Queensland's Form 2 seller disclosure statement: the planning data guide
Where the zoning, heritage and environmental answers come from - and what buyers still need to check themselves.
What is Form 2?
Since 1 August 2025, every seller of property in Queensland must give the buyer a completed seller disclosure statement (Form 2) under section 99 of the Property Law Act 2023, together with the prescribed certificates, before the buyer signs the contract. If the statement is missing, or materially inaccurate or incomplete, the buyer may have a right to terminate the contract any time before settlement.
The official form and guidance are published by the Queensland Government: seller disclosure scheme overview and the Form 2 PDF.
What Part 3 asks about land use, planning and environment
Part 3 is where the planning questions live. The seller must state or answer:
- Zoning - the zone of the property under the applicable planning scheme (or an overriding instrument such as the Economic Development Act 2012). This is a free-text field the seller must get right.
- Transport proposals and resumptions - whether the seller has been given a notice about transport infrastructure on the property, or a notice of intention to resume.
- Contamination - whether the property is recorded on the Environmental Management Register (EMR) or Contaminated Land Register (CLR), and whether certain Environmental Protection Act 1994 notices have been given.
- Trees - any tree order or application under the Neighbourhood Disputes (Dividing Fences and Trees) Act 2011.
- Heritage - whether the property is affected by the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 or included in the World Heritage List.
Part 3 also carries two information notes: buyers are told to make their own enquiries about flooding and natural hazards (via the local government or FloodCheck Queensland) and about vegetation clearing, koala habitat and other development restrictions.
Where each answer comes from
Some Form 2 items are mapped planning data; others can only come from official registry searches or the seller's own knowledge. The table below shows which is which.
| Form 2 item | Where the answer comes from |
|---|---|
| Zoning | The local planning scheme's zoning maps. A LayeredGeo planning report states the mapped zone for the lot, drawn from council planning scheme data, ready to confirm against the council's official mapping. |
| Heritage | The Queensland Heritage Register and local heritage overlays. A planning report shows any state or local heritage overlay mapped over the lot. |
| Registered easements (Part 2 encumbrances) | The title search from Titles Queensland is the authoritative source. A planning report shows easements recorded in the cadastre mapped over the lot, which is useful context but not a substitute for the title search. |
| EMR / CLR contamination | Official EMR/CLR search from the Department of Environment. Registry search only - mapping tools cannot answer this. |
| Transport proposals / resumptions | Notices given to the seller. Seller's own records - there is no public map of these notices. |
| Tree orders | Orders or applications known to the seller (QCAT). Seller's own records. |
| Flooding (buyer enquiry note) | Not required in Form 2. Buyers can use council flood mapping, FloodCheck Queensland, or a planning report covering flood risk, overland flow, storm tide and historical flood extents for the lot. |
| Vegetation and habitat (buyer enquiry note) | Not required in Form 2. A planning report shows mapped state and council environmental overlays, including regulated vegetation and koala habitat, over the lot. |
What Form 2 deliberately leaves out
The first page of Form 2 warns buyers that the statement does not include information about:
- flooding or other natural hazard history
- structural soundness or pest infestation
- current or historical use of the property
- current or past building or development approvals
- limits imposed by planning laws on the use of the land
- services that are or may be connected to the property
- asbestos in buildings or improvements
Buyers are told to make their own enquiries before signing, because these matters generally cannot be relied on to terminate afterwards. Several of them - flood and natural hazards, planning limits on use, and connected services - are exactly what a property planning report covers: zoning and what it permits, flood and bushfire overlays, heritage and character controls, environmental overlays, easements, and mapped water, sewer and stormwater mains near the lot.
For sellers and solicitors
The zoning field is the one substantive planning fact the seller must state, and getting it wrong is a material inaccuracy. A planning report gives you the mapped zone (and any overlays that a careful buyer will ask about) in one document you can keep on file with the disclosure material. Confirm the stated zone against the council's official planning scheme mapping before signing.
For buyers
Treat Form 2 as the floor, not the ceiling. It tells you about the title, registers and notices - it does not tell you whether the backyard is in an overland flow path, whether the street is a character precinct, or whether sewer runs through the middle of the lot. The free interactive map at Planning Maps shows the overlays on any QLD address, and a full PDF report is $9.
Frequently asked questions
When did Form 2 become mandatory?
For contracts signed on or after 1 August 2025. The statement and prescribed certificates must be given to the buyer before the buyer signs.
What zoning do I write in Form 2?
The zone of the lot under the applicable planning scheme, for example "Low density residential" or "General residential", or the zoning under an overriding instrument where one applies. Look it up on the council's planning scheme mapping, or generate a planning report that states the mapped zone.
Does Form 2 include flood information?
No. The form explicitly excludes flooding and natural hazard history and directs buyers to make their own enquiries.
Does a planning report replace the official searches?
No. Title searches, EMR/CLR searches, pool safety certificates and body corporate certificates must come from the official registries. A planning report is a data reference for the mapped planning matters and the buyer-side enquiries.
Buying or selling in NSW instead?
New South Wales works differently: the council-issued section 10.7 planning certificate must be attached to the contract for sale, and it covers zoning, flood related development controls and bushfire prone land in text form.
Disclaimer
This page is general information, not legal advice, and a LayeredGeo report is not a disclosure document and does not satisfy any obligation under the Property Law Act 2023. Sellers remain responsible for the accuracy of their disclosure statement and should verify answers with the relevant authority and their solicitor.