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Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, local councils, the community, VicSES, the Department of Sustainability and Environment. GWMWater and the Bureau of Meteorology are completing three Flood Investigations in the region. They are: The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation, the Mt William Creek Catchment Flood Investigation and the Natimuk Flood Investigation
Download Mt William Creek Catchment Flood Investigation community feedback form here: Date of release: Friday April 19, 2013 CMA seeks local knowledge for flood investigation
The Wimmera’s third flood investigation since spring-summer 2010-2011 flooding across the region will kick off with community meetings in Dadswells Bridge, Pomonal and Moyston at the end of the month. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority is seeking local knowledge for the Mt William Creek Catchment Flood Investigation. The first meeting is at the Big Koala in Dadswells Bridge on Monday April 29, the second at Pomonal Town Hall on Tuesday April 30 and the third at the Moyston Recreation Reserve on Wednesday May 1. All meetings are from 6pm to 8pm. The Mt William Creek Catchment Flood Investigation covers 1400 square kilometres. It encompasses the rural areas of Dadswells Bridge, Pomonal, Moyston, Mokepilly, Barton, Jallukar, Bellellen, lllawarra and Ledcourt. The investigation will inform flood response agencies and enable better protection and improved preparedness for future flood events. Investigation results will also form part of local government planning schemes, giving the community and councils a better indication of likely flood impacts on new building developments. Melbourne-based environmental firm BMT WBM is working with a community-based steering committee for the investigation. Wimmera CMA chief executive David Brennan said local knowledge was vital in developing a flood investigation. “Any local knowledge that the community can contribute will ensure the investigation produces accurate flood maps and meaningful mitigation recommendations. Local flood data is invaluable.” Mr Brennan said he encouraged people with photos, stories, facts, high water marks and other flood information to come to the meetings. “The more information we receive the more confidence we have in the final technical maps and models the consultants produce,” he said. Mr Brennan said they were also seeking suggestions from the community for flood mitigation work needed to protect the towns within the investigation area from future flooding. “All this information will help emergency services, local government and other flood agencies prioritise future work and improve emergency planning for future flood events,” he said. In early January 2011, the entire Mt William catchment received high rainfall with Dadswells Bridge recording 161 millimetres in three days. Mt William in the Grampians recorded 279 millimetres at the same time. Flooding of Mt William Creek isolated and cut off the townships of Dadswells Bridge, Pomonal, Moyston as well as farms and surrounding districts. Flood water that spilled from Lake Lonsdale into Mt William Creek exacerbated the flooding, particularly in Dadswells Bridge township. “Many buildings within Dadswells Bridge were flooded above floor level, causing significant damages and long-lasting emotional and financial stress,” Mr Brennan said. “A lack of detailed flood intelligence hindered the response effort by VicSES, local government and other emergency service agencies. “There was little information to support the flood response agencies such as which houses were subject to flooding, the likely flood magnitude, flood travel time, flood duration and flood behaviour. “This flood investigation addresses all those things.” The Mt William Creek Catchment Flood Investigation has been funded by the state and federal governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme with contributions from Ararat and Horsham rural city councils, Northern Grampians Shire Council, GWMWater and Wimmera CMA. *Wimmera CMA has completed Flood Investigations for the towns of Natimuk, Dimboola, Glenorchy, Halls Gap, Horsham, Jeparit, Warracknabeal and Beulah. The CMA has also completed a Flow Modelling Study for the Wimmera River and Yarriambiack Creek between Glenorchy, Horsham and Warracknabeal. The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation is also underway. Date of release: Wednesday December 19, 2012 CMA calls for tenders for flood investigation Wimmera Catchment Management Authority has called for tenders for the Mt William Creek Catchment Flood Investigation. Chief executive David Brennan said they were keen to get started on the investigation as soon as possible. Tenders close on January 10. The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation has been funded by the state and federal governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme with contributions from Ararat and Horsham rural city councils, Northern Grampians Shire Council, GWMWater and Wimmera CMA. The Mt William Flood Creek Catchment Flood Investigation covers 1400 square kilometres. It encompasses the towns and surrounding areas of Dadswells Bridge, Pomonal, Moyston, Mokepilly, Barton, Jallukar, Bellellen, lllawarra and Ledcourt as well as a large farming community. It is the third flood investigation for the Wimmera catchment since spring-summer 2010-2011 flooding across the region. The CMA is also coordinating investigations