Council is seeking direct input from residents to shape a St Arnaud Flood Study that will provide invaluable information to protect the township against future flood events.
To ensure the flood mapping is accurate, information on previous floods provided by the community will form an integral part of the study and information sessions will be held in the new year to gather as much historical information as possible.
Council is undertaking this mapping process in close consultation with the St Arnaud community as residents are the ones best informed with past experiences to shape future planning.
Once modelling of historic events is underway, a further community session will take place to validate the results of the mapping.
The study and mapping will enable council to plan for flood event response, warn potentially impacted residents, highlight areas which require infrastructure improvements and influence future planning scheme amendments to ensure the risk to new development is controlled.
Part of this study will be to assess and recommend a range of flood mitigation options so future funding can be sought to implement the recommendations.
Northern Grampians Shire Council Mayor, Murray Emerson, said the input of the St Arnaud community was imperative to getting the study right.
“No one knows the land better than the people who live and work on it,” he said.
“This study will help us to keep St Arnaud residents safe and informed during flooding events as well as work as a basis for future flood mitigation planning in the shire.
“Northern Grampians Shire Council is committed to engaging with and involving the community in decisions that impact them to ensure we are delivering the services they really need and want.”
The study is being funded by a $120,000 grant received under the State Government’s ‘Natural Disaster Resilience Grant Scheme’.
Specialist flood modelling consultants Water Technology have been engaged to complete the project in conjunction with council, North Central Catchment Management Authority, the State Emergency Service, and the Bureau of Meteorology.
If you have any videos or photos of previous flood events in St Arnaud it would be greatly appreciated if you could send them through to [email protected] with the reference “St Arnaud Flood Study” in the email subject line or contact Nic Murphy, Coordinator Engineering Services on
