Following the October 2022 floods, the Department of Transport and Planning announced assistance to Council’s for the fast tracking of planning scheme amendments to introduce the recommendations of flood studies into their respective planning schemes. This is for flood studies that have not yet been incorporated into the relevant planning scheme.
Strathbogie Shire is one of many Councils that have flood studies that have not been incorporated into the Planning Scheme, resulting in outdated flood controls that have been designed using data that is more than 20 years old. The applicable studies for Strathbogie Shire are for Euroa, Nagambie and Violet Town.
To address this, Council is working with the Department of Transport and Planning and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority to undertake planning scheme amendments to introduce the updated flood controls for the three towns.
The proposed updated flood controls can be viewed in the interactive mapping tool below, or visiting Strathbogie Shire Council (pozi.com).
Simply type in the address of a property in Euroa, Nagambie or Violet Town, using the search tab.
If you need help using the Strathbogie Shire Council (pozi.com) online mapping, please follow this ‘how to use’ guide.
FAQs
Following the 2022 floods that severely impacted the state of Victoria, the Department of Transport and Planning has been working with Council’s statewide to update flood controls in their respective planning schemes. The Department undertook a review which found that there were more than 60 flood studies that had not been included in the respective planning scheme.
The 2022 floods have brought about significant changes in the town planning space, specifically with the increase in urgency in bringing in the most updated flood controls that are available to Council’s.
As a result, the Department of Transport and Planning have made funding and resources available for Council’s to introduce the most up to date flood controls.
Council is undertaking this work to alert and protect the communities of Euroa, Nagambie and Violet Town from flood risk identified in the most up to date data available to Council. It is important for Council to implement the controls to bring this information to the community’s attention and to ensure that Council has control where there are no current controls for flooding so that Council can make more informed decisions. This is to mitigate any risk of further use, development or subdivision occurring without consideration of potential flood impacts.
The proposal to update the flood controls in the Strathbogie Planning Scheme was presented at the August 2024 Council meeting. The report itself will not introduce the flood controls into the Strathbogie Planning Scheme. The report is providing a council resolution agreeing to the process in which Council Officers will undertake the strategic planning work to begin to implement the flood controls into the Strathbogie Planning Scheme.
This work will take several months and potentially even more than one year to complete the planning scheme amendment process.
Council is working closely with the Department of Transport and Planning and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority. The updated flood controls have been taken from existing flood studies for Euroa, Nagambie and Violet Town and will provide updated flood controls in line with the newest flood modelling data available to Council.
The three flood studies are:
- Euroa Flood Mapping and Flood Intelligence Project Report, May 2015
- Nagambie Flood Study – Final Report, 2017; and
- Violet Town Flood Study, May 2007.
The process will work in two stages.
The first stage is to introduce the updated flood controls via a planning scheme amendment on an interim basis. The controls introduced in the first stage will apply in addition to the existing flood controls in the Strathbogie Planning Scheme. The first stage will only introduce updated flood controls.
The controls introduced under this planning scheme amendment will be a placeholder while Council undertakes the second stage of the process. It is important to note that there will be no community engagement on the first stage and that the updated flood controls come straight into the Strathbogie Planning Scheme. This is to mitigate any risk of further use, development or subdivision occurring without consideration of potential flood impacts. It is important because the planning scheme amendment process can take upwards of one year to complete, and introducing the updated flood controls now will alleviate any further risks.
The controls applied in stage one will expire and be removed from the Strathbogie Planning Scheme after a set time or once the permanent controls under the second stage have been approved. It is envisaged that within this timeframe the permanent controls amendment (Stage Two) will be completed.
The second stage will be to undertake a planning scheme amendment to introduce the flood controls identified in the three flood studies to the Strathbogie Planning Scheme on a permanent basis. This will include the introduction of new local floodplain development plans and amendments to planning controls. This is in addition to the flood control updates mentioned in the first stage.
