If you live along the Maribyrnong River, 2022 was a big year. Record rainfalls led to what experts consider a one-in-200-year flood. State parliament’s Environmental Planning Committee has released its final report into the flooding and its impact on Victorian communities. It’s made over 70 recommendations for government to consider.
If you don’t have time to read a 479-page government document, The Westsider has put together a primer of key findings and recommendations affecting communities along the Maribyrnong.
The Flemington Racecourse flood wall made flooding worse
A new study released by the government agency Melbourne Water this April and presented to the EPC found the racecourse wall made the peak of the flood last 4.5 hours longer, but only raised water levels by one or two per cent. It also found if the 2022 flood happened today, the wall would not stop the racecourse from flooding.
Read more in the article Could the wall come tumbling down? Fate of Melbourne Cup racetrack flood wall uncertain
Planning approvals for the Rivervue Retirement village were troublesome*
Rivervue Retirement Village in Avondale Heights flooded in 2022 despite being removed from what’s called a ‘Land Subject to Inundation Overlay’ by Melbourne Water and Moonee Valley City Council. The EPC found planning decisions for the community lacked transparency and were based on a 2003 flood model that had errors in its calibration and assumptions about flood prevention infrastructure.
Read more in the article Rivervue planning decision in Ombudsman’s sites after govt report
Future floods are going to be bigger
Melbourne Water’s new flood modelling found a flood the size of 2022’s is becoming more likely due to climate change. If the same flood happened today, water levels would be up to 80cm higher for some suburbs. By 2100 the suburb of Maribyrnong would face floodwaters up by 2.36 metres, almost double their height in 2022. The likelihood of the river experiencing such a flood is expected to triple by the end of the century.
Climate change is making the Maribyrnong’s floodplain larger
The report found climate change has already had a profound effect on the Maribyrnong River floodplain, and this will continue. The land impacted by future floods is projected to increase in Avondale, Flemington, Footscray, Kensington, Maribyrnong and West Melbourne. If this is you, there are maps available online at Melbourne Water’s website.
Preparation and warning services in the West should have been better
Communities did not receive enough warning and were not prepared for a major flood. Residents in Maribyrnong only received six warnings before the river peaked. Other towns flooding across the state received more than 20. Kensington Banks got no official flood warning. Door knocking and prior community education efforts centred around Maribyrnong, where only 60 doors were knocked due to a lack of available volunteers.
Read more in the article Flood warning service updates for Maribyrnong ‘underway’
SES and Police served with distinction
Ready for some good news? The report found the west’s SES units performed exemplary work even though they were understaffed and under-resourced. A rescue boat had been diverted from the Footscray unit to flood-stricken towns in the state’s north, leaving them with only one craft. The Police joined the SES working extensive hours to try and warn, then rescue residents as the river broke its banks.
Read more in the article Report finds SES west’s flood heroes are under resourced and underfunded
Community volunteers were quick to lend a hand
More good news! People who had lived through the last big flood in 1974 went out door knocking to warn neighbours at 4am. Others used their own gear to help with evacuations, rescues and the clean-up. The report found the west showed impressive community resilience.
Sandbagging wasn’t able to be much help
A shortage of sand meant locals were restricted to 25 sandbags or fewer to try and keep flood waters out of their properties. Due to other major floods across the Murray Basin at the time, supplies were so short emergency responders were forced to get a lot of their supplies from Bunnings.
So what happens next? The good news is work is already underway to fix a lot of the problems identified by the report. Here’s how…
Melbourne Water’s flood modelling is set for yet another refresher
Melbourne Water’s new flood modelling will use state of the art technology to better calculate the impact of climate change and will use what happened in 2022 to project the river’s behaviour. It’s due in 2026. The EPC’s report also recommended flood modelling should be reviewed every five years, updated every ten years, and after any major flood.
Read more in the article Government to give future floodplain advice
The west’s flood warning services are off to the BoM
Flood warning services in Melbourne are the only ones left in Australia not managed by the Bureau of Meteorology. The transition is already underway, with the BoM expected to take full control by mid-2026. Melbourne Water will maintain warning services in the meantime, but with the collaboration of the BoM and the SES.
Read more in the article Flood warning service updates for Maribyrnong ‘underway’
The flood wall at Flemington racecourse needs to be reviewed
The EPC recommended the controversial wall should get a second, longer look. After Melbourne Water has finished its 2026 flood modelling, there’ll be a better idea of how the wall affects floodwaters and what needs to be done to protect the Melbourne Cup track.
Can you build something to help ease the impact of a future flood?
The EPC recommended the state government look at infrastructure to lessen the size of future floods. The sticking point is what that infrastructure would look like. Typical options include dams, levees and alternative water courses. But because the Maribyrnong River flows through residential areas and has significant environmental and heritage value, the scale of possible works instantly gets hit. The rapid impact of climate change also means that works carried today may not work as well in a decade. Chances are there won’t be any decisions made on this till after Melbourne Water releases its new floodplain data in 2026.
The community will be given help to better prepare for future floods
The next time the Maribyrnong bursts its banks, it’s hopefully going to find local communities ready to rise to the challenge. The state government and council are going to collaborate to visit neighbourhoods likely to be inundated in another flood. Locals will get materials about how to access flood warnings, how to protect their properties and what to do when faced with evacuations.
Read more in the article Government to give future floodplain advice
Climate change means current planning laws need a long, hard look
The EPC recommended the state government look at changes to planning regulations to consider new flood data and the impact of climate change. This is expected to have a profound effect on how land along the Maribyrnong can be used, and how buildings are designed for decades.
But what about planning regulations for land, houses and businesses now?
The report has recommended the government consider retrofitting buildings to make them flood resistant, and even raising some buildings out of potential harm’s way. With the scale of future floods projected to rise, this could mean some serious improvement works for the west in the years ahead.
Read more in the article Up on stumps: raising and retrofitting for flooded homes, but no buybacks
But first, the state government has to deliver its response
The Allen government has until the end of January next year to deliver its response to the committee’s final flood report. Given the scale of the findings and recommendations, and the number of communities involved, you can expect it to be a major announcement. Watch this space. The Westsider will be on hand to give you all the news.