for Natimuk and the Upper Catchment. Mr Brennan said it was great that governments recognised the Mt William Creek catchment as another area in urgent need of technical flood information. He said the investigation would inform flood response agencies and enable better protection and improved preparedness for future flood events. Investigation results would also form part of local government planning schemes, giving the community and councils a better indication of likely flood impacts on new building developments. “We are really happy to be able to bring some sense of relief to these communities by undertaking a technical analysis of flood extent and flood level information,” Mr Brennan said. “We will be working very closely with the local community and I encourage people to contribute whatever flood or rainfall information they have because local knowledge is the key to a successful outcome.” Mr Brennan said the yet-to-be-appointed consultants would be working alongside a community-driven steering committee to produce accurate flood maps and meaningful mitigation recommendations. In early January 2011, the entire Mt William catchment received high rainfall with Dadswells Bridge recording 161 millimetres in several days. Mt William in the Grampians recorded 279 millimetres at the same time. Flooding of Mt William Creek isolated and cut off the townships of Dadswells Bridge, Pomonal, Moyston as well as farms and surrounding districts. Flood water that spilled from Lake Lonsdale into Mt William Creek exacerbated the flooding, particularly in Dadswells Bridge township. “Many buildings within Dadswells Bridge were flooded above floor level, causing significant damages and long-lasting emotional and financial stress,” Mr Brennan said. “A lack of detailed flood intelligence hindered the response effort by VicSES, local government and other emergency service agencies. There was no information to support the flood response agencies such as which houses were subject to flooding, the likely flood magnitude, travel time, flood duration and flood behaviour. This flood investigation addresses all those things.”
Date of release: November 8, 2012 Natimuk Flood Investigation: community to decide Natimuk residents have two weeks to decide on the most appropriate flood mitigation options to protect their community. The Natimuk Flood Investigation steering committee presented two recommendations at a public meeting in Natimuk (on November 7). Twenty-one people attended the meeting. Committee members used maps and models that investigation consultants Water Technology developed to show and discuss the impact of the two recommendations compared with the scenario of doing nothing in a one-in-100-year flood event. Modelling shows that in a one-in-100 year Annual Recurrence Interval (ARI) flood event, slightly larger than Natimuk experienced in December 2010 and again in January 2011, 14 homes would be inundated above floor level and a further 16 houses inundated below floor level. Recommendation 1 reduces flood impact by 40 per cent. Recommendation 2 results in a 70 per cent reduction. The community has until November 21 to decide on their preferred option before the committee presents the Flood Investigation findings to Horsham Rural City Council. Wimmera CMA chief executive David Brennan said the committee was now asking the community to consider the two options and provide their view on what they believed was best for Natimuk. He said community support would be critical in seeking future funding for the mitigation work. "It is important the community is across the different options and that there is strong community support,” Mr Brennan said. “Investors will want assurance that the Natimuk community supports and wants the work.” The Natimuk Flood Investigation area is the catchment of Natimuk Creek, which begins south of Noradjuha and extends north to include Natimuk Lake. Recommendation 1 is to construct a levee in Elmes Street. This would reduce the number of homes inundated above floor level to 11 and below floor level to 12 – a 40 per cent improvement on the current situation. Recommendation 2 includes constructing levees in Elmes Street and Lake Avenue. It also includes increasing the capacity of an existing by-wash channel along with other drainage improvements. This option would result in four buildings being inundated above floor level and nine below – a 70 per cent reduction in flooding compared to the current situation. Wimmera CMA catchment analysis team leader Paul Fennell said the committee had considered combinations of six different options to arrive at the two recommendations. “The committee undertook a process of elimination with different scenarios to arrive at these two options,” Mr Fennell said. “At last night’s meeting the committee went through all the options to show the Natimuk community how they arrived at these final two. For example, even though some of the discounted options led to improvements in parts of Natimuk it was to the detriment of other areas in the town.” Mr Fennell encouraged people to provide feedback on the two options directly to the CMA. “The maps will be online on Wimmera CMA’s website (see link on home page) early next week or people can view hard copies at the CMA’s office in Horsham,” he said. Mr Fennell said people should make an appointment before coming into the office by phoning 5382 1544 so a staff member could be available to provide further information and discuss the options and their benefits in greater