Nothing will happen straight away. Subject to the recommendations being carried at the August 2024 Council meeting, Council officer’s will then begin working on drafting planning scheme amendment documentation. This is likely to take several months to complete.
Allowing the first stage to occur allows Council Officer’s more time to draft appropriate planning scheme amendment documentation for the second stage and to take the time to engage with the community on the controls proposed.
Yes. During stage two the community will be able to make a submission either in support or in opposition to the planning scheme amendment. Should Council not be able to resolve the submissions received, it can request that the Minister for Planning refer the amendment to the Flood related amendment Standing Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC will then make a recommendation to the Minister for Planning, who ultimately will decide on the amendment.
The Department of Transport and Planning is a government department that oversees planning across the state of Victoria, working closely with the Minister for Planning. Council works closely with the department, especially through amendments to the Strathbogie Planning Scheme and the creation of land use planning documents.
The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority is the floodplain authority that covers Strathbogie Shire. They are the experts on flooding and have had significant involvement in the creation of the flood studies. Councils planning department works closely with the authority to ensure appropriate consideration is given to planning applications and planning scheme amendments that could be impacted by flooding.
Yes. The only townships affected are Euroa, Nagambie and Violet Town. Properties affected are primarily within the township boundaries, however there are some rural properties that are affected.
You can check if your property is affected by using the interactive mapping tool at the following link – Strathbogie Shire Council (pozi.com)
The mapping tool provides mapping zoning and overlays of the existing and proposed flood controls so that you can see what, if any, changes are proposed for your property in contrast to the existing controls.
If you need help using the Strathbogie Shire Council (pozi.com) online mapping tool, please follow to this ‘how to use’ guide.
Flood controls are controls that apply to land that is identified as being at risk of flood. The controls are applied as either zones or overlays in the Strathbogie Planning Scheme, and depending on the level of controls, can provide restrictions on land uses, development, works or subdivision.
The flood controls are the Urban Floodway Zone (UFZ), Floodway Overlay (FO) and the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (LSIO), which can be best thought of as lower, medium and highest risk.
The Urban Floodway Zone (UFZ) is the flood control that represents the highest risk of flooding. As a result, this zone has the highest level of restriction. This includes prohibiting residential, commercial and industrial land uses. The primary function of the UFZ is generally to convey active flood flows and is currently used to cover Seven Creeks and Castle Creek in Euroa township.
The Floodway Overlay (FO) is medium risk. The overlay is used where there is less need for control of land uses and instead more need to control development. The overlay covers Seven Creeks and Castle Creek outside of the Euroa township.
Lowest risk is the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (LSIO). The overlay has a lower risk than the aforementioned controls, however it is to be noted that the controls still present a risk.
Any planning permit under these controls must have consent from the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority prior to approval.
Yes. The second stage as outlined above allows for Council to engage in consultation with the community on the proposal to introduce updated flood controls. This can be undertaken in various ways such as letters to those affected, links on the website, drop-in sessions, newspaper notices.
The Department of Transport and Planning will advise Council further on how to proceed.
The data that underpins the current flood controls in the Strathbogie Planning Scheme were introduced in April 2006. The flood studies are the most up to date flood studies available to Council. The 2006 date was the end of the planning scheme amendment process, which started in May 2004 with the controls being drafted even earlier.
The current flood controls are supported by data that is more than 20 years old. The updated flood controls are based on the most up to date flood studies available.
Council’s website contains additional in-depth information for your consideration. The information, including interactive mapping to search your property can be accessed at the – Strathbogie Shire Council (pozi.com)
If you need help using the Strathbogie Shire Council (pozi.com) online mapping tool, please follow this ‘how to use’ guide.
Additionally, the Council report can be accessed in the agenda for the 2024 August Council meeting at the following link: www.strathbogie.vic.gov.au/meetings
You can also phone, email or come in to Euroa or Nagambie office.