An elderly couple is waiting to find out when it will be safe to return to their home west of Brisbane after their backyard started to disappear down a century-old mine shaft.
Lynn and Ray McKay were put up in a hotel on Tuesday night while engineers watched over their disappearing backyard in Coal St, Basin Pocket.
Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale says the backyard was sitting over a disused mine shaft and he is confident the problem can be solved and the McKays will not lose their home.
"It's an exploratory shaft that goes down about 100 metres and there's no need to panic about a neighbourhood falling in, and we will take all the steps to get Lynn and Ray back in their house," Mr Pisasale told AAP.