Flooding issues within Yarra Ranges

Flooding continues to be an issue in parts of the Yarra Ranges and this is further exacerbated by climate change.

One of our jobs at Council is to help build community resilience to these natural occurrences. This role is shared with water authorities, emergency services and other government bodies.

Why is it flooding?

Stormwater or "rainfall runoff" is rainwater that runs off surfaces where water cannot get through such as roofs, driveways, and roads.

Urban and built areas are prone to flooding and rising water levels as water cannot be absorbed in the ground as easily due to the shape of an area. Storm water will move overland and as a result can build up in areas and cause flooding.

This puts pressure onto our existing drainage network which collects run off and moves it to our waterways. This can only further impact our waterways if contaminated by stormwater.

How can we fix it?

The way in which we manage stormwater helps us protect our local waterways and improve our flood resilience.  

We consider all these impacts when developing our infrastructure needs and public spaces.

Whilst we do our best to control and improve conditions during rainfall events, not all storm events can be managed. We acknowledge that there is not always an engineering solution for every stormwater type.

We’re currently trying to address these challenges by developing a Stormwater Management Plan for the Yarra Ranges. This plan aims to:

  1. Prioritise rainfall catchments and areas needing attention or improvement for the future
  2. Help identify and map out potential flooding of Council’s drainage network.
  3. Establish a best practice criteria in line with the Local Government Act.

The Stormwater Management Plan will specifically focus on high priority areas. The plan will help guide our funding and how we manage these ongoing issues. 

Who do I contact? 

If you need to report a drainage issue you can contact Council via 1300 368 333 or by email at mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au 

You can also lodge a report online.

Report a drainage issue

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More Stormwater FAQs

How does Council prepare for a forecasted flooding event?

Council uses its afterhours service so we can attend urgent stormwater requests raised by the community during flooding events.

Additionally, we also have an emergency management workforce that are on alert for weather warning events.

Who is responsible for managing the local drainage network in Yarra Ranges?

Yarra Ranges Council manages the local drainage network. Our drainage network includes pits, open pipes, open drains, retarding basins and water sensitive urban design assets. 
 
Melbourne Water is responsible for the provision and maintenance of its main drains, creeks, retarding basins and wetlands. 
 
Department of Transport and Planning are responsible for drainage assets along main roads. 
 
Council and Melbourne Water have a program of work managing the drainage network. This includes planned inspections, proactive and reactive maintenance of our drainage assets. Feedback from the community also helps identify potential problem locations and maintenance opportunities.  

Council and Melbourne Water are in regular contact at multiple levels regarding drainage within Yarra Ranges. We will continue to communicate with them regarding flooding hotspots.   

The Victoria State Emergency Services serves as the designated control agency for flood control in Victoria. 

VICSES plays an important role in leading emergency preparation and response. They provide assistance during flooding incidents, and delivering community awareness and education programs. 

How do I find out if my property is in a flood prone area?

To find out if your property is located in a flood prone area visit the VicPlan website. 

You will need to enter and search for your property address. Your property information will appear on the left side of the screen. 

Scroll down the property information section to see your Planning Scheme Overlays. You can learn more on these overlays though the Yarra Ranges planning scheme. 

Your property is in a flood prone area if you have a: 

A Land Subject to inundation Overlay (LSIO) and a Special Building Overlay are applied to land which has been identified as liable to flooding.

Any planning applications for properties that have a LSIO or a SBO must be referred to Melbourne Water as one of the 'referral authorities' that provides feedback on planning applications. Learn more about the role of referral authorities on the Department of Transport and Planning. 

You can view further information by visiting: 

What is the Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) and how will it benefit the community?

We are currently developing our Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). This will play an important role in our long-term approach to flood prevention.

The plan aims to:

  • Develop a 10-year catchment flood mapping and stormwater strategy using a prioritised approach.
  • Enhance the drainage asset database and identify constraints through flood modelling.
  • Prioritise Council-led drainage projects based on flood risk levels.
  • Analyse flooding depth, extent, and hazard for various rainfall events, identifying affected buildings.
  • Identify natural flow paths and explore larger Integrated Water Management initiatives.
  • Support efficient drainage maintenance through blockage analysis.

Once the Draft SWMP has been completed, the Plan will be made available on Consultations | Shaping Yarra Ranges in the second half of 2024.

 

How can I make a complaint?

You can make a complaint by giving us a call on 1300 368 333 or sending us an email at mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au.

 

 

 

SES Healesville Flood Guide

Information from the SES Healesville Flood Guide:

Healesville sits on the Watts River where it’s joined by Grace Burn Creek and New Chum Creek. Flooding along the Yarra River and its branches can vary from fairly quick rises and falls, especially around the townships of Warburton and Healesville, to slow water movements with prolonged flooding around the nearby towns of Yarra Junction and Yarra Glen.

Heavy rainfall over a short period of time can cause flash flooding in and around Healesville, while prolonged rainfall over a number of days or weeks may cause the Watts River to overflow, affecting the centre parts of the town.

Flooding from the Watts River with flows from the Grace Burn Creek can cut off the northern, southern and eastern parts of Healesville from each other for short periods.

