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Brisbane was built on a floodplain, which makes it prone to flooding. Ninety-four suburbs across the city experienced flooding in 2011—that’s over 20%. An estimated 15,000 homes in Brisbane flooded in 2022 after Queensland was hit with more rainfall than the devastating flood of 1974.
Before buying property in Brisbane, it’s crucial to understand the flood risks.
The Brisbane City Council offers a free FloodWise Property Report to help potential homeowners assess flooding risk. Recently updated with data from the February 2022 floods, this tool provides clearer information and improved functionality.
This guide will show you how to:
- Obtain and interpret your FloodWise Property Report
- Understand flood zones and types of flooding
- Assess the risks of buying in flood-prone areas
- Find resources for flood warnings and updates
- Work with a mortgage broker in Brisbane to get the right home loan
Let’s dive in and learn how to make informed decisions about Brisbane properties and flood risk.
Quick Overview
- Brisbane is prone to flooding due to its location on a floodplain, with 177 suburbs affected in the 2022 floods.
- The FloodWise Property Report is a free tool from Brisbane City Council that assesses flood risk for specific properties.
- Key flood risk indicators include Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP), with 1% AEP meaning a 1 in 100 chance of flooding each year.
- There are four main types of flooding in Brisbane: river, creek, overland flow, and storm tide.
- Buying property in flood zones can be challenging – banks may limit loans to 80% of property value for medium-high-risk areas.
- Flood insurance is crucial and may be required by lenders, but premiums can be high in flood-prone areas.
- When considering a flood-affected property, assess insurance costs, previous damage, flood mitigation measures, and financing options.
- Resources like the Flood Awareness Map and FloodCheck Queensland provide additional information on flood risks.
- The 2022 Brisbane flood affected more properties (23,400) than the 2011 flood (14,100) and caused $2.5 billion in damage.
- Homeowners in flood-prone areas can implement various strategies to mitigate flood risks, such as elevating important systems and improving drainage.
- If you’re looking for a home loan, the team at Hunter Galloway – Mortgage Broker Brisbane can help.
Get Floodwise Report
FloodWise Property Report is based on information from the Brisbane City Council and models potential flooding risk based on the latest computer modelling.
To get the report, fill in your property’s details, including suburb, street name and number, on the Brisbane City Council Website. If you are in the Moreton Bay Region, you can also check the Moreton Bay Flood Check Report.
Warning: After the council’s review in 2016 and the data from the 2022 flood, the Brisbane City Council changed their criteria, so some properties that did not flood in 2011 or 2013 could now carry a ‘very high risk’ rating because of the potential insurance risks…
Reviewing Your FloodWise Report
Understanding Flood Levels
The flood levels in the FloodWise Property Report are based on the council’s predictive models and can potentially occur in any given year.
Key Information in Your Report
Your flood report provides crucial data on:
- Flooding risk, including flood planning areas for river and overland flow
- Coastal flooding hazards
- Historic flood levels, particularly from Brisbane’s 2011 floods
- Other potential water and flooding sources
- Minimum and maximum habitable levels
Important Sections To Review
We’ll run through an example Floodwise Property Report for 31 Cordova Street Milton.
If your property hasn’t been affected by flooding, the report will not show some of the below sections.
1. Are the property details correct?
Pretty self-explanatory; you just want to make sure you’re looking at the right place!
2. Flood Level Information
This shows where your property is placed compared to today’s minimum habitat flood level, where the January 2011 flood occurred and your chances of being flooded in any year.
The chances of being flooded are based on Annual Expedient Probability (AEP). This represents the likelihood of a flood occurring in any given year. For example, a 1% AEP means there’s a 1 in 100 chance of flooding each year.
Another way this is expressed is 1:100, which is saying that 1 in every 100 years, the property is expected to flood.
As you can see with this property, the chances are fairly high based on the council’s estimate of the property’s ground level.
3. Technical Summary
The technical part of the FloodWise Report contains much more detail and has been created for builders, architects and engineers to take into consideration when building a new property.
Maps on the FloodCheck website can also show previous floods, like the Brisbane 2011 flood.
4. Estimated Peak Flooding Levels
Again, the estimated peak flood levels are mostly made for builders, architects, and engineers to ensure that any new properties constructed are built around the current planning scheme requirements.
5. Flood Overlay Code
This section of the flood report details the specific type of flooding your property has been affected by. For example, this property is affected by FPA2a, FPA2b, FPA4 and FPA5.
