Flood maps

Logan City Council has endorsed a set of targeted improvements to its flood mapping, informed by community feedback and an independent external review.

The changes were considered at a Special Council meeting, following detailed consideration and an independent review into the Logan and Albert Rivers Flood Study.

Changes supported by Council include:

• removing flood events less likely than a 1% annual chance (1 in 100) from the flood maps – including the most extreme event, the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) – as recommended in the independent review
• improving flood risk awareness maps
• changing how dry creeks and gullies are mapped
• retaining a common-sense approach to house extensions in the flood plain.

These changes are grounded in independent technical advice, align with State and national modelling guidance and introduce targeted updates to planning controls to provide a more practical and balanced approach for property owners.

Low Flood Risk Area: Remove flood events less likely than the 1% annual chance event (1 in 100), including the 1 in 2000 event and the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF), from the Flood Overlay Map.

Introduce a new development code in the planning scheme to manage essential community infrastructure and vulnerable uses (such as hospitals and childcare centres). 

High Flow Area terminology: Replace existing flood risk terminology with a consistent Flood Planning Area framework (Flood Planning Areas 1, 2 and 3), to provide clearer, more consistent descriptions of flood risk in response to community feedback.

High Flow Area Policy: Allow open structures, such as carports, to be considered in Flood Planning Area 1, subject to requirements for safe design to ensure flood flow is not obstructed and floodplain function is maintained. 

Small Scale Extensions: Retain the current policy that allows extensions under 25sqm (outside Flood Planning Area 1) without assessment under the flood provisions of the planning scheme. This supports modest extensions while maintaining appropriate flood safety and resilience. Larger extensions can still be considered but will require a development application for assessment. 

Shelter-in-place Policy: Refine the policy to provide clearer guidance on how evacuation and shelter‑in‑place provisions apply to houses, while retaining the current approach that isolation (shelter in place) is suitable for less than 36 hours.

Dry Creeks and Gullies: Introduce a new Flood Planning Area (Flood Planning Area 4) to better reflect the nature of flooding in dry creeks and gullies, with a more proportionate approach where flooding may be frequent but shallow. Council also endorsed to engage further expertise to undertake a review of the assumptions and methodology used to develop the current creek mapping.   

Flood Portal: Improve flood risk awareness mapping in the Flood Portal to remove the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) and show a 1 in 100 annual chance event on the key maps tab with larger floods up to a 1 in 2000 annual chance event available on the other maps tab. This aligns with the recommendations of the independent review that including the PMF is more likely to cause alarm and is more relevant to emergency planning.

Council will use a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI), a State Government approved method for introducing planning changes in the public interest sooner.  

This is an established process used where timely changes, meeting specific criteria, are needed. It allows Council to provide affected residents with earlier clarity and certainty while longer-term planning work continues for the draft Logan Plan.

It will take some time for the TLPI to be drafted and reviewed before being presented back to Council. If Council endorses the draft TLPI, it will be submitted to the Queensland Government for review. When the Queensland Government gives approval, Council can then adopt the changes. It is expected this will be in late 2026 or early 2027.

Councillors endorsed that the landing page of the Flood Portal be changed to the 1% annual chance (1 in 100) only, in line with the proposed TLPI. They also endorsed that less likely flood events remain available for use in emergency planning. Further details will be worked through and community consultation will take place before final decisions are made.

Council does not set insurance premiums or determine how insurers price risk.

Insurance increases are being experienced by communities across Australia, not just in Logan.

Insurance premiums rise due to a range of factors, including increasing repair and rebuilding costs linked to construction prices and higher claims from natural disaster events. 

The Mayor has met with insurance companies to raise insurance-related concerns from Logan residents.

If you believe there may be an error in how flood information has been applied to your insurance policy, we encourage you to contact your insurer directly to understand the data they used.  

You can also ask the Mayor to advocate on your behalf by providing:

• your name and address
• copies of the old and new premium (or quote for new premium).

Email: mayor@logan.qld.gov.au

Yes. Mayor Jon Raven met with Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie on 28 May to share the Independent Review and discuss the next steps for a more practical approach to flood mapping.  

Council will continue to advocate for change so we can get the balance right between safety and common sense in a way that works for the people of Logan and communities all over Queensland. 

Yes. Based on decisions made at the Special Council Meeting on 4 June 2026, Council will implement a series of be changes to the flood overlay maps used to guide planning and development. These changes have been informed by the independent review, community feedback and legislative requirements, and are designed to make flood mapping clearer and more practical while maintaining strong protections for life and property.

Further improvements may be made as Council continues to review the submissions on the draft Logan Plan.

Council commissioned the independent review after community feedback during public consultation on the draft Logan Plan in September and October last year. 

