Have you ever wondered how your home would fare in a major flood? 

The City of Greater Bendigo has released a new interactive tool for Greater Bendigo residents to see wether their properties are affected by proposed changes to land subject to overland flooding overlays. 

Councillors endorsed the changes last December, voting to implement the findings of the Bendigo Urban Flood Study (2013) which argued that the overlays in Bendigo’s planning scheme are out of date and inaccurate. 

The city has billed the proposed changes as “one of the largest and most comprehensive urban flood studies ever undertaken” – the amendment would affect approximately 5,500 properties in total across the municipality by either adding or removing an overlay.

The North Central Catchment Management Authority and the city commissioned the study to ensure that new development in or near floodplains was “designed appropriately to protect assets, life and the floodplain, it is critical that this new flood information is introduced to the planning scheme”.

The city’s acting planning and development director Andy Walker said the new mapping information would also be used by the emergency services to better respond to and provide protection from flooding. 

“Extra planning permit exemptions to reduce unnecessary burdens on owners and occupiers have also been introduced and there are some new guidelines to assist when planning applications are necessary,” Mr Walker said. 

Staff from the City and the NCCMA will also be available to answer community questions at a series of drop-in information sessions to be held as follows:

Submissions on the proposed planning scheme changes can be made to the City by Thursday June 30, 2016 by sending them to Bendigo Flood Study, PO Box 733, Bendigo VIC 3552 or emailing flood@bendigo.vic.gov.au.

See the interactive map by clicking here.