This means that flooding is likely to be deep and moderate fast-moving water. So, in the worst-case scenario, if you ever had to rebuild the home, it would need to be constructed on stumps.
For more information on Flood Planning Areas, Visit the Brisbane City Council or download the guide here.
Using Flood Awareness Map In Brisbane
In addition to the latest data from the Brisbane River Catchment Flood Study and Perrin Creek and Moggill Creek flood studies, the newly updated Flood Awareness Map was made using the following information:
- 21 Hydrology models,
- 21 hydraulic models
- 1100 ground surveys.
- Surveys were also conducted at more than 550 locations
- gauges in more than 450 locations were inspected.
- surveyors recorded debris from 90 locations.
As you see, they did a pretty thorough job!
It breaks down the various likelihoods of flooding on your property, ranging from a high likelihood of 5% to a very low likelihood of a 0.05% chance of flooding occurring in any year.
- Very low likelihood (0.05% Annual Chance)
- Low likelihood (0.20% Annual Chance)
- Medium likelihood (1.00% Annual Chance)
- Medium-High likelihood (2.00% Annual Chance)
- High likelihood (5.00% Annual Chance)
This map also shows the flood sources and historic floods.
Flood sources can help with insurance. Sometimes, they will ask about the type of flood the property was affected by, such as river, creek, storm tide, or overland flow.
Historic floods show the water levels that were reached in the January 2011 flood in Brisbane and the January 1974 flood.
Buying Property In A Flood Zone
You might have difficulty getting a home loan if you are looking at buying a home that is in a flood zone – but depending on your financial position, you might be able to still qualify for a loan.
The bank’s main concern is how often flooding happens. If your property is zoned to flood more than 1:100 or has a medium likelihood 1.0% annual chance of flooding, the banks can struggle to give you a home loan.
How much can I borrow on a flood-affected property?
The following table shows how much you can borrow, depending on the likelihood of the property being flooded.
Very low likelihood (0.05% annual chance) | Up to 95% of the property value |
Low likelihood (0.2% annual chance) | Up to 95% of the property value |
Medium likelihood (1.0% annual chance) | Up to 95% of the property value |
Medium-high likelihood (2.0% annual chance) | Up to 80% of the property value on a case by case basis |
High likelihood (5% annual chance) | In most cases we are unable to assist with finance on these properties |
Lenders can be more conservative on heavily flood-affected properties, so if your annual chance is 2% or more, we may need to get additional council records of a valuation report to make sure the lender can approve your loan.
Are there extra requirements from the banks for flooded properties in Brisbane?
Depending on the severity of flooding on the property, the banks can ask for more information than normal. This may include::
- You need to hold council approval if you are building on the property or if there needs to be an existing house on the land.
- You need to be able to get home & contents insurance on the home
- The maximum height that flooding can reach must be under the floor level of the house.
- The bank will need a valuation completed, and their valuer must determine the property is not too risky for the bank.
We have helped customers get home loans approved based on a flood of 1:50 years, or a 2.0% annual chance. If you have enough deposit and can meet the above requirements, we may be able to negotiate a loan for you. You could also use it as a chance to negotiate a lower price with the real estate agent!
Flood Zones Brisbane
A total of 177 suburbs (out of 184) were affected by the 2022 flood, so understanding where the flood zones in Brisbane are is critical when buying a home.
A large portion of these areas are in lower areas, near the Brisbane River or creeks and include:
Flood Affected Suburbs in Brisbane
Acacia Ridge | Fairfield | Middle Park | Sinnamon Park |
Albion | Fig Tree Pocket | Milton | South Brisbane |
Anstead | Fortitude Valley | Moggill | St Lucia |
Archerfield | Graceville | Moorooka | Sumner |
Auchenflower | Greenslopes | Morningside | Taringa |
Balmoral | Hamilton | Mount Ommaney | Teneriffe |
Bellbowrie | Hawthorne | Murarrie | Tennyson |
Bowen Hills | Hemmant | New Farm | Toowong |
Brisbane City | Herston | Newstead | Wacol |
Brookfield | Highgate Hill | Norman Park | West End |
Bulimba | Indooroopilly | Oxley | Westlake |
Chapel Hill | Jamboree Heights | Paddington | Willawong |
Chelmer | Jindalee | Pinjarra Hills | Wilston |
Coopers Plains | Kangaroo Point | Pinkenba | Windsor |
Coorparoo | Karana Downs | Pullenvale | Woolloongabba |
Corinda | Kelvin Grove | Riverhills | Yeerongpilly |
Darra | Kenmore | Rocklea | Yeronga |
Durack | Kenmore Hills | Salisbury |
|
Dutton Park | Kholo | Seventeen Mile Rocks | |
East Brisbane | Lytton | Sherwood |
|
Flood Terms To Understand
There are 4 main types of flooding that occur in Brisbane, ranging from river flooding all the way to storm tide flooding.
