--- title: "APN Research Brief: Brisbane’s 2025 Flood Map Update: The Two Reasons 400 Properties Were Removed" url: https://australianproperty.network/apn-research/apn-research-brief-brisbanes-2025-flood-map-update-the-two-reasons-400-properties-were-removed/ date: 2025-11-15 modified: 2026-01-16 lang: en author: "APN Academy" description: "In 2025, Brisbane City Council removed around 400 properties from its flood overlay maps. We analyse the two distinct drivers behind this change: technical flood study updates and the administrative impact of the government's Voluntary Home Buy-Back program." word_count: 1281 --- # APN Research Brief: Brisbane’s 2025 Flood Map Update: The Two Reasons 400 Properties Were Removed ### Analysis of Brisbane's 2025 Flood Overlay Map Changes #### Key Findings: Two Mechanisms Driving Flood Map Changes In September 2025, Brisbane City Council (BCC) officially updated its flood overlay maps, resulting in the removal of approximately 400 properties from the designated Creek/waterway flood planning area. Our analysis confirms that this was not a single event but the result of two distinct mechanisms concentrated in different geographic areas. - **Mechanism A (Technical):** In the Jindalee and Lota Creek catchments, properties were removed from the flood overlay due to technical updates. This was the result of new, more accurate flood studies and remodelling, with no correlation to the government's home buy-back scheme. - **Mechanism B (Administrative):** In the Breakfast Creek catchment, there is a strong correlation between property removals and the Queensland Government's Voluntary Home Buy-Back (VHBB) program, particularly in suburbs like Windsor and Herston. These properties were administratively rezoned as "non-habitable" and subsequently removed from the residential flood overlay. While this analysis successfully identifies the affected suburbs, the specific street-level addresses of the removed properties are not available in public documents. They can only be identified through a manual before-and-after comparison of the Council's interactive flood maps. #### Understanding the Amendment: Minor Amendment Package V ##### Official Amendment Details - **Amendment Package:** The changes were enacted through [Minor amendment package V](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/building-and-planning/planning-and-design/city-plan-amendments/flood-overlay-mapping-minor-amendment-package-v). - **Planning Scheme:** The amendment applies to the Brisbane City Plan 2014. - **Timeline:** The package was adopted by Council on 12 August 2025 and officially took effect on 19 September 2025, as noted in the [Queensland Government Gazette](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/public-notice-of-adoption-qualified-state-interest-amendment-local-heritage-minor-and-administrative-package-u-minor-amendment-package-v-government-gazette-v34.00-2025.pdf.coredownload.pdf). - **Purpose:** The stated goal was to update the Flood overlay mapping for Creek/waterway flood planning areas based on new flood studies for the Breakfast Creek, Jindalee Creek, and Lota Creek catchments. ##### Targeted Map Tiles The [Schedule of Amendments](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/schedule-of-amendments-minor-amendment-package-v-v34.00-2025.pdf.coredownload.pdf) for Package V specifies the exact map tiles that were altered (OM-006.2). This narrows the search for the 400 removed properties from a city-wide task to a focused investigation of just 10 map tiles: - **Affected Map Tiles:** 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34, 37, and 42. ##### Data Access Constraint A critical finding is that a list of the roughly 400 removed properties is not published in any text-based public document. While [industry reports](https://stormwaterconsulting.com.au/brisbane-flood-mapping-update-2025-what-this-means-for-homeowners/) confirm the total number, the specific addresses only exist as a visual difference between the 'before' and 'after' layers on the BCC's official [interactive StoryMap](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c1e4ca5942064393ad045dd8a2db7e3b). Therefore, identifying the exact properties requires a manual visual comparison. #### Identifying Affected Suburbs by Catchment Area By combining data from flood studies, catchment maps, and news reports, we have aggregated a target list of suburbs where the property removals occurred. ##### Breakfast Creek Catchment This large, inner-urban catchment includes the following candidate suburbs: - Albion - Ashgrove - Bowen Hills - Enoggera - Fortitude Valley - Grange - Herston - Kelvin Grove - Lutwyche - Newmarket - Newstead - Stafford - Teneriffe - The Gap - Windsor ##### Jindalee Creek Catchment Located in the Centenary