detail. He said people could also send their thoughts on the two options in an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Date of release: November 1, 2012 New faces and new info at flood meetings Wimmera catchment board chairperson Karen Douglas has thanked people who attended community flood investigation meetings at Navarre, Landsborough and Elmhurst. About 30 people attended the Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation meetings last week. Mrs Douglas said community members provided additional flood information that would help project consultants increase the accuracy of flood maps and models for the area. "It was fantastic to see community members with local knowledge at these meetings and to have access to some new photos and information about the September 2010 and January 2011 flood events," Mrs Douglas said. "The wonderful world of modern technology has really boosted this investigation with people able to show us flood photos they took on their phones. They were then able to email them straight to the consultants. “We are very appreciative of this local knowledge which is vital to this investigation." The meetings also displayed draft flood maps for the first time and sought community feedback. When completed the maps will show the potential inundation of the 1500 square-kilometre study area which encompasses the towns and surrounding areas of Navarre, Landsborough, Elmhurst, Eversley, Crowlands, Joel Joel, Greens Creek and Campbells Bridge. They will form the basis of recommendations for future land use and emergency planning. Mrs Douglas said the draft maps showed that Navarre was a key focus area due to the extensive damage floods caused in the Northern Grampians town of 1000 people. She said people at the meetings also raised concerns about planning issues. “It was great to have representatives from each of the councils, the CMA and the consultants in the one room so people could discuss some of their concerns about planning schemes,” Mrs Douglas said. “The investigation will present recommendations for future planning scheme amendments to each respective council so it was good to outline the steps from here.” Wimmera CMA, Northern Grampians and Pyrenees shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council and VICSES are all involved in the project. Melbourne-based environmental firm BMT WBM is developing the flood modelling for the investigation. Mrs Douglas invited people who were unable to attend the meetings to view the draft flood maps on Wimmera CMA’s website. If they wanted to provide feedback on the maps they could email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone 5382 1544. The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation has been funded by the state and federal governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme with contribution from Pyrenees and Northern Grampians shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council and Wimmera CMA. Date of release: October 23, 2012 Community briefing on Natimuk flood mitigation options The costs and benefits of levee bank and drainage improvements will be on the table at a Natimuk Flood Investigation meeting next month. The Natimuk Flood Investigation steering committee is inviting the community to a briefing on two of their recommended mitigation options for the township at a November 7 meeting in Natimuk Community Centre. The meeting starts at 7pm. The committee narrowed the two down from an initial seven options they presented at a community meeting in June. Investigation consultants Water Technology will give an overview of the costs and benefits of the two options which aim to improve planning, preparedness and response to future flood events in the town. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority chief executive David Brennan encouraged the community to come along and help complete a crucial step in finalising the flood investigation. “We are keen to outline and receive comment on these two recommended options which represent the culmination of all the work that’s been done since the investigation started late last year,” Mr Brennan said. “Community input has been vital in every step along the way and this meeting pulls all that information together into something tangible that will form the basis for future funding submissions.” Mr Brennan said a key focus of the investigation had been to determine the top mitigation options that would reduce flood impacts in Natimuk, based on the best possible local knowledge and flood modelling technology. “This meeting is a critical step in the process to enable us to approach funding bodies with confidence that the recommendations put forward are the most suitable and appropriate for the Natimuk community,” Mr Brennan said. The Natimuk Flood Investigation area is the catchment of Natimuk Creek, which begins south of Noradjuha and extends north to include Natimuk Lake. The investigation started with an information session in December 2011 followed by a survey to residents in the town and surrounding areas. A meeting in June presented flood maps to the community. These maps will also be on display at the November 7 meeting. Mr Brennan said once the investigation was complete, the focus would turn to sourcing funding to implement the final recommended mitigation options and develop an appropriate flood warning system. The investigation will also form the basis of the town’s flood response plan and land planning arrangements with respect to flood management.
