THE State Government is updating its flood risk information to help communities plan, manage risks, and build homes that are safe from flooding.
A new risk-based flood hazard rating system has been developed – modelled on the successful bushfire danger rating system – to provide better flood information for local communities.
And, while the early emphasis has been on updating flood-risk information for the Greater Melbourne Metro area, parts of Bass Coast and South Gippsland are being included in the project.
There are five maps being updated across part of the Bass Coast Shire, which includes the towns of Cowes, San Remo, Grantville, Coronet Bay, Corinella, Pioneer Bay, Newhaven and Cape Woolamai.
The maps reflect the different sources of flooding, and provide information used to plan for infrastructure, housing and emergencies.
Mapping underway includes:
- Bass River
- Lang Lang River
- Phillip Island
- Red Bluff Creek, and
- Stormwater drains
This work is being supported by Bass Coast, as part of the Greater Melbourne Flood Information Program. Council will inform you of any future consultation for other parts of the shire outside of Melbourne Water’s catchment area. This may be run by West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
There are also four maps being updated in the western part of South Gippsland, which include the towns of Loch, Nyora and Poowong.
Mapping underway includes
- Bass River
- Lang Lang River, and
- Stormwater drains (Nyora only)
This work is being supported by South Gippsland Shire Council who will inform you of any future consultation for other parts of the shire outside of Melbourne Water’s catchment area. This may be run by South Gippsland Shire Council or West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
One Gippsland, chaired by South Gippsland Councillor Nathan Hersey, has been advocating to the government for state-wide coordinated mapping and planning. Recently calling for: 'a state-wide interim flood and inundation overlay, modelled on the Bushfire Management Overlay, to ensure planning controls keep pace with climate risk and prevent new development on land vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise'.
Background
Insurers often apply a blanket approach to flooding risk, by increasing premiums for an entire community, when only one specific area is at elevated risk of flooding.
The new risk-based system will provide ratings ranging from ‘low’ to ‘very high’ to provide more accurate information, which will correspond to new planning and building controls.
These changes will bring flood planning in line with the bushfire approach used since 2015 and will make sure homes are built based on the latest modelling.
The new planning and building controls will give developers and residents better flood risk information to inform decision-making on where to build, what to build and also how to build with flood-safe construction methods.
The controls will provide clarity by distinguishing between very high-risk areas where development must be avoided, high-risk areas where development warrants careful assessment, moderate-risk areas where projects will need to include the right safeguards and low-risk areas where minimum building requirements will apply.
This will support Melbourne Water and Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) to lead flood modelling and community engagement to streamline flood-related planning scheme amendmentsled by the Minister for Planning – reducing the cost and administrative burden for local councils.
This will speed up development decisions by making sure the approvals process and development controls are proportionate to risk. These changes will give households and insurers timely flood risk information – helping make insurance premiums more transparent.
It will also help direct future investment in emergency services and flood mitigation. Melbourne Water will release updated flood mapping across Greater Melbourne over the next two years and undertake further community engagement.
Minister for Water Gayle Tierney welcomed the new mapping initiative.
“This is about protecting lives and property where the risk is greatest, while making it easier to build homes and businesses in low-risk places.”
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said it would keep councils and property owners better informed.
“We’re providing better information and more clarity to councils, industry and communities, so we can manage flood risks while building the homes that Victoria needs.”
Minister for Housing and Building Harriet Shing said the new mapping would support the push for housing.
"We are ensuring building standards protect consumers and deliver high-quality houses in the right places so that as Victoria grows, we are supporting consumers by managing and mitigating the impacts of climate change.”
