The Insurance Council of Australia has renewed calls to stop building on floodplains after concerns were raised over the Queensland Government’s decision to approve a significant Gold Coast housing project.

The plan, which was approved yesterday, would see more than 2750 homes built in the Gold Coast suburb of Robina, some of which are expected to be on a floodplain. A secondary project to construct 45 homes in the Brisbane suburb of Wakerley was also approved.  

The ICA did not respond directly to the proposal but repeated its call for local councils not to approve plans for new properties in flood-prone areas.   

“While we don’t have enough information to comment on this development specifically, the Insurance Council has long called for councils to stop approving homes on floodplains,” a spokesperson said.  

“The Insurance Council strongly agrees with the National Cabinet that the days of developing on floodplains need to end and we welcome the development of a national standard that considers disaster and climate risk as part of land use planning processes.”  

The council also urged the Queensland Government to adopt a “risk-based approach that stops development in high-risk areas”.  

“Under a risk-based approach in Queensland, any housing development in areas prone to extreme flood risk should not be permitted, and in areas subject to high risk, stronger building codes and standards need to be employed and/or adequate resilience infrastructure built,” the council said.  

Developers have said the project would mitigate flood risk by building homes on an elevated pad, but the proposal’s feasibility remains unproven. 

The project has been approved as a state-facilitated development by Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon, who said that the pathway would allow for a “fast-track approvals process” and requires work to begin within two years of approval. 

She says the proposed plan addresses ongoing housing concerns in the region.   

“Remove the barriers, speed up approvals and you’ll fuel housing construction – that’s what industry told us, so that’s what we did,” Ms Scanlon said.