Eligibility and prioritisation for the Resilient Homes Program
Find out about who is eligible for the program and how the funding is prioritised.
Who is eligible for the Program?
The Resilient Homes Program provides financial support for prioritised homeowners to minimise their impact from future floods.
The Resilient Homes Program is available for homeowners who were impacted by the 2022 floods in the Central West or the Northern Rivers regions.
The following eligibility criteria must be met for the Program:
- the applicant must be the registered homeowner (owner-occupied or landlord) of a residential dwelling who owned in the following LGAs currently and immediately prior to the 2022 floods:
- Northern Rivers: Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Tweed
- Central West: Cabonne, Forbes, Lachlan, Parkes, Euabalong in Cobar
- the residential dwelling was directly impacted by either flood waters in the 2022 floods or landslide caused by the floods
- the residential dwelling:
- was used primarily for residential accommodation
- was not a moveable dwelling (other than a manufactured home that is privately owned by an individual)
- was not a tourist and visitor accommodation
- was not contained within a caravan park, and
- is not operated for commercial or business purposes where the use is not for housing (for example, a caravan park, hotel, motel).
How is the funding prioritised under the Program?
In addition to meeting the Program eligibility criteria, homes will be prioritised for funding based on the flood risk to the property, the amount of damage to the home and people’s circumstances.
Applications will be assessed by:
- Flood mapping identifying properties at greatest risk to life and damage to the property under most flood scenarios, including consideration of evacuation during flood events. This mapping has been developed by specialist flood consultancy, and has been developed in collating existing flood data and in consultation with local councils. The areas at highest risk have been determined based on a range of modelled flood scenarios, which have taken into account:
- how often flooding is likely to occur
- depth of the water
- how quickly the water flows
- how much warning time people might have to evacuate.
- how severe the impact of the flood/s were on the property, including properties assessed as destroyed, uninhabitable or structurally compromised; and
- a homeowner’s individual and exceptional circumstances.
For more information on individual and exceptional circumstances, you can download the Individual and Exceptional Circumstances Policy (PDF 136.34KB) and the Resilient Homes Program Guideline – Northern Rivers (PDF 331.34KB) orResilient Homes Program Guideline – Central West (PDF 339.24KB).
What does the mapping show?
The flood mapping and analysis indicates specific areas that pose the greatest risk to life in most floods. This information together with the amount of damage to the home and people’s circumstances will be used to prioritise homes for funding under the program.
The mapping identifies whether people may be eligible for:
Homes that have been identified as having a very high risk to life and property damage in frequent floods. These areas experience relatively frequent flooding, with deep, fast-moving water and have shorter warning times to enable people to evacuate. These homes have been prioritised for voluntary buyback.
These are homes that are likely to experience flooding on a frequent basis. The 1 in 20 chance per year flood (or the 5% annual exceedance probability) has guided the prioritisation of these homes into the Resilient Measures (including home raising, rebuild, relocation or retrofit). Homes will be assessed to determine their eligibility and prioritisation for this stream. By improving resilience, damage to these properties will be reduced in future floods.
In the Central West, homes that were impacted by the 2022 floods but are not as high risk in future flooding events as others in the region have been identified as eligible for free Home Assessments. A Home Assessment will provide advice on recommended measure/s suitable to the property to make it more resilient to future flooding. All homes that are eligible for Resilient Measures are also eligible for free Home Assessments.
Note: The prioritisation maps are based on flood risk information. Other information will also be used to understand risks and inform eligibility for the program. This could include information from the Home Assessments showing properties that were severely impacted or destroyed, specific property considerations or properties in rural areas, as well as individual and exceptional circumstances.
Flood mapping for the Central West
The maps use three different colours to show whether people may be eligible for Home Buybacks, Resilient Measures or Home Assessments.
Flood mapping for the Northern Rivers
The maps show four different colours to show the level of floor risk on a scale of 1 – 4, with 1 being at the highest flood risk. They also show the known floodplain extent, which appears as a white outline where shown.
Priority 1 or Priority 2 – Indicative Home Buyback Group A
Priority 3 – Indicative Home Buyback Group B
Priority 4 – Indicative suitable for Home Raising or Home Retrofit depending on the construction type of the home and if the floor level is lower than an estimated 1 in 20 chance per year flood level.
Outside priority areas 1 to 4 – Not currently proceeding under the Resilient Homes Program.
Richmond River
Tweed and Byron
Clarence River
Upper Clarence River
Murwillumbah
Mullumbimby
Tweed Heads
Byron Bay
Casino
Lismore
Ballina
Grafton
Yamba
Kyogle
Properties and locations that are not prioritised for the Resilient Homes Program
The criteria used to determine properties and locations that are not prioritised for this program are:
- properties that are not located within the affected local government areas in the Central West and Northern Rivers
- property’s primary purpose is business, commercial, primary producing
- caravan parks
- properties over 5 hectares (only relevant for Home Buyback )
properties valued over two million dollars (only relevant for Home Buyback).
Fact sheets and guidance
Find resources about the Resilient Homes Program in our publications and reports library
