Residents Ray and Lynn McKay after a massive sinkhole opened in the backyard of their Ipswich home. Credit:Tertius Pickard "It's quite big, it is apparently getting bigger, more of the sides are caving in," she said. Mayor Paul Pisasale said a local mine expert had identified a mine shaft had been put in that spot "many years ago". "This is a very old area of the city and local mine expert Ken Grubb has identified there was a shaft put in many years ago, in 1903, and they identified the coal was too deep and not worth it," he said. "It looks like the way they have filled in the mine with timber and other things, it looks like it has rotted over the years.

Council workers inspect the massive hole. Credit:Tertius Pickard "They expect it to get bigger and bigger but they can't predict it. "I have made arrangements for Ray and Lynn McKay to be in hotel accommodation overnight to make sure they have some peace of mind. Council workers have put up fencing. Credit:Tertius Pickard "Until we know they are going to be safe they won't be staying here."

Cr Pisasale said the council was monitoring the area and waiting for the Department of Mines and Energy to provide more extensive maps of the area. The Ipswich couple woke to this hole in their backyard. Credit:7 News Queensland "We are not taking any chances with regards to this house or any other neighbouring properties," he said. "We have spoken to all the neighbours and it looks like it is all confined to one property. "Ray and Lynn were affected by the 2011 floods, they have really copped a battering."

Mrs McKay, 74, has owned the property with her husband Ray, 78, for 25 years and said their neighbour was the first to spot the hole. "A neighbour came and knocked on the door and said 'Did you know you have a hole in your backyard?' and we said, 'No' and we looked out," she said. "We have all been outside watching it all day and it has just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. "It is terrible, we just don't know what to think – we have had a lot of people looking and seeing what they are going to do." The couple was evacuated on Tuesday afternoon were unsure how long it would be until they could return to their home.

"I have to go and pack some clothes and medication and get myself into moving gear," Mrs McKay said. "They said it could be a couple of days or it could be until the weekend, we don't know until they assess it a bit more. "We are coping well, we are just going with the flow." Ms McKay said neighbours had been extremely supportive, especially given this was the second time in five years they had been hit hard by a disaster. "We were hit with the 2011 floods and lost everything in that," she said.

"Even up until today, we look for things and we think 'Oh, it must have gone in the floods'." Stay informed. Like Brisbane Times on Facebook