Episode 8: Engineering and planning solutions for a safer, more affordable climate-ready with Pradesh Ramiah and Rob Cowle

Climate change, housing affordability and infrastructure resilience are colliding into one of Australia’s biggest challenges. Disaster costs already exceed $38 billion a year and are projected to reach $73 billion by 2060 – with Queensland and NSW expected to bear two-thirds of the burden. At the same time, property values in high-risk zones continue to rise even as insurance costs make many homes unliveable or uninsurable.

In Episode 8 of my podcast, I am joined by two leading experts at the intersection of planning and climate resilience:

• Pradesh Ramiah – Urban and Environmental Planner at Moreton Bay Council, experienced in sustainable development and climate adaptation across Queensland and NS

• Rob Cowle – Property Risk Consultant and Director at B3Creative and Greenstar Accredited Professional, helping communities future-proof property and business assets

The conversation explores some big questions:

• With all 13 ‘Black Zone’ suburbs (where more than 80% of homes are high risk) still recording price growth, how can planning systems redirect housing to safer locations while keeping it affordable?
• Should Australia focus more on managed retreat, adapting in place or building denser housing in safer zones especially when 1.2 million homes are already climate-exposed?
• Why isn’t climate-ready construction standard practice when resilient features add just 2-3% to costs but can halve disaster repair bills?
• How should we respond when insurers withdraw from high-risk areas, with premiums in North Queensland already exceeding $5,000 a year?
• What would a climate-adapted housing system look like in 2040 and which international lessons could Australia adopt now?

Find out why these final pieces of future-proofing advice matter for Australia's climate-ready housing future:

• Strengthen the NCC to address climate risks at location, precinct and property levels
• When buying or renting, check for gaps and cracks that affect energy efficiency
• Make climate risk disclosure mandatory, as most people don’t know what to ask
• Balance permanent and relocatable housing in resilience planning and buyback programs

🎧 Tune in to Episode 8 to hear some practical and innovative solutions for building safer and more resilient communities in a changing climate