Social costs outweigh costs to rebuild

The cost of social impacts from past disasters in Australia far outweighed the costs to rebuild infrastructure. Social impacts caused by the 2011 floods included increased family and gender violence, mental health issues, worsened chronic disease, crime and alcohol misuse, and short-term unemployment.

Deloitte Access Economics (2016) “The economic cost of the social impact of natural disasters” Commissioned by the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities

Image: Riverside Drive, West End, 2022. Credit: demitri_x