.

CEO Planning Institute of Australia, Matt Collins, says that “Planning is a critical tool for influencing the level of future disaster risk, and our changing climate means we need to act now to limit the impact of extreme weather on our communities.”

“By adopting new risk-based policies and investing in better mapping and data, we can ensure development avoids or minimises exposure to flood hazards.”

“Australia’s town planners support governments taking clear action to ensure more climate-conscious planning systems, and this roundtable is an important step towards this goal,” he says.

Image: Getty Images

Branko Miletic

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