- River Flooding happens when there is extended rainfall over the Brisbane river catchments, causing high amounts of water to rise and flow over the banks. Interestingly, River flooding downstream can happen several days after the rain has stopped!
- Creek flooding is caused by heavy rainfall but in creek catchments. More often than not, it flows very quickly and can cause flash flooding in very short periods around creeks and waterways.
- Local overland flow is localised flooding and the most common type of flooding in Brisbane. It happens when water runs across the ground and paths after heavy rain and can occur really quickly. It is sometimes unpredictable as it can be affected by urban structures like fences and walls.
- Storm tide flooding happens when winds from a storm push the ocean towards the land causing much higher than normal sea levels. The major risk from a storm tide or storm surge is increased during high tides and generally affects lower-lying areas close to shores and other waterways.
Flood Insurance Requirements
Your bank will need you to have home and contents insurance against your property, and it must specifically cover you for the risk of flooding. If you do not have the correct flood insurance cover, you can risk having your home loan declined.
Several insurance providers like Allianz and NRMA can offer flood insurance covering:
- Overland flow caused by high rainfall and nearby rivers
- Flooding caused by overflowing rivers and dams
- Sea level flooding caused by storms
The biggest difference between insurance providers is how they define storm and water damage, so chat to them about what policy will best suit you.
Dealing With Flood Damage
During the Brisbane Floods of 2011, some of our client’s homes were flooded in New Farm. Unfortunately for them, water entered the house in lots of different ways, but the worst part was not the water but the muck and mud that was left behind once the flood receded.
In our client’s case, and most cases with flooded property in Brisbane, a horrible smell was left from the mud and muck and the majority of the homes’ floors, internal walls (including plasterboard), and carpet had to be removed.
The flooding also destroyed some of their electrical and plumbing services, so they needed a brand new hot water system and the property rewired before moving back in.
Fortunately, they had insurance cover to protect them, but it took a substantial amount of work to make the home livable again.
As we said before, it’s worth considering the likelihood of your home flooding and the implications before going ahead.
What To Consider Before Buying Flood-Affected Property
While flood-affected properties may be cheaper, consider these crucial factors before signing a contract:
- Insurance:
- Can you get comprehensive home, contents, and flood insurance?
- What are the current insurance premium costs?
- Flood History:
- How severe was the previous flood damage?
- What type of flooding affected the property (river, stormwater, etc.)?
- Property Modifications:
- What flood mitigation measures have been implemented post-flooding?
- Financial Considerations:
- Will your bank approve a mortgage for this property?
- Have you asked your mortgage broker for an upfront valuation?
- Future Risks:
- What’s the likelihood of future flooding based on climate projections?
The owners of the property you want to buy may have followed the FloodWise Flood Resilient Homes Program, which has been designed to help people from Australia prepare, live through and return to normality after a flood.
Resources To Keep Up To Date With Flood Warnings
Floods can cause devastation to public transport and roads for months after an event. After the 2022 Brisbane flood, the government said it could take weeks to get the ferry network back online.
If you do get impacted by a flood, it is best to keep up to date with the latest updates and timetables from the government services:
- Translink’s website, Twitter and Facebook
- The Bureau of Meteorology’s Queensland warnings page and its Queensland Twitter and Facebook
- Brisbane City Council’s Twitter and Facebook
- Queensland Fire and Emergency Service’s website, Twitter and Facebook
- Qld Traffic
Bonus: Using FloodCheck Queensland Map
Over the years and throughout multiple floods, Brisbane wasn’t the only area affected in Queensland. There were major flood warnings for Ipswich, Logan, Brisbane and Gympie.
In 2022, Gympic recorded its highest flood in a century, affecting up to 3,600 homes. You can use FloodCheck Queensland to see if a property has been affected across the state.
