Grantham model best option for flood city BIG RELIEF: The house move begins for Grantham resident Bill Jones whose bungalow has been relocated from Railway St to a new estate by Lockyer Valley Regional Council. Picture: Tim Marsden Source: The Courier-Mail DEMOLITION of flood ravaged North Bundaberg homes has begun as experts warn that many parts of the suburb should be deemed uninhabitable. The consultancy firm that organised Grantham's shift to higher ground has warned that relocation might be the only option for areas in Bundaberg considered too dangerous to rebuild. Meanwhile, elevated E coli levels have been detected in the Burnett River, sparking a warning for residents to avoid the river. Drinking supplies are safe and do not require boiling, according to the council. The Bundaberg council is considering whether to invoke relocation among measures to guard against future floods. GETTING OUT: Residents leave caravans at Riverdale Caravan Park in Bundaberg as the Burnett River floods. Peter Hyland, regional director of planning consultancy Urbis which co-ordinated the Grantham shift, said relocation might be the only option for many areas of North Bundaberg. "There are potentially a significant number of properties that, if the option is there for relocation - should be seriously considered," Mr Hyland said. There are parts of North Bundaberg that are probably not safe and not suitable for residential habitation. Even if you looked at design - such as raising people's houses - there are some that even if you raised them, they would still be at risk. Simply putting them back is not the absolute answer. Bundaberg deputy mayor David Batt said his city had ample subdivided land on the market for residents to choose their own relocation destinations, rather than shifting them into a new estate. "There's plenty of land," Cr Batt said. If it did happen (relocation), and people were given a certain amount of money, they would be able to buy their own block. The council is considering its options over coming weeks.