Rocklea, on the city’s south side, had the most buybacks of any Brisbane suburb, with 72 properties spanning more than 50,000 square metres acquired.

Can confirm - houses around here have been disappearing like a Thanos finger click.

I actually feel a little bit sorry for some people… In the period after the flood but before the buyback was completed, there were properties hitting the market and being sold at insane prices for what was essentially floodplain. All of a few months after people were moving in to their new home, the properties either side are getting demolished and turned in to green space.

Imagine buying a house and committing to a 30 year mortgage, only for both your immediate neighbours properties to be considered useless for housing and turning into tiny parks. On the one hand - hooray! No neighbours! But on the other hand… You’re kinda isolated and perched in the middle of public space on a property that council considered so bad for housing (in a housing crisis!) that it’s better off as a lawn.