Goulburn Broken CMA floodplain program manager Guy Tierney said the study would provide detailed flood mapping and intelligence to improve future emergency and community preparedness from floods, land-use planning and development considerations and to consider any potential flood protection measures.
“A flood study is the first step in managing flood risk for a particular catchment or town,” Mr Tierney said.
“It’s a comprehensive technical investigation of flood behaviour for that catchment.
“A flood study will show the flood distribution, extents, depths, levels and velocity of floodwaters across sections of the floodplain for a range of different floods.”
This study will have a key focus on Baddaginnie Creek and its tributaries.
A community drop-in session will be held on Wednesday, April 15, from 4pm to 6pm at Baddaginnie CFA Station, 62 Palmerston St.
Mr Tierney said local knowledge was invaluable in ensuring that the modelling reflected, as accurately as possible, past flooding within the community.
“We are keen to hear local knowledge and recollections from past floods and encourage people to bring along any photos, recordings or materials that will help us understand the locations, dates, times and depths of previous floods,” he said.
“For example, details such as say: ‘The water was up to the bonnet of my car in the driveway at 1 Palmerston St on Friday at 9am in November 2022’ or: ‘The water was at the top of the culvert on the flooded road on Wednesday at 7pm in October 1993’ are very useful.”
Further information is available at gbcma.vic.gov.au or by calling 5822 7700.
Goulburn Broken CMA is project managing the flood study with support from Benalla Rural City Council.
The study is being prepared by consultants Water Technology.
The Victorian Government is funding the flood study as part of the Flood Reclamation Roadmap Initiative.