How To Get A Flood Immunity

Transcription

1 Updated 16 May 2012 Temporary Local Planning Instrument 01/12 Brisbane Interim Flood Response Frequently sked uestions The Temporary Local Planning Instrument 01/12 Brisbane Interim Flood Response (TLPI) has been developed by Council to guide building and development in flood-affected parts of Brisbane. The TLPI is intended to give certainty to those building or rebuilding after the January 2011 Brisbane River flood. Below are the answers to the most common questions about the TLPI and an explanation of key differences between this document and Brisbane City Plan There is also a glossary of terms that may help in understanding different aspects of the TLPI. If you have more questions after reading this document contact Council on (07) Does the TLPI apply to my property? Is my property affected by the TLPI? The TLPI applies to land affected by the January 2011 Brisbane River flood event or by the current Brisbane River Defined Flood Event. It also applies to areas affected by the 100 year verage Recurrence Interval (RI) flood event for creeks and waterways. To view the TLPI maps visit the Planning and Building pages on Council s website The corner of my property falls within the flood-affected area however the area where I want to build is not within the flood line - does the TLPI apply to my property? The TLPI applies to any property that is totally or partially within the flood-affected area. How does the TLPI affect what I want to do with my property? It assists in achieving an improved flood immunity by: 1 setting the Interim Residential Flood Level 2 allowing self-assessment of houses up to 9.5m above ground level on standard residential lots 3 changing the level of assessment for a house on a small lot (less than 450 square metres) to code notifiable where building a new house or raising an existing house and meeting the requirements of the TLPI 4 allowing houses to be raised or extended, having habitable floor levels below the Interim Residential Flood Level subject to the use of resilient building design and materials 5 introducing additional requirements for filling and excavation 6 providing for creek, waterway and Brisbane River flooding to be taken into account in the assessment of the maximum building height of a house, multi-unit dwelling and single-unit dwelling 7 including additional technical standards and requirements to complement those in the Subdivision and Development Guidelines for properties affected by creek/waterway and Brisbane River flooding, including the location of essential services in residential and commercial developments. re commercial properties affected by the TLPI? The TLPI applies to the location of essential services in new commercial development in floodaffected areas. Council expects commercial buildings to have essential services, such as power and telecommunications, either waterproofed or located above the Interim Residential Flood Level.1 1

2 Habitable Floor Levels Does the TLPI require minimum floor levels? Yes, minimum floor levels are required for habitable spaces for new houses. The minimum habitable floor level is the Interim Residential Flood Level (IRFL) plus 500mm. The minimum non-habitable floor level requirements remain unchanged. For flood-affected properties unable to achieve this level of flood immunity, the TLPI introduces a number of new standards such as flood resilient building design and materials, including water resistant sheeting, for new building works below minimum floor levels. If rebuilding a house like for like the standards in the TLPI do not apply. However, Council is strongly encouraging residents to adopt them as this will provide better levels of flood immunity in the future. How do I determine the habitable floor level on my property? To determine the minimum habitable floor level for a property, download a FloodWise Property Report. The report will display estimated flood levels for the property (if these apply), ground levels and calculated minimum habitable floor level. Does the Interim Residential Flood Level decrease the risk of future property damage from flooding? s Brisbane is built on a flood plain, the risk of flooding can never be totally eliminated. Council sets planning and building levels to provide development with an acceptable level of flood immunity. Increasing the minimum habitable floor level in flood-affected areas will help reduce the risk to people and property Where will the new habitable floor level be on my property? 2

