Before you buy
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.
Key points
- Run the check for the exact lot, not the suburb.
- Each state keeps this information in a different place; the table below says where.
- A clear result on a register or map is not proof there is no risk.
- General information, not legal, planning or insurance advice: confirm with your conveyancer or solicitor before you sign.
The short answer
Search the state's contaminated land register for the address, and check the planning controls. Every register here records only what has been formally notified or acted on: Victoria's EPA Priority Sites Register, for example, is not a list of every contaminated site. (EPA Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026) Queensland's registers don't show contamination that was never notified. (Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, verified 22 Oct 2026)
What to search in each state
Where to look for the exact address, checked against each official source on 22 October 2026. A blank on a register or map is not the same as no risk; the next section says why.
| State | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Victoria | Search EPA's Priority Sites Register, which lists sites with a formal notice to clean up or manage contamination. (EPA Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026) Check the planning property report for an Environmental Audit Overlay, which applies to potentially contaminated land. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 27 Sep 2026) |
| New South Wales | Search NSW EPA's record of notices, which is not a record of all contaminated land. (NSW Environment Protection Authority, verified 12 Aug 2026) The planning certificate's hazard item expressly includes contamination. (NSW Department of Planning and Environment, verified 22 Oct 2026) |
| Queensland | Search the Environmental Management Register and Contaminated Land Register online with the lot on plan; a fee applies. (Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, verified 22 Oct 2026) |
| Western Australia | Search DWER's Contaminated Sites Database, which shows three of seven classifications; any other site needs a Basic Summary of Records ($44). (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (WA), verified 22 Oct 2026) Landgate's Property Interest Report shows whether the land is on or near a contaminated site. (Landgate, verified 22 Oct 2026) |
| South Australia | Not confirmed from a current official source for this guide: the SA EPA public register page showed a maintenance notice when checked on 22 October 2026. |
Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not covered by this guide yet.
What each result means
The land is listed
A listing is a formal record: get the documents behind it. In Queensland a search also returns any notified contaminants and any site management plan. (Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, verified 22 Oct 2026) In WA some classifications put a memorial on the certificate of title. (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (WA), verified 22 Oct 2026)
An Environmental Audit Overlay applies (Victoria)
The overlay exists to make sure potentially contaminated land is suitable for a use that contamination could badly affect. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 27 Sep 2026) Ask the council what it would require before a sensitive use such as a home.
The land is not listed
A clear search is not a clean bill of health. About 30 per cent of WA's classified sites are not on its online database, (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (WA), verified 22 Oct 2026) and NSW EPA's record is not a record of all contaminated land. (NSW Environment Protection Authority, verified 12 Aug 2026) Past uses of the land (a service station, a factory, a farm) are worth asking about directly.
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
Does a clear contaminated land search mean the land is clean?
No. The registers list land with a formal notice or a notified activity. Contamination that was never reported won't appear.
How much does a contaminated land search cost?
It depends on the state. In WA a Basic Summary of Records costs $44; Queensland's EMR and CLR search also charges a fee.
Practical checklist
Contamination: before you sign
- Search the state register for the exact lot, and keep the search result
- Check the planning controls for a contamination overlay or hazard notation
- Ask the seller and agent what the land was used for before the current house
- If anything is listed, get the records before the cooling-off period or any condition ends
Questions for a professional
- Is this land on any contaminated land register, or subject to an audit overlay or notice?
- What was the land used for before, and is there any site assessment on record?
Official resources
- EPA Victoria: Priority Sites Register
- NSW EPA: contaminated land record of notices
- Queensland: how to search the land registers
- WA DWER: how to access information on contaminated sites
Important limitations: General information only, not legal, planning, environmental or insurance advice, and not a search of any property. Registers and maps change; check the official source for the exact address and ask a conveyancer, solicitor or the relevant authority before you rely on a result. Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not covered yet.
Sources and methodology
- Priority Sites Register — EPA Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
- 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
- Clause 45.03 Environmental Audit Overlay | Victoria Planning Provisions — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) (retrieved 27 Sep 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
- 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
- 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
- Property interests in WA | Landgate — Landgate (retrieved 22 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.
Evidence record