Before you buy
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.
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
Check flood in two places for the exact address: the planning controls on the land, and the flood mapping held by the council or water authority. In Melbourne, flood controls are based on the flood with a 1 per cent chance of happening in any year. (Melbourne Water, verified 21 Oct 2026) Then get an insurance quote: CHOICE reported in 2025 that insurers rate flood largely with the National Flood Information Database, and also with tools buyers can't see. (CHOICE (Australian Consumers' Association), verified 21 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 | A planning property report from VicPlan maps every overlay on the land. (Planning Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 29 Jul 2026) The flood overlays are the Special Building Overlay (overland stormwater), the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (waterways and coast) and the Floodway Overlay (active flood flows). (Melbourne Water, verified 21 Oct 2026) Melbourne Water issues a property flood level certificate giving the 1% flood level. (Melbourne Water, verified 21 Oct 2026) |
| New South Wales | The Section 10.7(2) planning certificate, which must be attached to the contract (NSW Department of Planning and Environment, verified 22 Oct 2026), covers flood related development controls. (NSW Department of Planning and Environment, verified 22 Oct 2026) |
| Queensland | Ask the council for property-level flood mapping; the state's FloodCheck map shows floodplain extent and historic floodlines. (Queensland Government, verified 22 Oct 2026) Each council runs its own planning scheme and property report tool. (Brisbane City Council, verified 12 Aug 2026) |
| Western Australia | DWER maps floodplains for specific rivers and major watercourses, not the whole state, and its advice covers major river flooding only, not stormwater. (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (WA), verified 22 Oct 2026) |
| South Australia | SAPPA shows the Planning and Design Code overlays for an address. (PlanSA (Department for Housing and Urban Development), verified 22 Oct 2026) In 2023 the Code had three flood hazard overlays, from low to medium hazard up to high hazard. (PlanSA, verified 22 Oct 2026) |
Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not covered by this guide yet.
What each result means
A flood overlay or flood control applies
In Victoria, the Special Building, Land Subject to Inundation and Floodway overlays each need a planning permit for buildings and works, and Melbourne Water's consent may be needed first. (Melbourne Water, verified 21 Oct 2026) Councils set a minimum floor level from the flood level plus a freeboard. (Melbourne Water, verified 21 Oct 2026) Expect building rules, and check the insurance premium before you commit.
Only part of the lot is covered
Address Check shows how much of a Victorian lot each overlay covers, so a strip along the back fence reads differently from a whole lot. Ask where the mapped area sits relative to the house.
No flood overlay, control or guide
This is not a finding of no flood risk. Melbourne Water keeps getting new flood information, and the planning maps change through planning scheme amendments, (Melbourne Water, verified 21 Oct 2026) and a suburb with no VICSES Local Flood Guide may still flood. (VICSES (Victoria State Emergency Service), verified 29 Jul 2026) WA's floodplain advice does not address stormwater drainage. (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (WA), verified 22 Oct 2026)
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 no flood overlay mean the house won't flood?
No. In Melbourne, flood controls are based on the 1% a year flood, and Melbourne Water keeps updating the maps. Ask the council or water authority, and get an insurance quote.
Where do I find out if a property is flood prone?
From the planning controls (VicPlan in Victoria, the planning certificate in NSW, the council in Queensland) and from the council or water authority's flood mapping.
Practical checklist
Flood: before you sign
- Get the planning property report or planning certificate and list every flood overlay or control
- Ask the council or water authority for the flood level or flood map for the lot
- Get a written insurance quote that names the address before you sign
- If you plan to extend or rebuild, ask what floor level the council would require
Questions for a professional
- Does any flood overlay or flood control apply to this lot, and over which part of it?
- Has the council or water authority released newer flood mapping than the planning scheme shows?
- What would the minimum floor level be if I rebuilt or extended?
Official resources
- VicPlan (Victoria)
- Melbourne Water: property flood level certificate
- Queensland: about flood mapping
- SA Property and Planning Atlas
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
- Flood planning controls explained | Melbourne Water — Melbourne Water (retrieved 21 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
- 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
- Property flood level certificate | Melbourne Water — Melbourne Water (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- 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
- City Plan online — Brisbane City Council (retrieved 12 Aug 2026). Licence: Government content, reproduced for research/citation purposes
- 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
- Flooding Hazards Mapping Update Code Amendment: fact sheet (PlanSA, 2023) — PlanSA (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Amendments to planning schemes | Melbourne Water — Melbourne Water (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Flooding information and advice | Melbourne Water — Melbourne Water (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Local Flood Guides — VICSES (Victoria State Emergency Service) (retrieved 29 Jul 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