Residents invited to have their say on proposed flood overlays

By Brendan Rees

The community is being invited to provide feedback on a proposed planning amendment until November 29, which revises the City of Melbourne’s flooding overlays.

The council has been given approval by Minister for Planning Richard Wynne for Amendment C384 to be prepared, which aims to identify areas prone to flooding, sea level rises, increased rainfall intensity – “that are predicted to influence inundation in the near future”.

The City of Melbourne has partnered with Melbourne Water to update its flood modelling for a number of areas in the municipality.

The proposed changes to Land Subject to lnundation Overlay and Special Building Overlay apply to land affected by riverine flooding and drainage flooding respectively, including corresponding changes to the relevant schedules and mapping in the Melbourne Planning Scheme.

The amendment also includes a background document, the Design Guide for Flood Affected Areas in Fishermans Bend, Arden and Macaulay which seeks to provide guidance for how to design flood resilient buildings in these areas.

According to a letter sent to residents by the council, the “patterns and intensity” of rainfall and possible flooding has changed “over the years”, with climate change and more intense development being contributing factors.

“This needs to be accurately shown in the Planning Scheme,” the letter reads. “Amendment C384 has been prepared to require that any new development is designed to ensure safety and minimise flood impact.”

All affected property owners have begun receiving letters advising them of the changes and are encouraged to view the amendment and documents online free of charge •

For more information visit: participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/amendment-c384.