Home demolitions begin on Fraser Coast following voluntary buy-backs

The voluntary buy-back of flood-impacted homes is not only giving Fraser Coast families a safer future but is also set to benefit local business and building projects.

Demolition works have now begun in Maryborough on homes bought back under the Voluntary Home Buy-Back Program, part of the $741 million Resilient Homes Fund.

This jointly funded initiative is being delivered through Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), with 11 contracts of sale settled for buy-back on the Fraser Coast.

The voluntary purchase of these properties following the disastrous floods of 2022 will allow families to move on with their lives, out of high-risk flood zones.

The subsequent removal of the properties is involving local businesses like D & M Hose asbestos and demolition specialists, who will break down the homes and lead the land rehabilitation, supported by other local plumbing and electrical contractors.

A unique feature of this process on the Fraser Coast are plans to reuse materials from the homes bought back.

According to D & M, most materials from the properties can be utilised by other Queensland homeowners or recycled, including weatherboards, cornices, skirting boards, roofing iron, even the concrete in steps or slabs.

Once the demolition and material recovery process is complete, the land will then be rezoned to an appropriate, non-occupied use such as green space, meaning it will never be built on again.

Around 350 offers have now been accepted through the Voluntary Home Buy-Back Program, and almost 170 of these contracts have settled.

In total, more than 6,000 homeowners have registered for the Resilient Homes Fund, which remains open for Queensland homeowners affected by the floods of 2021-22.