Date of release: October 15, 2012 Upper Wimmera Catchment meetings: First look at draft flood maps Upper Wimmera Catchment communities will get their first look at flood mapping of their townships and surrounding areas at meetings in Navarre, Landsborough and Elmhurst next week. Consultants for the Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation will present draft maps to the community as part of a study into flooding in the area at a meeting in Navarre Community Hall next Tuesday October 23, at Landsborough Community Hall on Wednesday and at Elmhurst Golf Club on Thursday. All meetings are from 4pm-7pm. It will be the first public viewing of the maps, which when completed will show the potential inundation of 1500 square kilometres encompassing the towns and surrounding areas of Navarre, Landsborough, Elmhurst, Eversley, Crowlands, Joel Joel, Greens Creek and Campbells Bridge. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, Northern Grampians and Pyrenees shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council and VICSES are all involved in the project. Melbourne-based environmental firm BMT WBM are managing the investigation. At the meetings, BMT WBM will also present flood preliminary mitigation options and an overview of the data they used to develop the maps. This includes photographic evidence, community information, rainfall records, ground level heights and a list of engineering diagrams from structures such as roads, culverts and bridges. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority board chairperson Karen Douglas said the meetings would also provide an opportunity for the community to give direct feedback on the draft maps. “We will be asking community members if the mapping accurately reflects their experience during the September 2010 and January 2011 flood events,” Mrs Douglas said. She said the meetings would also outline future steps in the investigation such as developing a flood warning system, flood response plan and land planning arrangements. "It is an exciting and important step to have these maps ready for public viewing,” Mrs Douglas said. “A lot of work has been done to reach this stage and while the investigation still has a long way to go, this is a significant milestone.” The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation started in February with a community meeting in Landsborough. Mrs Douglas said local knowledge was the key to the investigation, which would result in the best possible preparedness for flooding. “The contribution by the community so far has been extremely valuable and we welcome further input from people at this critical and exciting stage of the project,” Mrs Douglas said. The investigation will produce valuable flood scenario maps, emergency response plans, mitigation options and a clearer understanding of planning schemes. “We will also be able to use the information gathered for submissions to government for critical resources such as an improved flood warning system for the upper catchment,” Mrs Douglas said. The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation has been funded by the state and federal governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme with contribution from Pyrenees and Northern Grampians shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council and Wimmera CMA.