The independent review found the flood study was developed using accepted national standards and industry practices. 

The review also found the inclusion of rare and extreme flood events in flood mapping is more likely to be alarming rather than helpful. 

It highlighted an opportunity to change how rare floods, including the most extreme scenario known as the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF), are used in flood mapping while maintaining their role in emergency planning. 

When the flood maps were commissioned, the inclusion of extreme flood scenarios, including PMF, was required under State Planning Policy. The independent review highlighted that rare and extreme flood events remain important for emergency planning but should not be used in flood mapping. 

The independent review also identified 2 key technical factors influencing results: 

• The first technical factor related to very old flood events (from 1887 and 1947 before gauged records) that were not included in the modelling. The review found that if they were included it could lead to lower modelled flood levels in some areas, noting these findings are preliminary.  
• However, the review also noted that any reduction in modelled flood levels would need to be assessed in the context of more up-to-date climate change data, with much of the work completed before national flood guidelines were updated in 2024 (Australian Rainfall and Runoff Version 4.2). 

The report was received at a Special Council meeting on Wednesday 27 May. Councillors resolved for Mayor Jon Raven to contact the Queensland Government to seek change on how rare and extreme floods are used in flood mapping.

Council will now work with the Queensland Government to advocate for a more practical approach on how flood mapping is used in planning for the benefit of Logan residents and all Queenslanders.

Older floods such as these have not typically been included in flood modelling in Logan due to limited reliability of historical data and significant urbanisation across the city since then.

Measured and verifiable gauged records at key locations such as the upstream gauge at Yarrahappini are only available from 1969 onwards.

The independent review is available in this document folder.

This dedicated webpage also has updates, timelines, frequently asked questions and background information. Residents can also subscribe for email updates as new information is added.

Community consultation on the draft Logan Plan in 2025 identified concerns from some residents about the inclusion of minor rural gullies, farm dams, and areas of shallow or poorly defined water pathways within the flood risk mapping affecting their properties. Many residents considered that these features represented overland flow (stormwater runoff) rather than flooding.

In June 2026, Council resolved to investigate the assumptions and methodology used to develop the current creek flood mapping before considering whether any changes are required.

It's one of the matters Council committed to investigating further in late 2025 after community consultation on the draft Logan Plan. A Special Council meeting in June 2026 considered initial analysis and formally endorsed a further investigation of ephemeral or dry creeks.

Council will consider the scope of the investigation at the City Shape, Economic Transformation & Transport Committee Meeting on 12 August and make recommendations to the 19 August Ordinary Meeting. Both are public meetings. 

If the scope is approved on 19 August, Council will engage specialists to undertake the technical investigation. 

If endorsed, the investigation will take some time, so any changes to creek flood mapping arising from the investigation will not be reflected in the new Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) due to be presented to Council in October 2026.

A technical investigation will look into the assumptions, methodology and application of creek flood mapping and flood planning policy for creeks. 

Historically the mapping extent was aligned to Council’s adopted waterway mapping, providing a consistent approach across the local government area. 

The proposed scope includes a more detailed technical assessment of the waterway function and characteristics to further distinguish creek systems from overland flow paths.

Council will undertake a process to invite proposals from appropriately qualified independent technical experts and then select and engage a specialist to complete the investigation and prepare a report for Council’s consideration.

The investigation will focus on the assumptions, methodology and application of creek flood mapping across the city rather than individual properties.

As part of the investigation, specialists may undertake field validation of creek flood studies and inspect selected waterways where required. However, the investigation is not intended to provide individual property assessments. 

Following the technical investigation, specialist advice will be required to review Council's creek flood policy within the context of the broader flood risk assessment. This review will consider the legal, planning and policy implications of any proposed amendments to the extent of creek flood mapping. 

The findings of the investigation will be presented to Council for consideration before any decisions are made.

Subject to Council approval, any revised creek flood mapping will be incorporated into the Logan Flood Portal and associated mapping products. Any endorsed changes will subsequently be incorporated into a local planning instrument. 

Any proposed future amendments to the creek flood mapping will consider appropriate levels of flood risk management for people and property.

Council is seeking recommendations to guide future land use planning and regulate development that: 

• distinguishes overland flow from creek flooding 
• provides criteria to guide the upstream extent of future creek flood studies 
• offers recommendations on where existing creek flood risk mapping should finish within a creek or minor waterway. 

Any proposed future amendments to the creek flood mapping will consider appropriate levels of flood risk management for people and property, as well as community expectations.

From a flood risk management perspective, risk to people and property arises when floodwaters are deep, fast, or occur often enough that people are regularly exposed to flooding.

These risks can come from flooding in both rivers and creeks. Planning policy needs to reduce flood risk while also being practical and responsive to the level of risk involved.

