Applications open for assistance to strengthen North Queensland homes

Applications have now opened for another phase of the Palaszczuk Government’s Household Resilience Program, an initiative that helps North Queenslanders protect their homes from extreme weather.

Minister for Energy and Public Works said the highly successful program provides financial assistance for low-income households in cyclone-prone regions to strengthen their homes.

“We can’t control Mother Nature, but we can control how resilient our homes are, and that is why the Palaszczuk Government is investing $20 million to help make Queensland homes more resilient to storms and cyclones,” Mr de Brenni said.

“In the first two phases, we helped 3,525 low-income households replace roofs and doors, reinforce windows and tie down external structures.

“Those people are now living in homes much more resistant to storm and cyclone damage, while many have also reaped a side benefit of reduced insurance premiums.

“These first two phases were oversubscribed, so I urge eligible homeowners to get in quickly to make sure they don’t miss out.”

The program funds 75 per cent of eligible improvements valued up to $15,000 total project value, with the homeowner paying the remaining 25 per cent.

“What this means is we’ll cover up to a maximum of $11,250, with the balance paid by the applicant,” said Mr de Brenni.

To be eligible, homeowners must meet an income test and live in a home built before 1984 within 50kms of the coastline, from Bundaberg north to Cape York and west to the Northern Territory border.

The program also boosted local businesses, with the first two phases injecting almost $61 million into the northern Queensland economy. Local contractors were used by 94 per cent of grant recipients.

“The continuation of the Household Resilience Program is great news for small businesses, contractors and tradies right along the northern Queensland coastline,” Mr de Brenni said.

“We had reports from the first two phases of funding that some businesses had gained the equivalent of a year’s work in some regions.

“In particular, regional roofing companies received a huge boost, as roofing works were by far the most popular option for people seeking to better protect their homes.

“This meant new jobs were created for tradies and labourers, as well as opportunities right through the product and support supply chains.

“In the smaller regional centres, the flow-on effect of this money was multiplied and spread right through the communities.”

Mr de Brenni said most insurance companies were happy to reassess premiums once resilience works were completed.

“In Phase 2 we saw an average reduction of 9 per cent in insurance premiums for homeowners who took part in the program,” he said.

“For low-income earners, that’s an important saving and shows the value of this program goes beyond just having a nicer, safer home.”

Eligibility criteria and funding information for the Household Resilience Program are available at www.qld.gov.au/strongerhomes.