How to Check Flood Risk Before You Buy in Brisbane

In February 2022, more than 23,400 Brisbane properties were affected by flooding, across all but 11 of the city’s 188 suburbs (Hutchins, 2023). Many of those homes had stayed dry in 2011. If your flood check stops at “did it go under last time?”, it is not a flood check.

Does the seller have to tell you about flood risk?

No. Queensland’s seller disclosure scheme, in place since 1 August 2025, does not require a seller to disclose information about natural hazards affecting the property. The disclosure statement instead points buyers to local government, FloodCheck Queensland and the Australian Flood Risk Information portal (Queensland Parliament, 2026). The Government has said it supports the current requirements. The checking is up to you.

Step 1: Understand the four types of flooding

Brisbane City Council maps four sources of flooding: river, creek or waterway, storm tide and overland flow (Brisbane City Council, n.d.-b).

• River: the Brisbane River breaking its banks.
• Creek or waterway: local creeks such as Kedron Brook, Oxley Creek and Norman Creek.
• Storm tide: sea water pushed inland by a storm, in low-lying bayside areas.
• Overland flow: heavy rain running across the ground faster than drains can take it.

The 2022 event showed why all four matter. River, creek and overland flooding happened at the same time, and creek flood heights beat previous records even though the river peaked lower than in 2011 (Hutchins, 2023).

Step 2: Check the Flood Awareness Map

Council’s Flood Awareness Map shows where flooding can occur and the likelihood of different-sized floods. It is designed for awareness only and does not guide planning or development decisions (Brisbane City Council, n.d.-b).

Likelihood is expressed as annual exceedance probability (AEP). A 1% AEP flood has a 1% chance of being exceeded in any year (Brisbane City Council, n.d.-b). Over 30 years, that works out to roughly a 26% chance of at least one such flood (our calculation).

Step 3: Download the FloodWise Property Report

The FloodWise Property Report is the most useful single document for a Brisbane address. It shows river, creek and storm tide flood levels across several likelihoods, historic levels from January 2011 and February 2022 where available, ground levels, an indicative existing floor level and the minimum habitable floor level for new building work (Brisbane City Council, n.d.-a).

The key comparison is between the flood levels and the floor level. If the 1% AEP flood level sits above the indicative floor level, water is expected to reach living areas in that event.

Note the limits. Overland flow appears only in the planning section, Council says its information “may not be complete”, and for professional advice it recommends a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (Brisbane City Council, n.d.-a).

Step 4: Get an insurance quote before you sign

Since 2012, home and contents policies have used a standard definition of flood. Some insurers exclude flood unless you add it, and some will not offer flood cover at all (Queensland Government, 2024). A quote is a fast way to learn how an insurer rates the address, and a refusal is a serious warning sign.

Step 5: Look beyond the map

• Inspect the property. Look for water lines, new flooring in a single room, raised power points and fresh paint at skirting height.
• Walk the street in rain if you can. Overland flow paths often show up as kerbs and driveways that overflow.
• Ask the selling agent directly whether the property has been affected by flooding, and record the answer.
• Check building elevation. A highset Queenslander and a slab-on-ground home in the same street can carry very different risk.

Does flooding affect property values?

It depends on the property. After the 2022 flood, some affected properties in suburbs such as Milton and Yeronga underperformed unaffected properties by more than 25 percentage points over the following year, while affected properties in West End and St Lucia performed better than unaffected ones (Ezzy, 2023). Units, where damage was often limited to common areas, held up better than houses.

The safer assumption is that flood risk affects resale, insurance and your peace of mind, and that it belongs in the price you pay.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a property is flood prone in Brisbane? Use Council’s Flood Awareness Map and download the FloodWise Property Report for the address, then confirm with an insurance quote.

Do Queensland sellers have to disclose flooding? No. Natural hazard information is not part of the seller disclosure statement.

This article is general information only and does not consider your personal circumstances.