Before you buy

Property risk checks before you buy

Check six things for the exact address before you sign: flood, bushfire, contamination, heritage, easements and covenants, and mine subsidence. A clear result is not proof of no risk.

The short answer

Before you sign, check six things for the exact address: flood, bushfire, contaminated land, heritage, easements and covenants on the title, and mine subsidence where there has been mining. Most of the answers are on a planning map or certificate, a state register, or the title, and every state keeps them in different places. In NSW the planning certificate, which must be attached to the contract (NSW Department of Planning and Environment, verified 22 Oct 2026), covers flood related development controls, bush fire prone land and mine subsidence, and its hazard item includes contamination. (NSW Department of Planning and Environment, verified 22 Oct 2026)

A clear result is not a clean bill of health. Registers mostly list what has been formally notified: Victoria's EPA Priority Sites Register is not a list of every contaminated site, (EPA Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026) and Queensland's registers don't show contamination that was never notified. (Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, verified 22 Oct 2026) Insurers rate flood with tools buyers can't see, so get a quote for the address. (CHOICE (Australian Consumers' Association), verified 21 Oct 2026)

Where to look in each state

The first place to look for each check, checked against the official sources on 22 October 2026. Each check's own page has the detail and what a result means.

Scroll sideways for more columns

"Not covered yet" means this guide has not confirmed the search from a current official source, not that there is nothing to check. Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not covered yet.

The six checks

• Checking flood risk before you buy: Check the planning controls and the council or water authority's flood mapping for the exact lot, then get an insurance quote. A clear map is not proof the house won't flood.
• Checking bushfire risk before you buy: Check the state's bushfire prone map and any bushfire planning control for the exact lot. If it is bushfire prone, building or extending comes with extra rules.
• Checking for contaminated land before you buy: Search the state's contaminated land register for the lot and check its planning controls. A clear search is not proof the land was never contaminated.
• Checking heritage listings before you buy: Check both the state heritage register and the council's heritage controls for the address. A listing means changes need approval.
• Checking easements and covenants before you buy: Easements and covenants are on the title and plan, not the planning map. Read them before you plan an extension, pool or second dwelling.
• Checking mine subsidence before you buy: In NSW, check the address on the Planning Portal Spatial Viewer: building in a mine subsidence district needs approval first. Elsewhere, ask the council.

Check a Victorian address

Delora's Address Check shows the zone and every planning overlay on a Victorian lot, grouped into flood, bushfire, heritage and contamination, with how much of the lot each one covers. It is built from Vicmap Planning, the state's planning data; confirm anything that matters with a planning property report and your conveyancer.

Common questions

What searches should I do before buying a house?

For the exact address: flood, bushfire, contaminated land, heritage, easements and covenants on the title, and mine subsidence where there has been mining. Each state keeps these in different places.

If a search comes back clear, is the property risk free?

No. Most registers list only what has been formally notified, and planning maps show a defined event, not every possible one. Treat a clear result as one piece of evidence.

Can I check a Victorian address online?

Yes. VicPlan's planning property report and Delora's Address Check both show the overlays on a lot.

Practical checklist

Before you sign

• Get the planning report or certificate for the address and list every hazard overlay or notation
• Search the state's contaminated land register and heritage register
• Read the title and plan for easements, covenants and restrictions
• In a mining area, check for a mine subsidence district or mapped mine workings
• Get a written insurance quote for the address

Questions for a professional

• Which of these searches have you done for this property, and what did each one show?
• Does anything found change what I should negotiate or make a condition of the contract?

Official resources

• VicPlan (Victoria)
• NSW Planning Portal
• Queensland: how to search the land registers
• PlanWA (Western Australia)
• SA Property and Planning Atlas

Sources and methodology

• Planning property report — Planning Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning) (retrieved 29 Jul 2026, last checked 31 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Using VicPlan — Planning Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning) (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Planning certificates: guide to the updated EP&A Regulation (DPE, September 2022) — NSW Department of Planning and Environment (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• About flood mapping | Queensland Government — Queensland Government (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• FPM Floodplain Area | data.wa.gov.au (DWER) — Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (WA) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• South Australian Property and Planning Atlas | PlanSA — PlanSA (Department for Housing and Urban Development) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• Building in bushfire prone areas | Planning Victoria — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• Bush fire prone land — NSW Rural Fire Service (retrieved 12 Aug 2026). Licence: NSW Government content, reproduced for research/citation purposes
• Disclosure requirements: bushfire prone areas (Real estate bulletin 129) | Consumer Protection WA — Consumer Protection (WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• Priority Sites Register — EPA Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Contaminated land - record of notices (about the record) — NSW Environment Protection Authority (retrieved 12 Aug 2026). Licence: NSW Government content, reproduced for research/citation purposes
• How to search the land registers | Queensland Government — Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• How to access information on contaminated sites (DWER fact sheet, October 2024) — Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (WA) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• State Heritage Inventory | NSW Environment and Heritage — Heritage NSW (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• About the Queensland Heritage Register | Queensland Government — Queensland Government (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• View planning data on PlanWA — Government of Western Australia (Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage) (retrieved 12 Aug 2026). Licence: Western Australian Government content, reproduced for research/citation purposes
• Conveyancing and contracts for sellers — Consumer Affairs Victoria (retrieved 30 Jul 2026, last checked 7 Aug 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Section 88B instruments | NSW Land Registry Services — NSW Land Registry Services (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Easements and covenants | Cairns Regional Council — Cairns Regional Council (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• Property interests in WA | Landgate — Landgate (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• Due diligence checklist - for home and residential property buyers — Consumer Affairs Victoria (retrieved 30 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Mine Subsidence Districts | Subsidence Advisory NSW — Subsidence Advisory NSW (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Collingwood Park mine subsidence | Queensland Government — Queensland Government (abandoned mines) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• How accurate are the flood risk ratings behind home insurance premium hikes? | CHOICE — CHOICE (Australian Consumers' Association) (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site

Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.