NRMA Insurance has teamed up with Shoalhaven City Council to help bushfire-affected Australians recover faster via access to a free design for homes that are resilient, sustainable, affordable and adaptable.

The community-led design initiative, a world first, lends a hand to recovering communities around Australia by saving time and money.

The design will provide an easy-to-understand, adaptable and affordable template that meets planning and building code requirements, getting people back in their homes faster.

Run in conjunction with the Bushfire Building Council of Australia (BBCA), an online community design workshop will be held on May 26 ahead of a public launch of the agreed design at Shoalhaven in October.

The project was established in response to calls for help from community members struggling to re-build their homes and lives in bushfire-prone areas.

The Shoalhaven community is invited to provide input to the house design, which will include free architectural drawings, construction manual and consumer handbook that shows how to adapt the design to a homeowner’s site requirements, style and required bushfire attack level (BAL) rating.