Date of release: June 26, 2012 Natimuk community to view flood maps The Natimuk community will get its first look at flood mapping of their township at a meeting in the Natimuk Soldier’s Memorial Hall on July 11. The Natimuk Flood Investigation steering committee is inviting people to view the draft maps that consultants Water Technology have developed as part of a study into flooding in the town. It is the first public viewing of the maps, which when completed will show the potential inundation through Natimuk and surrounding areas over a range of different flooding events. The meeting starts at 7pm. The Natimuk Flood Investigation started late last year, with an information session in December followed by a survey to residents in the town and surrounding areas. The investigation area is the catchment of Natimuk Creek, which begins south of Noradjuha and extends north to include Natimuk Lake. At the July 11 meeting, Water Technology will also present flood preliminary mitigation options and an overview of the data they used to develop the maps. This includes photographic evidence, community information, rainfall records, ground level heights and a list of engineering diagrams from structures such as roads, culverts and bridges. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority catchment analysis team leader Paul Fennell said they would also outline future steps in the investigation such as developing a flood warning system, flood response plan and land planning arrangements. “It is an exciting and important step to have these maps ready for public viewing,” Mr Fennell said. “A lot of work has been done to reach this stage and while the investigation still has a long way to go, this is a significant milestone.” Mr Fennell said the computer model that produced the maps had undergone rigorous checking by independent experts who also provided advice to the investigation steering committee. The experts are part of a new government initiative introduced after major flooding across the state in late 2010 then again in January 2011. These experts critically assess the Flood Investigations and give a level of certainty to the steering committee and the community about the quality of the work and ensuing recommendations in what is a complex engineering project,” Mr Fennell said. The Natimuk steering committee includes representatives from the CMA, Horsham Rural City Council, local community, VicSES and the Bureau of Meteorology. Wimmera CMA is also working with Melbourne-based environmental firm BMT WBM for the Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation. A community meeting in Landsborough in February kicked off the investigation which involves the community and representatives from Northern Grampians and Pyrenees shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council, the Department of Sustainability and Environment and VicSES. Mr Fennell said flood-modelling experts were currently assessing the first stage of this Flood Investigation and he expected draft maps to be ready for public release in July or early August. The Victorian and Australian Governments’ Natural Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme is funding the Natimuk and Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigations. Date of release: Wednesday April 18, 2012 Draft flood maps for Natimuk start to take shape Floods maps and models for Natimuk are starting to take shape as part of the Natimuk Flood Investigation. Melbourne-based consultants Water Technology will present early draft flood maps and models to the investigation steering committee this week. They will also present an overview of the data used to develop the maps. Data includes photographic evidence, film footage, community information, rainfall records, ground level heights and a list of engineering structures such as roads, culverts and bridges. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority catchment analysis team leader Paul Fennell said it would be exciting to start seeing maps and models but a lot of work remained before they would be ready for public analysis. Mr Fennell said committee members would be keen to ensure the data used to create the maps and models was sufficient to develop accurate flood planning information for Natimuk. He said the committee would also set dates for community meetings and public viewings of the maps and models. “It is quite a painstaking and involved process to convert a whole range of different information from a catchment area into flood maps and models so a big part of this week’s committee meeting will be to ensure everyone is satisfied the best available data is being used,” Mr Fennell said. The Natimuk Flood Investigation started late last year, with an information session in December followed by a survey to residents in the town and surrounding areas. The investigation area is the catchment of Natimuk Creek, which begins south of Noradjuha and extends north to include Natimuk Lake.
It is studying the extent and depth of flooding at Natimuk using computer modelling that utilises historical flooding events and local knowledge to predict differing flood scenarios. Date of release: Thursday March 1, 2012 Flood investigation for upper Wimmera underway A meeting in Landsborough on Wednesday night kicked off the Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority board chairperson Karen Douglas said it had been a productive meeting and a great start to the investigation, which covers an area of 1500 square kilometres. Community members and representatives from Northern Grampians and Pyrenees shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council, Melbourne-based environmental firm BMT WBM and VicSES attended the meeting. “It was a great way to bring everyone together in the one place to talk about what this Flood Investigation involves,” Mrs Douglas said. “It was very reassuring for everyone involved, particularly the community members, to know the local knowledge they provide will form an integral part of the investigation.” Mrs Douglas said one area of confusion the CMA and consultants was able to clear up at the meeting was the area the investigation covered. “Some people were under the impression it only covered Landsborough and Navarre but the study area is much bigger than that. It also encompasses towns and surrounding areas of Navarre, Landsborough, Elmhurst, Eversley, Crowlands, Joel Joel, Greens Creek and Campbells Bridge,” she said. Consultants are travelling around the upper catchment for the rest of the week following up on information and contacts people provided at the meeting. Mrs Douglas also encouraged anyone else in the upper catchment to phone Wimmera CMA on 5382 1544 if they had information to contribute. “Local knowledge is the key to this investigation resulting in the best possible preparedness for flooding,” she said. “The investigation will produce really valuable flood scenario maps, emergency response plans, mitigation options and a clearer understanding of planning schemes. We will also be able to use the information gathered for submissions to government for critical resources such as an improved flood warning system for the upper catchment.”