suburbs, this catchment is geographically distinct from the larger Oxley Creek catchment. Candidate suburbs identified through [local reporting](https://centenarytoday.com.au/new-creek-flood-study-changes-risk-profile-for-jindalee-homes/) and consulting data include: - Fig Tree Pocket - Jindalee - Middle Park - Sinnamon Park ##### Lota Creek Catchment Situated in Brisbane's bayside, this catchment's candidate suburbs were identified via the official [Lota Creek Flood Study](https://docs.brisbane.qld.gov.au/open-data/flood-study/FLM%20-%20Report%20-%20Lota%20Creek%20Flood%20Study%20-%20Volume%201.pdf) and [local news](https://manlytoday.com.au/lota-creek-catchment-properties-among-thousands-affected-by-flood-risk-map-update/): - Chandler - Gumdale - Hemmant - Lota - Manly - Ransome - Wakerley - Wynnum West #### Analysis: Technical Remodelling vs. Administrative Buy-Backs ##### Confirming the Administrative Mechanism (Mechanism B) The administrative removal of properties is directly linked to the Queensland Government's [Voluntary Home Buy-Back (VHBB) program](https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/home-owners-financial-help/resilience-to-floods-and-cyclones/resilient-homes-fund/overview/buy-back), part of the Resilient Homes Fund. This large-scale program involves purchasing homes at the highest risk of future flooding. The crucial link is found in the Council's adoption notices. On the same day Package V (flood map changes) was adopted, the Council also adopted **Minor and administrative amendment package U**. The stated purpose of Package U was to "amend the zoning... of properties purchased under the Queensland Government's Voluntary Home Buy-Back program to reflect the requirement the properties be non-habitable." This confirms that as the government buys back properties, the Council rezones them as non-habitable (Package U) and concurrently removes them from the residential flood overlay (Package V). The two packages work in tandem. ##### Correlation Analysis By cross-referencing the affected catchments with known VHBB locations, we can differentiate the two mechanisms: - **Breakfast Creek Catchment: STRONG CORRELATION.** This catchment contains the suburbs of **Windsor** and **Herston**, which are explicitly named as areas with major buy-back schemes in [academic research](https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5565). This confirms the catchment is a hot-zone for Mechanism B (Buy-Back), though some removals in other suburbs like Ashgrove or The Gap are likely due to Mechanism A (Technical). - **Jindalee Creek Catchment: NIL RETURN.** The major buy-back suburbs in this part of Brisbane, such as Rocklea and Oxley, are located in the adjacent [Oxley Creek catchment](https://www.moggillcreek.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/major_waterway_catchments_map.pdf). Therefore, all property removals in the Jindalee Creek catchment (Jindalee, Sinnamon Park, etc.) can be attributed to **Mechanism A (Technical Remodelling)**. - **Lota Creek Catchment: NIL RETURN.** No available data links the VHBB program to the bayside suburbs in this catchment. Therefore, all property removals here can also be attributed to **Mechanism A (Technical Remodelling)**. #### Conclusion: Confirmed Locations and Remaining Questions ##### Mechanism A Locations (Technical Remodelling) Properties removed from the flood overlay due to updated flood studies are located in: - **Jindalee Creek Catchment:** Fig Tree Pocket, Jindalee, Middle Park, Sinnamon Park. - **Lota Creek Catchment:** Chandler, Gumdale, Hemmant, Lota, Manly, Ransome, Wakerley, Wynnum West. - **Breakfast Creek Catchment:** A portion of removals in suburbs other than Windsor and Herston (e.g., Ashgrove, The Gap, Newstead). ##### Mechanism B Locations (Administrative Buy-Back) Properties removed due to being purchased under the VHBB program are concentrated in the **Breakfast Creek catchment**, primarily in the suburbs of **Windsor** and **Herston**. ##### Next Steps This analysis successfully narrows the search from the entire city down to 23 suburbs. However, two questions remain: - What are the specific street-level addresses of all ~400 removed properties? - What is the exact ratio of technical vs. buy-back removals within the Breakfast Creek catchment? This final data cannot be found in published reports. It can only be obtained by tasking an analyst to perform a manual, visual comparison using the 'before' and 'after' slider on [Brisbane City Council's interactive map](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c1e4ca5942064393ad045dd8a2db7e3b), focusing on the 10 specified map tiles and 23 candidate suburbs identified in this report. #### Sources - 1. [Brisbane Flood Mapping Update 2025: What this Means for