1,438 properties facing new flood overlays

Updated flood mapping from the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) may lead to flood overlays on an additional 1438 properties within Baw Baw Shire.
A report to council said 510 properties were already affected by flood overlays, which may remain in place, and 131 were proposed to have the flood overlay removed.
Councillors voted to adopt the amendment (C164) to implement the new flood mapping data into the Baw Baw Planning Scheme at last week's council meeting, on provision of approval from Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny.
Following approval, there will be a two-month community consultation period of the proposed mapping, which will include written notice to all identified owners and occupiers of affected land.
Any unresolved submissions will be referred to the Flood-related Amendments Standing Advisory Committee for consideration and recommendation before the minister's finals decision.
Cr Danny Goss said the mapping was far more accurate than the amendment C144, which was presented and abandoned by council in September 2022.
"This matters, because overlays on your property do cause an issue for residents. It doesn't mean you can't build or you can't do something, but you need a planning permit in many cases and obviously insurance cost is another issue in that situation."
Cr Goss said each error identified as a result of previous mapping had ultimately been fixed by the WGCMA.
"The risk factors from flooding have probably increased since then and I think the demands from residents to council to act has also been front of mind."
"We can't sit by and let developers develop land here and people unknowingly purchase land that might be at risk of flood. Our job is to introduce these overlays (that was never the issue with C144), where they are warranted."
Cr Brendan Kingwill said he had significant concerns about the number of landholders that would potentially be affected by new flood overlays and welcomed thorough community consultation.
"The figures in the report are substantial."
"Behind those numbers are real people, real businesses, real farms. So, the impact on things like building hay sheds and things like that may be affected, insurances will be affected."
Baw Baw Ratepayers and Citizens Association (BBRCA) president Inge Mitchell made a submission on the amendment.
"The recommendations are there for a comprehensive proposal. A planning scheme amendment that ultimately safeguards our community," she said.
"Yarragon and Trafalgar have always had a serious problem with flooding during heavy rainfall times."
Ms Mitchell said residents felt frustrated and concerned about the absence of a resolution to their recurring problems with inundation.
"The ongoing threat to their homes and business will only increase for both Yarragon and Trafalgar once three large residential developments have become populated. Approximately 900 residential lots will occupy ground where once were paddocks that could absorb a portion of the rain," she stated.
"Council's leadership in protecting its community and council's assets is imperative right now."
Following the failed amendment C144 in September 2022, council officers advocated for the cost and responsibility of revised flood mapping to fall to the State Government and responsible water authorities.
Mayor Kate Wilson said the authorities had set up the advisory committee to work through any anomalies, which didn't exist last time and led to significant issues.
"So, certainly there are implications, but they are not a direct correlation to us putting these maps in our scheme.
"We can't not put accurate flood mapping in our local planning scheme. So, it's the right course of action and its certainly time to get this long-standing anomaly tidied up," Cr Wilson said.
Drouin, Longwarry, Jindivick and Rokeby are not included in WGCMA flood mapping as they fall under the authority of Melbourne Water, who are currently preparing draft flood maps for those areas.