Unlike his neighbours,Mr Bowstead and Bear returned home the next day thanks to the floodproofing he had installed. It is estimated the floods destroyed 5000 properties in Queensland and NSW.
Sam Bowstead and his cat Bear were evacuated from their Queenslander style home. They managed to return the next day because of measures taken by Mr Bowstead,a flood resilience expert,that reduced damage.Sam Bowstead
After revelations NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts before construction,architects like Mr Bowstead are calling for clearer rules on where to build and how to protect properties and people.
They also want NSW to introduce which are considered to be the gold standard around Australia.
Three metres above the ground,Mr Bowstead’s house survived relatively unscathed. Renovations to the undercroft by Mr Bowstead,who works with flood,fire and resilience experts JDA Co,helped.
He had removed cavities in walls,and allowed “the water to flow through” rather than pooling and turning into mould and stench. He had also replaced downstairs walls with water-resistant wood,and moved hot water heaters and other electrical outlets out of water’s reach.
Mr Roberts revoked a directive by former minister Robert Stokes,which many developers claimed added costs and red tape. Mr Roberts cited delays in the supply of affordable housing in NSW that would have been further impeded by the directive.
Mr Stokes had directed the planning department,councils and developers to manage the risk of climate change,including extreme weather events like the recent floods,before approving developments.
The NSW Greens on Tuesday introduced a bill in Parliament that reflected many of Mr Stokes’ principles.
Guidance for building in areas at risk of flood or fire in the proposed new Design and Place SEPP.supplied
NSW Greens planning spokesperson Jamie Parker said without rules to ensure decision-makers acknowledged the climate crisis there would be more developments that were unsuitable to cope with floods,heatwaves and bushfires.
“One minister shouldn’t be able to revoke sustainability principles across the whole planning system with the stroke of a pen. In the face of devastating floods in the Northern Rivers we urgently need a planning system that is fit for purpose,” Mr Parker said.
Sustainability principles should be built into the planning system and given strong statutory protections,he said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said on Tuesday existing planning rules continued to be developed to help build resilient communities.
“Our flood-prone land package came into effect in July 2021 and we’ve been working with councils and government agencies to guide the development of more resilient buildings,” the spokesperson said. “We will be assisting the independent 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry to ensure the best outcome for NSW.”
Architects and developers have been told that Mr Roberts intends to scrap or significantly modify the new Design and Place State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) that has been developed by the NSW Architect in consultation with the industry for more than two years.
The document proposes to mitigate risks associated with development in land vulnerable to bushfires or floods. It recommends density be located away from vulnerable areas such as flood-prone land.
The president of the Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action Jo Dodds said her members who had been through floods and fires were in disbelief about Mr Roberts’ move when people were “still mopping up and mourning loved ones.”
“Where’s the duty of care? Where’s the logic in putting homes into risk zones without any regard for the consequences?” she asked.
Ms Dodds said the Design and Place SEPP would require new homes to have adequate ventilation and other aspects of liveability and basic comfort. “We’re seeing a major outbreak of black mould in homes across Sydney right now... That’s a direct consequence of two things – homes built to substandard quality and a rapidly changing climate.”
The proposed Design and Place SEPP,still under review,aimed to bring “beauty and quality” to the forefront of planning,arguing better-designed homes – with more ventilation,adequate sunlight,green spaces,and that were more comfortable in winter and summer – were more likely to win approval and support.
Announcing the SEPP,the former minister Mr Stokes said,“Great places aren’t always the product of rules and regulation,they are the result of place-based design that puts communities at their heart.”
The national president of the Australian Institute of Architects Tony Giannone said it was time for change to ensure that in delivering what residents need “we are not doing so at the cost of lives and livelihoods in the future”.
That required clearer communication between government and the construction sector,moves to remove blockages in the supply chain,improved planning for the future with clearer standards and codes to protect consumers,and a set of controls for floodplains aimed at building back better and more resilient.
Mr Bowstead,whose architectural firm provides advice to councils and residents in flood zones across Australia,said more needed to be done to provide guidance on where and how homes should be built. “We have obviously got an issue,look at how much damage there has been in the past few weeks. We know there is an answer.”
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