Floodplain Advice

Stressed or Stranded Fish

With the weather warming up in the Mallee region over the next few days, we’re expecting the low levels of dissolved oxygen (blackwater) in Murray river, creeks and wetlands to get worse. Low dissolved oxygen makes it hard for fish and Murray crays to survive.

Over the past few weeks, authorities in Victoria and NSW have been working hard to save as many native fish and crays as possible, including threatened species.

There are procedures in place for government agencies including the Mallee CMA to work together on managing fish death events, including co-ordination with NSW for the Murray River.

To report any instances of stressed or stranded fish in the Mallee please Email fish@malleecma.com.au

Fish deaths:
Contact Environmental Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) on
1300 372 842 or Email contact@epa.vic.gov.au.

Flood Emergency Information

The Mallee CMA is not the lead agency to contact during a flood event. You can find further information regarding current conditions from:

Victoria Emergency website

VicSES website

BoM website – Wimmera Mallee Rainfall and River Conditions

The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) has developed a multicultural Robinvale Flood Guide translated into six different languages. Further information and these guides can be provided at the VICSES website.

Flood impacts – grants and support are available for community and businesses impacted by the floods.

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; and
floodplain areas of environmental significance.

Mallee CMA’s Role in Floodplain Management

The Mallee CMA is responsible for a range of statutory functions under the following state government acts, relating to floodplain management:

Victorian Water Act 1989, Victorian Planning and Environment Act 1987 and Victorian Building Regulations 2006

Key functions include:

To determine how far floodwaters are likely to extend and how high they are likely to rise;
To declare flood levels and flood fringe areas;
To declare building lines/envelopes;
To provide advice regarding developments that have occurred or that may be proposed for land adjoining waterways;
To develop and support the implementation of plans to minimise flood damage; and
To provide advice about flooding and controls on development to local councils, the Secretary for Planning and Environment, and the Community.

Further information on these functions is provided below, and also on the Flood Victoria website

Flood advice information

The Mallee CMA is not the lead agency to contact during a flood event. The Mallee CMA is responsible for floodplain management in the Mallee region. Our role is to give advice that encourages appropriate development and reduces the impacts of flooding on life, property and infrastructure.

The Mallee CMA can provide the following information:

Guidelines for Development in Flood Affected Areas
General flood advice for property owners or potential property buyers. Advice may include the likelihood of flooding, or any restrictions for development on land;
1% Annual Exceedance Probability (100 year flood) level for a location;
Likely conditions for a proposed development; and
Overlays or zoning on land and their implications with regards to flooding

Flood advice form

If you would like flood advice on a specific property, please click on this link, complete the form and submit to floodplain@malleecma.com.au.

For information on your property and the relevant flood zoning visit the VicPlan website: VicPlan (planning.vic.gov.au)

Works on Waterways Permits

The Mallee CMA has statutory responsibilities under the Water Act 1989 and ‘By-law No.1 Waterways Protection 2014’ to monitor, manage, enforce, and administer control over works which may impact upon designated waterways throughout the Mallee region to ensure works undertaken do not adversely affect the health of those waterways. The approval process is designed to provide best-practice guidance to ensure works or activities have appropriately addressed hydraulic, physical, and environmental impacts on the health of our waterways. For any water supply queries/issues, please contact your local Water Authority.

Works on Waterways information

When is approval required?

All works and activities within the bed and banks of designated waterways in the Mallee region require an approved Works on Waterways Permit from Mallee CMA. A designated waterway is a waterway that is named or un-named, permanent or seasonal, and may range in size from a river to a natural depression. Designated waterways are declared under the Water Act 1989 to protect their environmental values. Click here to view Designated Waterways within the Mallee CMA region.

A works on waterways permit is required for a range of works, including:

Crossings – bridges, fords, culverts;
Deviations – waterway realignments;
Extractions – sand, silt or gravel;
Stabilisation – bank protection, retaining structures;
Vegetation – fallen timber and vegetation removal, revegetation projects;
Works – stormwater outlets, service crossings;
Other – jetty, river mouth opening, boardwalks;

If your proposed work, is not listed here, please contact the Mallee CMA to check if it requires a permit.

Note: penalties apply if you do works on a waterway without a permit.

How to apply for approval

Download a Works on Waterways Permit Application or request a paper copy direct from Mallee CMA.

Complete the application form and submit to the Mallee CMA in person, by mail or email: floodplain@malleecma.com.au.

What does it cost?

The Mallee CMA does not currently charge a fee to undertake the Works on Waterways Permit process.

Flood Mitigation Infrastructure

Chapter 17 of the Victorian Floodplain Management Strategy 2016 sets out a series of policies, accountabilities and actions
for levees and other forms of flood mitigation infrastructure. Collectively, they define the Management Framework for Flood mitigation Infrastructure in Victoria.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has released a series of Guidance Notes aimed at helping those wishing to construct
or maintain infrastructure. This includes:

An overview of the VFMS management framework for flood mitigation infrastructure
Guidance Note 17.1 Deciding whether to leave flood mitigation infrastructure unmaintained
Guidance Note 17.2 Bringing Infrastructure under formal management arrangements
Guidance Note 17.3 Designing constructing and implementing flood mitigation infrastructure;
Guidance Note 17.4 Levee Maintenance Permits
Guidance Note 17.5 Deciding whether to use Water Management Schemes to manage flood mitigation infrastructure;
Levee maintenance permit application kit.

To find out more information click here.