Helping Queenslanders minimise flood damage

By helping flooded Queenslanders ‘build back better’, JDA Co. aims to minimise future flood damage to homes, enable quicker clean ups and help residents move back in sooner.

JDA Co. works with the Queensland Government on its Resilient Homes Fund.

It supports the Queensland Government’s procurement approach—'Delivering for Queensland’ by using its research and technical knowledge to help Queenslanders build or retrofit housing that is flood-resilient, whereby flood water can wash through but create minimal damage.

Founder and Director of JDA Co., Dr James Davidson said the architecture firm specialised in design adaptation of urban environments to withstand floods, cyclones, bushfires, storm surges and extreme heat.

Dr Davidson said Queensland’s floods were different to those generally experienced throughout the world.

'In the UK, they try and keep the waters out by putting up barriers, but that doesn’t work in Queensland because of the levels of flooding we have. So, we’ve had to think of a different way.

'The main thing we’re delivering for Queenslanders is flood resilient design, which helps people in better preparing for, living through and then recovering from a flood event.

'We’ve invented this work—it’s never been done before in the world.'

JDA Co. has been researching, testing and developing its ideas for the past 10 years.

It conceived and managed the Brisbane City Council’s Flood Resilient Homes Program in 2018–2022. Following the 2022 South East Queensland floods, the company was appointed lead technical advisor to the Queensland Government’s Resilient Homes Fund, assessing more than 5000 homes.

'JDA Co. can attest to 250 built examples of homes retrofitted for resilience,' Dr Davidson said.

'After the 2022 floods, our design resilience strategies were tested as these homes were once again inundated with water.

'This time all homes withstood major damage, with minimal reliance on home insurance claims.

'Homeowners were able to wash out, dry out and move back in within a few weeks,' he said. Other homes are still being rebuilt today.

JDA Co. is also assisting with amendments to Queensland Development Code to incorporate better flood resilient building standards.

JDA Co. also trained up other Queensland service providers, both private and government, to expedite property assessments.

Mums and dads from south-east Queensland and the New South Wales Northern Rivers area were taught about flood resilient design through JDA Co.’s pro-bono, twice weekly group video conferencing sessions.

As well as helping residents to move back into their previously flooded homes quickly, JDA Co.’s work has reduced insurance premiums and disaster recovery times, enabled better mental health and financial outcomes, and less future building waste. JDA has also developed several flood and bushfire resilient design resources for different areas.

Through its work, JDA Co. is committed to delivering better outcomes for Queenslanders experiencing floods.