The SES Flood Guide for Healesville(PDF, 2MB)  has more information. The following roads are known to flood in Healesville:

  • Don Road
  • Maroondah Highway
  • Healesville-Kinglake Rd
  • Bradshaw Drive
  • Camerons Rd
  • Donnellys Weir Road
  • Glenfern Rd
  • Juel Crescent
  • Maroondah Parade
  • Myers Creek Road
  • Railway Parade
  • River Street
  • Rutter Avenue
  • St Leonards Rd
  • Walkers Lane
  • Wallace Parade
  • Weise Road
  • Wilson Street

SES Lilydale Flood Guide

Information from the SES Lilydale Flood Guide:

Lilydale Lake serves as a flood retarding basin for the area. Retarding basins are built to absorb and contain flooding in periods of high rain, helping to lower the chances of damaging flooding in the area.

While this helps reduce the likelihood of damaging flooding in the area, parts of Lilydale can still be affected when heavy rain falls over a short period of time, causing flash flooding. This can overwhelm the creek and drainage systems and spill over into the surrounding area.

Flash flooding can occur with little warning, lasts only a short time but can leave severe damage in the local area.

During flash flooding, parts of Lilydale may experience isolation for short periods as roads become inaccessible due to flood waters.

The SES Lilydale Flood Guide(PDF, 793KB)  has more information. The following roads are known to flood in Lilydale:

  • Swansea Rd
  • Akarnana Rd
  • Beresford Rd
  • Cave Hill Rd
  • Chapel St
  • Hightech Place
  • Hull Rd
  • Industry Court
  • Industry Park Dr
  • John St
  • Main St (service lanes north & south)
  • Morokai Gr
  • Nelson Rd
  • Quarry Rd
  • William Street East

 

SES Mooroolbark Flood Guide

Information from the SES Mooroolbark Flood Guide:

Brushy Creek is a relatively small waterway, which means that it can be quickly affected by heavy rain leading it to rise and fall quickly. As the land in the Mooroolbark area is a combination of both hilly and flat areas, sudden intense rainfall can lead to episodes of flash flooding.

Flash flooding can occur with little warning, subside quickly but leave severe localised damage. Prolonged rainfall over a longer period of time can cause the Brushy Creek to overflow, leading to flooding.

The SES Mooroolbark Flood Guide(PDF, 1MB) has more information. During a flood, the following roads and community infrastructure may be affected:

Community Infrastructure that may be affected in a flood includes:

  • Brice Avenue Reserve Community Centre
  • Mooroolbark Plaza Shopping Centre
  • Manchester Preschool
  • Esther Park and Soccer Grounds
  • Barngeong Reserve
  • Barngeong Reserve Kindergarten
  • Lilydale Railway Train Line near Mooroolbark Railway Station
  • Hull Rd
  • Carronvale Rd
  • Croydondale Rd
  • Dryden Concourse
  • Esther Crescent
  • Hawthory Rd
  • Lancaster Rd
  • Manchester Rd
  • McDermott Ave
  • Neville St
  • Zina Gr

 

SES Warburton Flood Guide

Information from the SES Warburton Flood Guide:

When the area is in flood, East Warburton is most likely to be the first to be impacted by floodwater in the area.

From here, the Yarra Fiver also flows right into the centre of Warburton, affecting areas surrounding the river.

The Warburton Caravan and Camping Park, located on the north bank of the river is at risk from flooding.

Major roads that may be subject to closure during flooding around Warburton and East Warburton include:

  • Woods Point Road - closure of this road affects access to East Warburton, if flooding were to occur access could be cut for periods of up to 36 hours
  • Acheron Way intersection
  • Warburton Highway in Launching Place - whilst unlikely, if the flooding was severe enough, the Warburton Highway could be cut off affecting direct access to metropolitan Melbourne for a period of up to 72 hours.

The SES Warburton Flood Guide(PDF, 2MB)  has more information.

SES-Warburton-Local-Flood-Guide.pdf(PDF, 2MB)

SES Yarra Glen Flood Guide

Information from the SES Yarra Glen Flood Guide:

The towns of Yarra Glen and Yering are located on a floodplain, which means that in a flooding event the water is expected to spread and will move slowly downstream towards the township of Warrandyte.

Flooding along the Yarra River can vary from fairly rapid rises and falls around Warburton and Healesville to slow water movement with prolonged flooding around Yarra Junction and Yarra Glen.

Roads that may be impacted by flooding of the Yarra River in Yarra Glen include:

  • The Healesville-Yarra Glen road, between Bell Street and Yarra Valley Racecourse and between the Melba Highway and the Yarra Glen Bypass
  • Armstrong Grove
  • Bell Street
  • Yarraview Road

The SES Yarra Glen Flood Guide(PDF, 1MB)  has more information.

SES Yarra Junction Flood Guide

Information from the SES Yarra Junction Flood Guide:

Yarra Junction is home to residential and rural properties, some of which lie on the floodplain.

The local Doon Reserve Caravan Park is also situated on the floodplain, meaning properties in this area are at risk from flooding.

Flooding in Yarra Junction can be caused by flooding from the Little Yarra River or the Yarra River and is most likely to affect low lying areas close to the river banks and in the floodplain between the two rivers. 

Significant flows are possible that can contribute to larger flooding of the surrounding areas.

Flooding in the area has the potential to last several days, especially around areas along Settlement Road. Areas at risk in the event of flooding in Yarra Junction include:

  • Doon Reserve Caravan Park
  • Doon Road
  • Lowes Road
  • Settlement Road
  • Corduroy Road.

The SES Yarra Junction Flood Guide(PDF, 1MB)  has more information.

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