3 Rebuilding like for like Can I rebuild my house the same as it was before the January 2011 floods without a development approval? If your home was damaged or destroyed during the flood and requires rebuilding, you can rebuild like for like without a development approval providing the original work was lawful. In this circumstance only a Building pproval may be required. Customers who want to modify their home when they rebuild may require a development approval. lterations and additions When planning an alteration or addition to an existing dwelling in a flood-affected area do I need to raise the floor level? If the property is identified as flood-affected on Council s FloodWise Property Report, the TLPI applies. Under the TLPI provisions, if the floor level of the existing dwelling is under the Defined Flood Level or the estimated January 2011 Brisbane River flood level, the TLPI requires the floor level of the alteration or addition to be raised to achieve an improved flood immunity. The TLPI does not require the floor level of the like for like work to be above the Interim Residential Flood Level. There is also no requirement to change the floor level of the existing part of the building. Current development applications What does the TLPI mean for current development applications? The TLPI applies to new properly made applications from the date it takes effect (16 May 2012). Current development applications will continue to be assessed in accordance with the Brisbane City Plan 2000 and the ueensland Government s Sustainable Planning ct For sites unaffected by Brisbane River floods (including the January 2011 Brisbane River Flood) or creek/waterway flooding, there will be no impact on the assessment of the application. Flood-affected applicants can dafloodenquiries@ brisbane.qld.gov.au to obtain further information about how the TLPI applies to their development. New development What does the Interim Residential Flood Level mean for new development? The TLPI applies to all new residential development in flood-affected areas. New residential development must comply with the Interim Residential Flood Level. 3

4 Development provisions Can I raise the height of my home? Under the TLPI provisions, owners of flood-affected properties with an area greater than 450 square metres can raise their house to 9.5m without a development application. Proposals over 9.5m and those on small lots (under 450 square metres) require a development application. The minimum habitable floor level is the Interim Residential Flood Level plus 500mm. Is there a maximum building height threshold? Yes, under the TLPI an acceptable solution for a maximum building height is 9.5m above ground level in areas affected by TLPI provisions. Except for houses on small lots this will be a self-assessable development. For a house on a small lot, it requires a notifiable code application where complying with PRT 1- Small Lot Code with the exception of 2 for height. Will I need to use special building materials for new building work that can t achieve the minimum flood level and, if so, what are these materials? Water resilient building materials are required to be used and the design needs to incorporate flood resistant outcomes where it is proposed to raise or extend an existing house to improve flood immunity. For further information you can refer to a fact sheet developed by the ueensland Department of Local Government and Planning which includes recommendations about flood resilient building materials and design techniques: Single-unit and multi-unit dwellings If I want to build a single-unit dwelling or a multi-unit dwelling and the land is within an area to which the TLPI applies, can I increase the height of the building to achieve a greater flood immunity? The TLPI allows consideration to be given to single-unit dwellings and multi-unit dwellings being constructed to a height greater than would normally be permitted, where such additional height is required to achieve the appropriate flood immunity. It is noted that in assessing an increase in building height, Council will continue to give consideration to other factors such as privacy and overshadowing. Infill subdivisions If I am subdividing a property that is affected by Brisbane River flooding, do I have to fill the land to achieve the required flood immunity? For infill subdivisions resulting in lots having an area less than 1000 square metres that are affected by Brisbane River flooding, it may not be necessary to fill the entire property to achieve an acceptable flood immunity. Council will give consideration to a development proposal that includes a combination of houses built on stumps or other building technique to achieve acceptable flood immunity for the residents. 4

5 Subdivision and development guidelines What changes have been made to the Subdivision and Development Guidelines? The TLPI makes some changes to the Subdivision and Development Guidelines in response to the January 2011 Brisbane River flood. Changes include new requirements for habitable floor levels as well as more specific requirements for protecting essential services in commercial and residential buildings. The Subdivision and Development Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the TLPI. Filling Can I fill my site to the Interim Residential Flood Level? Yes, but any filling or excavations must not impact adversely on visual amenity and the stability of land and local drainage. Filling or excavation should not divert stormwater run-off. Existing assessment triggers for filling or excavation remain unchanged. Flooding on my property is not accurately represented on Council s FloodWise Property Report. What should I do? The FloodWise Property Report is based on the latest flood information available to Council. If you do not agree or would like to dispute flood levels provided in the Report, please send an or letter outlining your concern to: [email protected] Flood Information Officer Brisbane City Council GPO Box 1434 BRISBNE ld 4001 Please include your name, telephone number and postal address so the Flood Information Officer can contact you. 5