Strathbogie Council to implement and update flood controls

At last night’s Strathbogie Shire Council meeting Administrator Peter Stephenson adopted a recommendation to commence a process for implementing updated flood controls into the Strathbogie Planning Scheme for Euroa, Nagambie and Violet Town.

Following the statewide 2022 October flood event, the need to ensure Local Governments were planning for and protecting land at risk of flooding was further highlighted.

The final report of the Inquiry into 2022 flood event in Victoria identified a significant issue with outdated flood controls – flood zones and overlays – that applied in planning schemes throughout the state.

Mr Stephenson said these outdated controls are a risk for landowners, Councils and potential purchasers, especially where the most up to date flood controls identify flood risk on land not currently identified in our local planning scheme.

The State Government identified Strathbogie Shire has three flood studies, Euroa, Nagambie and Violet Town that contain updated flood controls not yet incorporated into the Strathbogie Planning Scheme.

‘As a result of the State Government inquiry’s findings resources have been made available to Council to incorporate the updated flood controls into our planning scheme.

‘This is the best way to ensure the updated flood controls are incorporated into the Strathbogie Planning Scheme with limited cost to Council and a clear process for their implementation,’ Mr Stephenson said.

The process involves two stages for implementation.

The first stage is to undertake a planning scheme amendment to introduce the updated flood controls on an interim basis into the Strathbogie Planning Scheme. This stage will only introduce interim controls on land not currently affected by flood controls but identified under the three flood studies.

The second stage will begin around the same time that the interim controls from stage one is implemented.

The second stage involves undertaking a planning scheme amendment that introduces the updated flood controls on a permanent basis as well as updating flood related policy into the Strathbogie Planning Scheme.

This stage will remove and replace the current flood controls in Euroa, Nagambie and Violet Town with the updated flood controls. Importantly, there will be consultation with the community on the planning scheme amendment in stage two.

At this August Council meeting Council resolved to undertake these planning scheme amendments to update the current flood controls in the Strathbogie Planning Scheme in line with the above process.

This process will begin in a few months and will depend on instructions Council receives from the Minister for Planning.  When the next steps are known there will be consultation with those affected.

In the meantime, Council is continuing to work with the Department of Transport and Planning and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority to progress this work to mitigate any risk of further use, development or subdivision occurring without consideration of potential flood impacts within the community.

For further details you can visit the Proposed Updated Flood Controls on Council’s website. Alternatively, you can contact Council’s Planning & Investment Department on 1800 065 993 or info@strathbogie.vic.gov.au