The Brief

Following the devastating floods in 2023, the state and federal governments responded  by supporting the residents of the Fitzroy Valley to recover and build resilience for the future.

A state-coordinated recovery program sought support in developing a strategy and business case for a program to provide temporary and permanent replacement housing for flood-impacted residents.

We worked closely with the Flood Recovery team and Aboriginal engagement consultancy to identify and collate the available data on flood impacted residents and the region.

The project delivery was highly iterative, with analysis being updated as new information became available and as Ministers sought clarification. This included frequent engagement with stakeholders across government agencies, within the department and external service providers.

One of the challenges of operating in the region is the dynamic nature of kinship relationships amongst Aboriginal communities and the disincentives to accurately self-report on housing make-up. By analysing the regional data we were better able to understand:

- Current and planned living status of impacted residents

- Housing needs, gaps and issues

- Funding allocations and future need

We used our analysis to develop program strategy, briefing packs for Ministerial Offices and draft funding submissions.

Drawing on individual stories and representation from community leaders, we developed staged plans to support residents to be safely housed on country, designing in community voice for meaningful co-design.