This would be the minimum height to build. There is no rule that says you can not build on posts, piers, stumps etc. In my opinion this is the best way to build for termite reasons. There may be height restrictions, such as the highest part of the house must be under a certain height from a defined datum point.
The reason most people choose to build slab on ground brick & tile is financial, cheaper to build and easier / less expensive maintenance.
Not wishing to distract from the focus of this thread in terms of the people affected.
However I see a real problem similar to that in relation to re-building in Vic. after the recent bushfires, i.e. not addressing the need to learn lessons and regulate to avoid repeats in the future.
Individuals can't afford to continually re-build,
Insurance companies can't afford to continually pay out - and the premiums for all go up to compensate for the costs anyway,
Governments (in reality us taxpayers) have no choice but to fund clean up and reconstruction. This either redirects $ from other projects or leads to increased deficits / higher taxes.
Personal donations are a positive human response, but are infinitesimal in terms of the on-going cost of such disasters.
While not necessarily the solution in hilly areas there is a simple answer on our great flood plains, which includes virtually all of inland NSW and Qld. All houses should be elevated a minimum of 2.5m (preferrably 3.0m) above ground level.
This would:
- Effectively 'flood proof' the floor levels of most houses
- Provide for natural cooling/ventilation
- Provide a covered (but 'uninsured') area for storage and recreational use, garaging vehicles, etc.
- Significantly reduce household losses, reconstruction costs and costs to governments and insurance companies
It would even make sense for government to provide a fixed subsidy for the costs of the necessary 'stilts' for new dwellings (up to a maximum floor area, say 18 - 20 squares) and / or for this to be subsidised by a charge on the insurance industry, as both will save through such changes.
Commercial premises are a different issue, in those cases both landlords and business owners should hold the relevant insurance, which is tax deductible. If they want to take on the risk and 'self insure', then that is there commercial choice.
With recurring disasters of this scale the only viable response is to insist on finally learning the obvious lessons of our environment and doing it better in future.
