How to check an Ipswich house for flood history and old mine workings
Search the address in council's historical flood mapping tool, which shows the 1974, 2011 and 2022 floods, and check council's mapping of known mining influence areas. A building inspection cannot tell you either, but it can record signs of past water and ground movement for you to compare against those maps.
Two Ipswich checks that a building inspection cannot replace
A pre-purchase building and pest inspection reports on the condition of the house. It cannot tell you how often the land floods or what lies under it. In Ipswich those are often the bigger questions, and both can be checked from public records before you sign.
Flooding: what the records show
The Bureau of Meteorology's Bremer River brochure says Ipswich flood records go back to 1840. Its notable floods, measured at the David Trumpy Bridge, were:
| Flood | Peak |
|---|---|
| February 1893 | 24.5 m |
| January 1974 | 20.7 m |
| January 2011 | 19.40 m |
| February 2022 | 16.72 m |
The Bureau estimates that more than 7,000 Ipswich properties are affected once the river passes 19.25 metres. It also notes flooding from Brisbane River backwater and from fast-rising local creeks such as Bundamba and Woogaroo creeks.
The Queensland Reconstruction Authority's August 2011 damage audit, after the 2010-11 floods, recorded these counts of homes in suburbs with their own page on this site:
| Suburb | Destroyed | Severe | Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodna | 83 | 74 | 93 |
| Bundamba | 47 | 27 | 9 |
| East Ipswich | 26 | 21 | 34 |
| North Ipswich | 0 | 1 | 27 |
The 2022 flood was lower at the gauge but still damaged homes. The authority's June 2022 audit recorded 85 homes with severe damage in Goodna, 51 in Bundamba and 11 in East Ipswich.
How to check an address
- Search the address in council's historical flood mapping tool, which shows the estimated 1974 and 2011 extents and the February 2022 flood levels.
- Check the flood overlay in council's interactive Ipswich City Plan map.
- Ask the seller whether the house has flooded and what was repaired.
- Ask the inspector to record any signs of past water.
Old coal mines
The Queensland Government maps the known outlines of underground workings, and says council's planning website maps known mining influence areas. Its mapping shows old underground coal workings beneath parts of many Ipswich suburbs. We measured the share of each suburb over mapped workings:
| Suburb | Share over mapped underground workings |
|---|---|
| Collingwood Park | about 25% |
| Bundamba | about 21% |
| Redbank Plains | about 15% |
| North Ipswich | about 10% |
| Goodna | about 10% |
| Ripley | about 8% |
| East Ipswich | under 1% |
In Collingwood Park, the State guarantees to repair, or buy, properties that existed on 25 April 2008 and are damaged by subsidence from the old Westfalen No. 3 Colliery. The Government describes that guarantee for Collingwood Park only, so if a building report notes cracking or movement and the address is over mapped workings, ask your solicitor what further searches or advice are worth getting.
Related services
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology, flood warning system for the Bremer River; City of Ipswich, historical flood mapping now available; City of Ipswich, historical flood mapping tool; Queensland Reconstruction Authority, damage assessment by suburb, 2010-11 floods; Queensland Reconstruction Authority, damage assessment by suburb, February to April 2022 floods; Queensland Government, abandoned mines: underground workings outline; Queensland Government, Collingwood Park remediation project.
Last checked: 2026-10-30.