If cyclone proof houses can be built in Fiji for $12k, why can't Hippie Happy Hovels be built in Hooterville or wherever for the same price. These Australian designed houses are great, much cooler than I expected, with the breezeway down the middle pulling in cool air. although the wife and I didn't stay overnight, very spacious by Fijian standards. Compared to many of our friends homes in and around Sigatoka, these houses are palaces. Even fit for Australians.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-04/australian-builds-storm-proof-homes-for-fiji-poorest/6444182

Issy, didn't you once claim to have been the financier of a a collection of Hippie Hovels up in the mulga at some stage? Your cash is needed once more, just charge your usual philanthropic interest rate of 200% pa.

Porky,

Grow up.

Touched a nerve there Issy, Did you not say you loaded $10k to a Hippie commune, some time back or was that Joe or someone else?

You do not approve of the Fijian style homes, as a reasonable alternative to fire and storm prone dwellings in Australia?

The federal gov is NOT responsible for building codes.
thinkabit,
The Fed Govt should legislate against Local Councils perpetually hiding under that umbrella.
What you're literally saying is that we should just "do nothing again" because it's all up to the States ? Well, fine then let it be up to the States & when the next crisis emerges the lefties can stop complaining about Morrison not getting involved because, as you say, it's got nothing to do with him ? If it has nothing to do with the Fed Govt then why do the CC warriors make such a fuss ? Why don't they get onto the local Councils & State Govts instead ?
Talk about utter prize-winning Stupidity !
Btw, do you think a national Service would come in handy now or not ?

individual: You say "The Fed Govt should legislate against Local Councils perpetually hiding under that umbrella."

You're still not getting it! The federal government doesn't have the power to do this! Because neither local government nor building codes are mentioned in the constitution. The ONLY powers the fed gov has are those that it is granted by the constitution or those that the states have yielded voluntary to it since federation.

State Governments are very powerful governments- they COMPLETELY control the local governments. They can even abolish them at their whim and entirely remove this layer of government, but the federal government cannot directly do this.

There is however a back-handed way that the federal government can overrule a state government with issues that involve powers that it (the fed) doesn't have. And that is by exercising its exclusive constitutional right to sign onto foreign treaties. This is what happened with the Franklin Dam in the 80's. Tasmania wanted to build a dam which it has a right to do, but the federal government wanted to stop it. It managed to stop it by invoking its foreign powers and listed the area involved as a world heritage area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Dam_controversy
But when it comes to building codes it would be very difficult use this approach because, as far as I know, there is no international agreement/treaty concerning build codes that the gov could use to force the states hand.
However, when it comes to climate change such treaties exist! For example, the "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change". So in this case the federal government can force the states to implement emission control laws even though controlling CO2 emissions is strictly a state government power!

Porky,

"Touched a nerve there Issy, Did you not say you loaded $10k to a Hippie commune, some time back or was that Joe or someone else?"

"
Must have been someone else; I bought a share in a commune, a share that did not increase in value and could only be sold back to the commune at the purchase price.

Cyclone proof houses suitable for Fiji are not suitable for fire-prone areas in Australia, especially with a breezeway down the centre.

Truly fireproof houses are extremely expensive and unless there is an oxygen supply in smaller houses an intense bushfire could asphyxiate the people inside; the same applies to fire shelters.

The people of Wytaliba should be encouraged to rebuild in the same manner as their old houses if that is their choice.
I suspect that the council officers concerned will apply the letter of the law to spite the Green Mayor who is one of the Wytaliba communists.