Relocation, relocation: Grantham shows that retreat from floodplains is possible
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ockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor Tanya Milligan has seen her region flooded multiple times, was involved in the landmark relocation of Grantham in 2011 and has been fortunate as rising waters have stopped short within centimetres of the front door. The record flooding and rainfall catastrophe this year has affected a swathe of Queensland and NSW, with Lismore and other communities now dealing with questions similar to those faced by the small town of Grantham a decade ago. “It is heartbreaking. I have been in local government since 2000 and I have certainly had my fill of floods and bushfires,” Ms Milligan tells Insurance News. “It is a really difficult space for not just communities that have experienced the loss and trauma of such an event, but you have to acknowledge too it is hard for those people who are on the ground trying to assist and to get people back on their feet. It is a hard space all round for everybody.” The relocation of Grantham in 2011 came after more than 100 properties were destroyed and damaged as a torrent termed an inland tsunami swept buildings from foundations. A 935-acre site on higher ground was purchased, voluntary property land-swaps organised, and the federal and state governments tipped in $18 million in a project hailed for its speed and successful delivery. Managed retreat, a controversial option in flood
June/July 2022
mitigation, has gained prominence again as this year’s events add urgency to questions about the best way to rebuild after catastrophes and how Australia should prepare for the future. Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) data shows flood claims have cost more than $22 billion since 1970, with this year’s record-breaking events driving more than $4.3 billion of the total. Nationally, about one million properties are estimated to be flood prone. In Lismore, some 3045 residential, commercial and industrial buildings were directly affected by abovefloor inundation when the February 28 floods hit, a city council discussion paper says. Parts of the city were under water again weeks later and wet weather has persisted. “We simply can’t continue to repair and rebuild. The cost of these events is massive and therefore we need to do something about it,” Lismore City Council General Manager John Walker told a community meeting last month. “It’s time for a rethink about how we adapt, mitigate and live with the flood risk.” Climate change is leading to more extreme and frequent rain events, and the city is becoming uninsurable, with consequences for residential areas, business confidence and investment, he says. The council discussion paper has proposed a retreat from high-risk residential areas in North and South Lismore. Mitigation to protect the central business
