Road to resilience: Suncorp strengthens street against extreme weather

Suncorp has transformed a Rockhampton street by paying for upgrades to homes that will help protect residents from natural catastrophes.

The Resilience Road project in the catastrophe-prone Queensland city puts into practice some of the findings from the insurer’s One House prototype developed last year.

Resilience Road aims to show how practical and accessible features like installing ember guards or cyclone mesh screens can make homes stronger and safer.

“We see first-hand the impact extreme weather has on people’s lives, livelihoods and our broader society and economy,” Suncorp’s Bernadette Norrie said.

“Right now, we are working around the clock to help thousands of Australians cleaning up and rebuilding after the devastating east coast floods and storms.

“That’s why we continue to advocate for practical ways to help reduce the physical, emotional, and financial damage of extreme weather.

“While these upgrades are not a silver bullet to avoiding extreme weather, it is all about helping protect homes and the Australian way of life by lessening the impacts.

“As a nation we must boost investment in stronger homes and local infrastructure that makes communities safer and more resilient.”

The Resilience Road upgrades were paid for by Suncorp and installed at a number of houses on the street owned by the insurer’s customers.

They ranged from $200 for a weather seal installation on an external door to $6000 to install Crimsafe screens to stop wind-driven projectiles.

“We took the lessons from our One House partnership with James Cook University and the CSIRO, and then worked with builders and suppliers to determine what upgrades could be done to better protect the families next time they face extreme weather,” Ms Norrie said.

“If we can improve building resilience and adapt to a future of more extreme weather, generations to come will be better protected and less likely to be displaced before, during, and after natural disasters.

“We chose Rockhampton as the location for Resilience Road as it experiences storms, floods and bushfires, and these are the main perils we face as a nation.”

Click here to find out more about the project.