Flooding, both riverine and flash, has become one of the most financially catastrophic climate disasters in the world, and Australia is no different. In fact, flood-related costs have more than quadrupled over the last five years. Consequently, clear and accurate information on flood risk has never been more important. Australians have a pressing need for trustworthy public data on property-level flood risks. This gap is a particularly shocking contrast to the routines of many of our similar peer countries.
NFID is an essential infrastructure in Australia. It does more than gauge flood risk for about 14 million homes across the country. Insurers use this database to determine and price flood risk when they issue a policy. Without any publicly available flood risk data, current homeowners and potential homebuyers face a difficult choice. They cannot plan appropriately for future development or use their properties in the most productive way without this key data.
Rising Costs and Increasing Risks
Flooding disasters during the past few years have had multibillion-dollar impacts on displaced communities. Since 2017, flooding-related expenses have increased dramatically. This increase has been felt in the pockets of American families and put our national economy at risk. This alarming trend further highlights the critical importance of flood risk management and transparency.
As the financial stakes grow bigger, the NFID remains a crucial—even if thin—red line of perspective. It helps insurance companies better assess risks, but it fails to provide that same information to the rest of us. As a result, millions of Australians are still in the dark about the flood risks they are risking their homes to live under. This lack of easily accessible data adds to the burden of decision-making for those who might be looking to buy or rent properties in communities increasingly impacted by flooding.
Australia is an outlier when you compare its situation to the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The implementation differences are especially stark. All of these countries have created detailed and effective nationwide systems for communicating flood risk to their citizens. Meanwhile, open flood information in the Netherlands currently sets the gold standard. It empowers residents, providing them with the high-resolution data that better describes their unique flood risks.
Global Comparisons Highlight Australia’s Shortcomings
Australia’s situation is worse than other similar countries, with no trustworthy public data available on property-level flood risk. Closing this gap is essential for making informed decisions. The United Kingdom produces national maps of flood risk that are readily available to the public, promoting awareness and proactive measures among its citizens. The United States, through its National Flood Insurance Program, has a long history of providing national flood maps. Most states have laws that require disclosures of flood risk when selling a property.
These frameworks allow homeowners and prospective buyers to understand their exposure to flooding and make informed choices regarding property investments. Australia’s approach leaves major holes in the public’s understanding. This situation begs the question of how worthy, prepared, resilient communities are when flooding challenge strikes.
Queensland has already taken steps toward rectifying this by creating a Property Level Flood Information Portal. Namely, it is currently available only to 39 eligible local governments. This public-facing portal allows residents across these localities to easily access localized flood risk information. Yet, even this welcome initiative falls grievously short—both in depth and in reach—making the case for more widespread rollout across the country.
The Case for Reliable Flood Data
Having access to reliable and consistent publicly shared flood data would significantly support community discussions regarding acceptable levels of risk. This kind of transparency will empower residents to participate in intelligent discussions about the best mitigation strategies and whether some people should be relocated from high-risk areas. Plus, it gives communities the tools to better advocate for infrastructure upgrades they need and flood mitigation projects they want.
Providing Australians with greater transparency around their homes’ flood risks would enable households to make better-informed decisions about the properties they purchase or rent. Good data dissemination improves the purchasing power of those buyers. With a data-driven sense of what is at stake from flooding, they can weigh choices against risk.
The current dual threat of escalating flood expenses and a growing prevalence of extreme weather events demands immediate action from lawmakers at all levels. Establishing a comprehensive national framework for property-level flood risk data could serve as a catalyst for enhancing community resilience against flooding disasters.