Magazine article
Demolishing homes after climate disasters can be devastating. Here’s how we reused precious materials
The Conversation
10/06/2026
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Abstract
Following the devastating Northern Rivers floods in New South Wales in 2022, roughly 14,000 truckloads of water-damaged materials were sent to landfill.
The flood exposed many things, including our unimaginative approach to managing waste. As immediate recovery moved into reconstruction, we saw an opportunity to manage this flood-damaged material differently.
We proposed an alternative to traditional house demolition. It was piloted on two flood-damaged houses in Lismore, using a “circular” model that could reuse materials and eliminate waste.
As well offering potential economic benefits for the local community, our report found it had considerable social and environmental value.
Details
- Title
- Demolishing homes after climate disasters can be devastating. Here’s how we reused precious materials
- Creators
- Berto Pandolfo - University of Technology SydneyAngelique Milojevic - University of Technology SydneyDan Etheridge - The Living Lab Northern Rivers
- Publication Details
- The Conversation
- Publisher
- The Conversation Media Group Ltd
- Identifiers
- 991013382051802368
- Academic Unit
- Office of the PVC (Research and Education Impact)
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Magazine article