Homeowners](https://stormwaterconsulting.com.au/brisbane-flood-mapping-update-2025-what-this-means-for-homeowners/), Stormwater Consulting - 2. [Beyond Flood Resilience—Rethinking Typology and Strategies for Flood-Prone Buyback Land in Suburban Brisbane](https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5565), MDPI - 3. [Greater Windsor Albion Area - Flood Impact Map](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/Community-support-and-safety/documents/greater-windsor-albion-area-breakfast-creek-catchment-brisbane-severe-weather-alerts-gauge-reference-diagram-and-flood-impact-reference-map.pdf.coredownload.pdf), Brisbane City Council - 4. [Public Notice of Adoption - Minor amendment package V](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/public-notice-of-adoption-qualified-state-interest-amendment-local-heritage-minor-and-administrative-package-u-minor-amendment-package-v-government-gazette-v34.00-2025.pdf.coredownload.pdf), Brisbane City Council - 5. [Find an adopted amendment](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/building-and-planning/planning-and-design/find-an-adopted-amendment), Brisbane City Council - 6. [Flood overlay mapping - Minor amendment package V](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/building-and-planning/planning-and-design/city-plan-amendments/flood-overlay-mapping-minor-amendment-package-v), Brisbane City Council - 7. [Schedule of amendments - Minor amendment package V](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/schedule-of-amendments-minor-amendment-package-v-v34.00-2025.pdf.coredownload.pdf), Brisbane City Council - 8. [City Plan Minor amendment package V - Interactive Map](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c1e4ca5942064393ad045dd8a2db7e3b), ArcGIS StoryMaps - 9. [New Creek Flood Study Changes Risk Profile For Jindalee Homes](https://centenarytoday.com.au/new-creek-flood-study-changes-risk-profile-for-jindalee-homes/), Centenary Today - 10. [SOWN Enoggera Catchment Plan 2021–2026](https://sown.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SOWN_Enoggera_Catchment_Plan_2021-2026.pdf), Save Our Waterways Now - 11. [Brisbane's Major Waterway Catchments Map](https://www.moggillcreek.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/major_waterway_catchments_map.pdf), Moggill Creek Catchment Group - 12. [Guideline on Identifying and Applying Water Quality Objectives in Brisbane City](https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/docs.brisbane.qld.gov.au/Technical+Documents/Guidelines+on+Identifying+and+Applying+Water+Quality+Objectives+in+Brisbane+City/Appendix+2+-+Maps+of+Creek+Catchment+in+Brisbane+with+Planning+Units+(p+21-25)+760+kb.pdf), Brisbane City Council - 13. [Lota Creek Flood Study - Volume 1](https://docs.brisbane.qld.gov.au/open-data/flood-study/FLM%20-%20Report%20-%20Lota%20Creek%20Flood%20Study%20-%20Volume%201.pdf), Brisbane City Council - 14. [Lota Creek Catchment Properties Among Thousands Affected by Flood Risk Map Update](https://manlytoday.com.au/lota-creek-catchment-properties-among-thousands-affected-by-flood-risk-map-update/), Manly Today - 15. [Voluntary Home Buy-Back](https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/home-owners-financial-help/resilience-to-floods-and-cyclones/resilient-homes-fund/overview/buy-back), Queensland Government - 16. [Resilient Homes Fund: Voluntary Home Buy-Back program](https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/resilient-homes-fund/resilient-homes-fund-voluntary-home-buy-back-program), QRA - 17. [Queensland Resilient Homes Fund](https://sendaicommitments.undrr.org/commitment/queensland-resilient-homes-fund), UNDRR - 18. [First Property Buy Back Offers Accepted By Flood-Affected SEQ Homeowners](https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96242), Ministerial Media Statements - 19. [Flood-impacted homeowners accept buy back offers](https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96352), Ministerial Media Statements - 20. [More Queensland Homes to Benefit from Voluntary Home Buybacks](https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/97972), Ministerial Media Statements - 21. [Revealed: Where govt will buy back 346 more flooded homes](https://www.realestate.com.au/news/revealed-where-govt-will-buy-back-346-more-flooded-homes/), realestate.com.au - 22. [Flood-impacted homeowners accept buy back offers](https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/news-case-studies/news/flood-impacted-homeowners-accept-buy-back-offers), QRA - 23. [Oxley, Queensland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxley,_Queensland), Wikipedia - 24. [Lower Brisbane Catchment Story](https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/processes-systems/water/catchment-stories/transcript-lower-brisbane.html), WetlandInfo