It gives useful map overlays like the 2012 flood imagery and information on the Brisbane Ipswich floods of 1974.
For more information, visit – https://floodcheck.information.qld.gov.au/
Bonus: Brisbane Flood Statistics: 2011 vs. 2022
| 2011 | 2022 |
Suburbs affected | 94 | 177 |
Total properties affected | 14,100 | 23,400 |
Flood damage | $2.38 billion | $2.5 billion |
Brisbane river flood peak | 4.46m | 3.8m |
People affected | 200,000 | 500,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Brisbane City Council regularly updates the FloodWise Property Report, incorporating data from recent flood events and new modelling. The most recent significant update included data from the February 2022 floods. It’s best to check the council’s website for the most current information on update frequency.
Yes, it’s possible to get a home loan for a property in a flood zone, but it may be more challenging. Lenders typically consider the flood risk when assessing loan applications. Properties with a low to medium flood risk (up to 1% annual chance of flooding) may still qualify for up to 95% of the property value. For higher-risk properties, you may need a larger deposit or face stricter lending criteria.
The AEP indicates the likelihood of a flood occurring in any given year.
For example:
- 5% AEP = High likelihood (1 in 20 chance each year)
- 1% AEP = Medium likelihood (1 in 100 chance each year)
- 0.05% AEP = Very low likelihood (1 in 2000 chance each year)
Remember, these are probabilities; a flood can occur any year regardless of its AEP.
While flood zones come with risks, there can be potential benefits:
- Lower property prices
- Often located near water, offering scenic views
- Potential for future value increase if flood mitigation measures are implemented
However, always weigh these potential benefits against the risks and additional costs associated with flood-prone properties.
Several resources can help you uncover a property’s flood history:
- FloodWise Property Report
- Brisbane City Council’s Flood Awareness Map
- Queensland Government’s FloodCheck website
- Historical flood records and local news archives
- Speaking with long-term residents in the area
If you’re considering a high-risk property:
- Get a professional property inspection
- Consult with a flood expert or hydrologist
- Research potential flood mitigation measures and their costs
- Check insurance availability and premiums
- Consider the long-term implications on property value and liveability
- Discuss the risks with your mortgage broker and lender
Climate change is expected to increase flood risks in Brisbane due to:
- More frequent and intense rainfall events
- Rising sea levels affecting coastal and low-lying areas
- Potential changes in storm patterns
The Brisbane City Council considers climate change projections in their flood modelling, but it’s an evolving situation that requires ongoing monitoring.
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Yes, you can request a review of your property’s flood zone designation if you believe it’s incorrect. Contact the Brisbane City Council with evidence supporting your claim, such as elevation certificates or hydrologic studies. However, be prepared for a potentially lengthy process.
Brisbane experiences four main types of flooding:
- River flooding: Slow-rising, widespread flooding from the Brisbane River
- Creek flooding: Rapid flooding from local creeks and waterways
- Overland flow flooding: Surface runoff during heavy rain, often in urban areas
- Storm tide flooding: Coastal flooding due to storm surges and high tides
Each type affects properties differently, influencing factors like water depth, flow speed, and duration of inundation.
To stay informed during flood events:
- Sign up for Brisbane City Council’s early warning alert service
- Follow official social media accounts (Council, BoM, QFES)
- Monitor the Bureau of Meteorology website for weather warnings
- Use the Brisbane City Council’s Disaster Management website
- Listen to local radio stations for emergency broadcasts
- Download emergency services apps like ‘Disaster Management Brisbane’
Speak To Our Team Of Experts Today
We are experts in getting home loans approved and work with several banks that can accept your home for a loan.
If you would like to chat about buying a home in a flood zone and need finance, speak with one of our experienced mortgage brokers to walk you through the next steps.
At Hunter Galloway, we help home buyers purchase properties that are in the flood zone. We also help you get ahead in this competitive market by giving you the actual strategies that have helped other homebuyers like you secure a property when there have been 5 other offers on the table!
Further Flood Report Resources:
More Resources For Homebuyers:
- 12 steps to research a house in Brisbane
- What is lenders mortgage insurance
- What is loan to value ratio?
- How to work out your usable equity
- Pay off your 30-year home loan 6 years faster
Ready to take the next step toward buying? We’re happy to help. Schedule a call today with a home loan expert from Hunter Galloway, the home of home buyers.
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