The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation has been funded by the state and federal governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme with contribution from Pyrenees and Northern Grampians shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council and Wimmera CMA. Meeting at Landsborough kicks off flood investigation Date of release: Friday February 17, 2012 Melbourne-based environmental firm BMT WBM will lead an investigation into flooding in the upper catchment. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority board chairperson Karen Douglas said the environmental consultants would kick off the Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation with a community meeting in Landsborough on February 29. Northern Grampians and Pyrenees shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council, the CMA, Department of Sustainability and Environment and VicSES will also be at the meeting which starts at 7pm in the Landsborough Community Hall. Mrs Douglas said the meeting was a critical part of the investigation. It was a way to gather local flooding knowledge and an opportunity for people to meet the consultants and discuss the investigation. “The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation will investigate the issues that cause and exacerbate flooding in the upper Wimmera River including the townships of Navarre and Landsborough,” Mrs Douglas said. “It will then present a range of measures that will help lessen the impact of future flood events. Community information is vital all the way through the investigation and I encourage people to come along to this first meeting.” Mrs Douglas said the community was genuinely excited about the investigation. “We’ve been waiting for a long time for an investigation like this,” Mrs Douglas said. “It is fantastic to work towards a better understanding of just what happens in the upper catchment. The valleys often receive huge rainfalls, resulting in devastation on farms and roadways plus have an impact on the small communities in those areas. It will also ensure the work the CMA does on farms and along waterways in the upper catchment can accommodate the conditions and rainfall.” The Upper Wimmera Catchment Flood Investigation has been funded by the state and federal governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme with contribution from Pyrenees and Northern Grampians shire councils, Ararat Rural City Council and Wimmera CMA. Natimuk flood investigation calls for rain records Date of release: Friday February 17, 2012 A steering committee leading an investigation into flooding at Natimuk is calling for rain records from people living south of the town towards Noradjuha. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority catchment analysis team leader Paul Fennell said detailed rain records for December 8, 2010 and January 12, 2011 would be of great value. He said the extra information would boost what the community had so far contributed to the investigation. The Natimuk Flood Investigation started late last year, with an information session in December followed by a survey to residents in the town and surrounding areas. Melbourne-based consultants Water Technology are leading the investigation with a steering committee that includes representatives from the CMA, Horsham Rural City Council, local community, VicSES and the Bureau of Meteorology. The investigation area is the catchment of Natimuk Creek, which begins south of Noradjuha and extends north to include Natimuk Lake. It is studying the extent and depth of flooding at Natimuk using computer modelling that utilises historical flooding events and local knowledge to predict differing flood scenarios. "We are rapt with the level of support and information from the people living in Natimuk and surrounding areas who returned surveys in January,” Mr Fennell said. “We have some terrific information about where the water reached during these two flood events. However, to boost the value of our data, we are seeking more indepth information about how and where the rain that caused these floods fell. "We know there are lots of people with a rain gauge and a particular interest in rainfall patterns. We’re hoping they might be able to search through their records and give us some detail on how much rain fell and how quickly it fell in areas of the Natimuk Creek catchment, especially towards Noradjuha.” On January 12 for example, around 130 millimetres of rain fell in the Natimuk catchment, and it was only nine hours from the time it started raining to when flooding was noticed in the town. It took another seven hours for floodwater to reach a peak flood height. Mr Fennell said Water Technology had started collating information received to date to incorporate into computer models for the investigation. He said the committee anticipated draft flood maps would be completed by the end of April. |
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