I once moved a house from the Hervey Bay sight of a new Woolworths to a block on the Burrum river near Howard. It is a very viable option for well built timber houses with elevated timber floors.

In the US they have developed technology to move multi story brick buildings, currently beyond our industry, but I guess we could learn. Quite a lot of the older timber homes could be raised on stumps, as many have, to above known flood height.

I also moved my Granny flat from Hervey bay to here south of Brisbane. It is not cheap, but quite doable. When I say I moved them, I mean I commissioned professionals to do the job for me.

When it is down to officialdom which by the way, exists on the funding from permits & licenses it grants, then it must be officialdom that is responsible for irresponsible grant decisions.
Early this morning I spoke with a friend who grew up in a couple of these flood affected areas in the late 50's-early 60's & he told me that Lismore had massive flooding then as did several suburbs around Brisbane. He said because today's bureaucrats haven't seen a proper wet season they took it for granted when approving subdivisions on flood plains.
Now, that the climatic changes are somewhat going back to what used to be normal, the damage is overwhelmingly massive for people to comprehend.
He also said that rebuilding in these areas is nothing short of madness especially since environmentalists have blocked clearning grass & bushland which helps water to dam & slow & then rise.
I can't say anything because I haven't seen these places but listening to my friend it becomes clear that as per usual older people with personal experience who warned of this years ago were taken for granted by the environmental experts.
I feel for those who lost everything because the experts & the bureaucrats listening to the experts failed them..

And under the free market there are no government bailouts for people for do stupid things with their money.
thinkabit,
sounds good in theory however, take into consideration the conniving & it'll quickly dawn even on idealists that a free market does not function in reality. History has provided ample proof that because free means different interpretations to many, can't therefore not work as it does in the minds of the idealists !
Even the animal kingdom has hierarchies so, what makes puny idealists believe humanity doesn't ? Humans need pulling into line full stop !
And, a full stop to selling flood land to innocent people by callous developers with the sanction of corrupt local Govt bureaucrats. Today is Day 1 to make them accountable !

individual: "He said because today's bureaucrats haven't seen a proper wet season they took it for granted when approving subdivisions on flood plains."

As far as Brisbane is concerned, that's complete BS. The areas in Brisbane that are flooding are old suburbs. Some of them are the oldest- eg: brisbane city.

When people first established Brisbane nearly 200 years ago, they founded it on the river and then expanded up, down the river and then later on out from it. There have not been any major green field new land releases in the Brisbane area near the river for a very long time. And that is simply because there is no land left to subdivide.

To prove what I'm talking about (unlike individual who just sprouts crap of the top of his head without any thinking or background research):
This website lists the areas the that are suffering flooding that may impact buildings on the Brisbane River: http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/community-and-safety/community-safety/february-2022-severe-weather-event-council-updates-and-impacts/brisbane-flood-inundation-map . I've listed them here along with their original dates of settlement/initial subdivision (as close as I can gather quickly from wikipedia- the very first settlements may be before this). As you can see that are all old suburbs:

Brisbane City - 1825
Bulimba - 1880
Hamilton - 1837
Milton - 1840's
New Farm - 1827
Newstead - 1840's
Norman Park - 1853
Oxley - 1851
Rocklea - 1884
South Brisbane - 1843
St Lucia - 1883
Tenerife- 1880's
Toowong - 1862
West End - pre 1873 ?
Windsor - 1854
Yeronga - 1854

The other reason why buildings in newer suburbs rarely experience flooding (besides not being next the Brisbane river) is because we've close to 200 years of data now. Indeed, we now kknow which areas flood anywhere in Queensland. Which is unlike when these suburbs above where subdivided. When these old suburbs where subdivided they didn't know how bad it could floor in freak 1 in 30 years, 1 in 50 year, etc. events.

thinkabit,
Of course there was less flooding then because there were far fewer buildings & built-up area that didn't impede & dam the flow of water !
For crying out loud, can't you see what's going on ?

There wasn't less flooding years ago and that's the point!! The areas that are susceptible to flooding today are the old suburbs and they've regularly flooded every 30+ years for the last 200 years.

The new suburbs, ie. those that you are claiming are the result of "today's bureaucrats haven't seen a proper wet season they took it for granted when approving subdivisions on flood plains", are the ones that DON'T flood.