Many questions have been asked since the February 2022 big flood decimated Lismore and the Northern Rivers. Often, the questions involved improved rescue coordination between emergency departments and the public, better and earlier warning systems and housing during and after a disaster.

Two new research studies show a path forward for resilient and climate-adapted communities.

The reports were commissioned by the NSW Reconstruction Authority soon after the 2022 flooding in the Northern Rivers, to capture lessons learned from other disaster-affected areas around the world and inform recovery post-disasters in the future. 

These two research projects from Living Lab Northern Rivers offer a transformative vision for how Australia can build disaster-resilient communities.

Together, the new research addresses both immediate disaster response needs and long-term climate adaptation through housing design, offering an integrated approach to building disaster-resilient communities across Australia.

Crisis to resilience: reforming disaster response

The first study, Housing in Disaster-Affected Areas: From Crisis to Long-Term Resilience, presents a new best-practice framework for housing in disaster response and recovery.

"The Northern Rivers experience shows us that housing must be central to disaster planning," says Professor Nicole Gurran, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Sydney. 

"Our research provides a clear pathway to transform how we prepare for and recover from disasters, with secure housing as the foundation."

The research engaged with 13 local and state government agencies and community organisations, identifying critical gaps in emergency accommodation, data collection and coordination between housing and disaster response agencies.

"This excellent report provides a very clear roadmap on how government and housing collaborators can better serve the community's housing needs before and after future disasters," says Elizabeth Mossop, Academic Director at Living Lab Northern Rivers.

Working with Country: a new housing paradigm

The second study, Resilient Housing for the Northern Rivers, breaks new ground by proposing 'house-and-landscape' design principles that work with natural systems rather than against them.

Working on sites in the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s Resilient Lands Program, the design research, developed through collaboration with First Nations communities and architecture students from UTS, challenges conventional European-style housing that separates people from the landscape.

"The Northern Rivers research challenges the fundamental assumption that houses should dominate landscapes," says Professor Martin Bryant, architect and landscape architect at UTS.

"By leading with landscape design and fitting housing within ecological systems, we can create places that are not only more flood-resilient but also more affordable and connected to Country."

The research examined flood-prone sites around Lismore and new elevated sites in the Resilient Lands Program, developing three integrated approaches: retrofitting existing homes for flood resilience, designing new climate-adapted housing typologies, and creating flexible temporary-to-permanent housing solutions.

National implications

Together, the research addresses some of Australia's housing challenges: immediate disaster response failures and the longer-term need for climate-adapted communities.

"We see a global pattern from Brisbane to New Orleans: communities that embed housing in their disaster planning recover more effectively," says Richard Benedict, housing researcher and consultant.

"The research clearly shows that housing recovery is a long-term process, typically taking 5-10 years. This framework helps align our disaster responses and recovery plans with that reality, making sure communities have the support they need for the long term, not just the first couple of years.”

Both reports share evidence-based recommendations. These research findings extend far beyond theNorthern Rivers, offering lessons for flood-prone communities across Australia and internationally. 

Living Lab Northern Rivers launched both reports this week at an event hosted by Committee for Sydney at UTS, and marks a significant milestone in Australian disaster resilience and housing research.