Damp Ground and Flooding Under the House in Albury-Wodonga

Water that gets under a house changes what the code asks for. The National Construction Code says that where the ground or subfloor space is excessively damp or subject to frequent flooding, the subfloor ventilation must be increased by 50 per cent, or the ground sealed with an impervious membrane, or the framing must be a durable timber or steel. Both cities sit on the Murray and both councils publish flooding and drainage lines.

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What damp ground in Albury-Wodonga actually involves

NSW (Albury): Albury City Council says each catchment in its area “experiences flooding as a result of rainfall over the area (local catchment flooding) and high flows in the Murray River (riverine flooding)”, and that it takes flooding into account when controlling the development of flood-prone land (read 7 October 2026). Its floodplain page gives suburb-level lines, set out on the Lavington and South Albury pages.

Victoria (Wodonga)

The City of Wodonga has a checklist for planning permit applications where land is affected by the Floodway Overlay or the Land Subject Inundation Overlay, and says not all development within those overlays needs a planning permit. It also says land owners must keep stormwater pipes, gutters, downpipes and pits on their property in good condition, and that its own drains are designed for a 1-in-five-year storm, so larger storms are expected to send overland flows. The Wodonga and Baranduda pages set out the plan's suburb-level lines.

Dark damp-looking soil beneath a timber floor with a glistening patch near a brick pier — damp ground under the house, Albury-Wodonga. Illustrative example.

What to ask when water gets under the house

Ask where the water comes from (roof and gutter water, a drain, or the ground itself) and whether the provider has seen it after rain, not only on a dry day. Ask which of the code's options they propose and why. We say nothing about which suits a given house, and we do not say whether a house is inside any overlay: that is for the council to say.

The ABCB's explanatory note says clause 6.2.1(5) is aimed at areas with high water tables, poor drainage or frequent flooding. Whether a house is in such a place is a question about that house, not about its suburb.

A shallow film of standing water on the earth between two brick piers under a floor — damp ground under the house, Albury-Wodonga. Illustrative example.

Albury-Wodonga subfloor costs and rules check