Background

Each year in Australia, we see homes destroyed and billions spent on rebuilding due to severe weather events. And even more troubling is that these are now occurring with more ferocity and frequency. There have been more Category-5 cyclones in the last 20 years than in the preceding 100. Severe flooding is occurring 30% more often in the Pacific region. And calamitous bushfire seasons are starting earlier, and burning for longer. In other words, Australian homes simply aren’t built to withstand Australian weather. In 2020 alone, 134,000 homes were damaged. Even as you read this, there are over 100,000 homes in North Queensland that are below minimum standard for cyclone safety, and 90% of homes in bushfire-prone areas across Australia which aren’t built to standard. Problem definition: The place Australians think of as being safest - their homes - is increasingly vulnerable to a world experiencing rapid climate change.