A strategy is a collection of actions that if implemented together, can reduce the risk of damage during a weather event or crisis.
Building your house based on a higher flood level than shown on the council maps may avoid inundation for even higher floods in the future.
This is a resilience measure. It increases the resilience of your house compared with the minimum requirements of building legislation in the National Construction Code.
For example, if your house has a flood level of 1.5 m above footings, design using a flood level of 2 m above footings.
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Actions
Building your home above the flood level can improve your flood resilience. By building above the predicted flood level you can reduce your risk of water inundating your home.
The 1% (also called 1 in 100 AEP) flood is used as the basis for flood planning levels. Most new houses are built 0.5 metres above this flood level (may be called freeboard). However, floors at this height may still be submerged by floodwaters in larger flood events.
Your local council will have the most accurate information on flooding in your community. They will have building policies and controls for their flood prone areas. These may go beyond the prescribed building standards for your State or Territory.
Use solid core doors in houses to limit potential water damage.
Solid core doors are constructed with a solid piece of material. For example, hardwood or engineered wood. This makes them more resistant to water damage. They’re less likely to warp, rot, or develop mould and mildew, even after prolonged exposure to moisture.
Hollow core doors are constructed with a cardboard-like material in the middle. This makes them highly susceptible to water damage during a flood.