Monitoring repairs, reconstruction and recovery following severe disaster events in Queensland

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) introduced Damage Assessment and Reconstruction Monitoring (DARM) in 2011 following a summer of disasters in 2010-11.

This period saw Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi and widespread flooding devastate much of Queensland, from the state’s Far North right down to the New South Wales border.

During its DARM operations, the QRA and partner agencies like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Queensland’s Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy (CHDE) and Australian Red Cross visit impacted communities to monitor and record the progress of reconstruction and recovery.

These periodic assessments are usually conducted every three months for up to a year after an event and focus on the damage and recovery progress of homes and properties.

In addition to reviewing the structural integrity of a property, DARM can help identify concerns with trades, insurance, and other psychosocial issues.

QRA is then able to engage with the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), impacted local governments and relevant state agencies, including CHDE, to ensure homeowners receive the assistance they need.

Damage assessments are an important part of recovery, helping to improve understanding on the needs and priorities of impacted communities during and after a disaster event.

Over the past decade DARM has become a business-as-usual task for officers of the QRA, and it’s now one of the core methods QRA relies on to monitor and support statewide disaster reconstruction and recovery efforts.

Following the widespread flooding seen across southern Queensland during February and March 2022, almost 8,700 homes and businesses were identified as damaged during initial rapid assessments.

Since then, three DARM operations have been carried out, with nearly 80 per cent of those 8,698 properties no longer showing signs of damage.

The most recent DARM operation took place in February and March 2023, with more than 3,600 properties visited across 15 local government areas.

For more information on QRA Damage Assessment and Reconstruction Monitoring head to www.qra.qld.gov.au/darm