Time Is on Your Side: Navigating the NSW Resilient Homes Program with Alive Building Co.
If your home was impacted by the devastating 2022 floods, you already know how overwhelming the road to recovery can be. Navigating insurance, waiting on government assessments, and searching for the right building team takes time—often much more time than anyone anticipates.
There is some great news for flood-affected homeowners across our region. The NSW Reconstruction Authority recently announced a major timeline extension for the Resilient Homes Program (RHP).
Because local building capacity has been stretched so tight across the Northern Rivers, the government has pushed out the deadlines to give you more breathing room, less pressure, andgreater certainty.
The New Deadlines You Need to Know
While the program remains closed to new applicants, if you have already been approved for Resilient Measures, your timeline has been extended significantly:
- June 30, 2027: deadline to finalize your building designs and submit your quoted Scope of Works to the Reconstruction Authority.
- December 8, 2028: Your deadline to have all renovation, raising, or retrofitting works fully completed and final invoices submitted.
What this means for you: You don’t have to rush into a high-pressure decision. You have the time to find a local, licensed builder who will actually listen to your needs, assess your property properly, and construct a home that is built to last
Serving the Entire Northern Rivers
At Alive Building Co., we aren’t just working in the Tweed Shire. Our team lives, breathes, and builds across the entire Northern Rivers including Byron shire, Ballina Shire and Lismore Shire. Whether your property is nestled in the valley or situated right on the coast, we are actively taking on Resilient Homes projects throughout the region, including:
- South Murwillumbah & Murwillumbah Central
- Chinderah, Kingscliff, & Fingal Head
- Tweed Heads & Banora Point
- Tumbulgum, Condong & Uki
- South Golden Beach, Mullumbimby, Brunswick Heads & Beyond
Wherever you are in the Northern Rivers, we are your local structural and renovation specialists.
What Resilient Works Can We Do For You?
The RHP offers substantial grant funding (often starting at $50,000 to $100,000, with matched dollar-for-dollar co-contributions up to $200,000) to make your home safer. As licensed and very experienced builders, Alive Building Co. can handle the entire construction process for:
- Home Retrofitting: Swapping out vulnerable building materials for flood-resilient alternatives. This includes replacing standard plasterboard with water-resistant linings, upgrading to water-resistant cabinetry, raising electrical outlets well above historical flood levels, and installing closed-cell insulation that won’t hold moisture.
- Home Raising: Physically elevating the liveable floor levels of your home above the 1-in-20-year flood level, giving you total peace of mind when the rain sets in.
- Home Rebuilds & Relocations: If your Home Assessment Report recommends a complete rebuild or structural relocation to safer ground on your lot, we can manage the design, council approvals, and construction from the ground up.
How to Move Forward with Us
The process requires a strict sequence of steps to ensure your grant funding is approved and paid out smoothly. We guide you through the whole process:
- Review Your Report: Once you receive your official Home Assessment Report from the Reconstruction Authority, bring it to us.
- Design & Quote: We will work alongside you to map out a comprehensive, compliant Scope of Works and provide a detailed, transparent quote.
- Council & RA Approval: We help prepare the necessary documentation for your Development Application (DA) via the NSW Planning Portal. Once approved by the council, your quote is submitted to the RA for your official funding Letter of Offer.
- Construction: We execute the build using template contracts approved by the Reconstruction Authority, keeping everything completely above board.
Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute
While June 2027 feels like a long way off, design, drafting, soil testing, and council approvals can take months to coordinate.
Let’s lock in your plans early so you can secure your spot in our build schedule. Contact the Alive Building Co team today to discuss your Home Assessment Report, and let’s build a safer, more resilient future for your family.