Flood advice information

We are responsible for floodplain management in the West Gippsland region.

Our role is to give advice that encourages appropriate development and reduces the impacts of flooding on life, property and infrastructure.

Guidelines for developing in flood prone areas – January 31, 2020. Originally released in 2013, the now updated Guidelines are intended to be a reference tool for property owners, developers, designers or builders looking to develop in flood prone areas.

Before you submit an application for a planning permit…

The new Guidelines have been developed with input from the public and other stakeholders over recent months, we encourage you to read these flood guidelines and contact a member of our Statutory Planning Team on 1300 094 262, before you submit an application for a planning permit.

Floodplain management

A floodplain is the area of land that is inundated when a waterway can no longer contain the catchment’s run-off within its beds and banks. Floodplains play an important role in the temporary storage of floodwaters and often have significant environmental values. The main aims of floodplain management are to protect:

  • life, property and community assets from flooding
  • the natural functions of floodplains and waterways
  • floodplain areas of environmental significance.

DELWP has produced some handy guidance about managing vegetation in and around waterways. You can access them over on the state government’s water.vic.gov.au website.

Looking for flood advice?

If you would like flood advice on a specific property, please complete the flood advice form.

Flood advice request form

Prepare for floods

Advice on how to prepare for a flood can be found on the Victorian State Emergency Service website.

Flood warnings

The best place to get information about flood warnings is on the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) website.

Rainfall information

You can view rainfall information for East Gippsland and West Gippsland on the BoM website.

River height levels

You can view river height levels for East Gippsland and West Gippsland on the BoM website.

Managing rural levees

Managing Rural Levees