The draft Logan Plan flood overlay mapping identifies river and creek flood risk based on a regional riverine flood study and 10 local creek flood studies.

The extent of existing creek flood mapping is aligned to the waterway corridor mapping contained in the planning scheme.

While overland flow mapping is available for information purposes through the Logan Flood Portal, there are no specific overland flow provisions in the proposed planning scheme or in the Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI 1/2024) currently in effect.

The planning scheme flood overlay code only regulates and manages flood risk within creeks where they are covered by the flood overlay mapping.

The investigation has not started and no decisions have been made.

The purpose of the investigation is to review the assumptions, methodology and application of creek flood mapping and flood planning policy for creeks. Any recommendations will be presented to Council for consideration before any decisions are made.

Any future amendments would need to balance community concerns with appropriate flood risk management for people and property. Some properties may be impacted by flooding from both river and creek sources.

We need to understand and manage flood risk to:

• keep people safe
• protect property and assets
• support our emergency response in times of disaster
• help make better decisions about where future houses and infrastructure can go
• build community resilience to reduce future impact.

Logan lives with flooding. We have 2 major rivers (Logan and Albert) and around 90 creeks. Flood studies for each river catchment tell us:

• what may happen in floods of different sizes and likelihoods, from a small/frequent flood up to a very extreme/rare flood
• how deep and fast floodwaters may be in different areas by simulating floods using computer models.

• The Queensland Government has mandated a risk-based approach in response to the findings of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry.
• A risk-based approach considers both likelihood and impact for all natural hazards including floods.
• The likelihood and impact of floods varies in different areas of our city. Different types of flooding also behave differently (e.g. river compared to creek compared to stormwater run-off). A risk-based approach allows us to tailor the policy so that we don't apply a 'one size fits all' restriction and can more appropriately guide future development to protect people and property.

• Council is focusing on its flood risk policy as a priority because the majority of submissions related to this. We have heard the message loud and clear. We are also reviewing all other submissions received. Each step will take time, as Council needs to consult with technical experts, the Queensland Government and other stakeholders, and seek legal review of proposed changes.
• Council will update the community as milestones are reached as we know people are interested in the outcomes.

Flood mapping gives important information that lets you understand potential flood risk on your property. For most properties in the mapped area, development is still possible. If you'd like specific advice please contact Council.

• Each step will take time. Council needs to consult with technical experts, the Queensland Government and other stakeholders, and seek legal review of any proposed changes to the draft planning scheme.
• Council is reviewing more than 4,000 submissions received during public consultation in September and October 2025. Many of these submissions include multiple points, each of which may relate to different matters. We need to review, consider and respond to every individual point made in the submissions.
• We're also reviewing the timeline for Logan Plan as a result of the significant volume of submissions received and our work to prioritise flood risk policy.
• This flood risk policy work is likely to delay the implementation of Logan Plan, but Council is committed to working with the community and other key stakeholders (including the Queensland Government) to ensure our policies are appropriate and meet legislative requirements.

We are not making any decisions about, or changes to, Logan Plan at this stage. It's important that we review all submissions to ensure we identify, understand and carefully consider all of the matters raised.

It was very clear, in relation to the proposed flood overlay, that some of the same key issues were being raised by a lot of people. We are prioritising the investigation of those issues but won't be making any changes to the draft planning scheme until we've got a clear picture of all the issues raised.

As part of the consultation process, a Consultation Report will be published on Council’s website. Given the volume of submissions, and the legal process involved, this will take many months. We will post updates on this webpage as work progresses.

We have mapped out a proposed schedule of milestones and how we will communicate progress at those points to affected residents and the wider community. Some of the timing may change due to the requirement for Queensland Government approvals and legal reviews. We'll do our best to communicate changes to the proposed schedule as soon as we can. We’ll continue to be open and transparent with the community and share information as we progress with Logan Plan. Refer to the Communication timeline above.

You should speak with your insurer in the first instance.

If you feel your property insurance has been unfairly impacted, please share the following details with Mayor Jon Raven via mayor@logan.qld.gov.au:

• your name and address
• copies of the old and new premium (or quote for new premium).

The Mayor is actively meeting with insurance companies to discuss this issue and the information you provide to us will be disclosed to them. The discussions are general in nature. Council will not be collecting any personal information about you from your insurance provider and your insurer will not provide specific feedback about your policy to the Mayor without your permission. If you do not provide us with the details we have listed above, we may not be able to advocate for you on this issue.

Council handles your personal information in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld). For more information, please refer to our Privacy page.

The map is still available on the Logan Flood Portal. It was renamed from 'insurance' to 'current climate' to avoid confusion about its purpose. This map is not used by insurers.