LIVE BLOG SUNDAY: Bendigo Agricultural Show cancelled to make room for flood victims

That's it for this Sunday's blog. We would like to thank the emergency service personnel who are unfailingly serving us all as this crisis goes on - and the flood victims who have graciously allowed the Advertiser to tell their stories.

We end this blog with emergency evacuation orders in place for Charlton and Echuca along with warnings for communities throughout central Victoria. Our thoughts are with everyone currently being hit by flood waters.

People displaced by floods will not need to move again because of the Bendigo Agricultural Show, Greater Bendigo's council has revealed.

The show is being canceled so that flood victims from central and northern Victoria can keep using it.

Right now, 170 people and 20 pets are using the Bendigo showgrounds.

It is possible more people will need the grounds if rain later this week sparks more flooding.

The agricultural show will return in 2023.

The Department of Transport has sent out an updated list of major road closures in Victoria.

Among the main areas of concern are the Goulburn Valley, the Loddon Valley and towns near Echuca.

The community is urged to familiarise themselves with road closures in their area before travelling to determine if it is possible to reach their destination.

Major roads currently closed include:

Train services are running to the normal timetable on the Geelong/Warrnambool, Ballarat/Ararat/Maryborough, Gippsland and Seymour lines.

The Bendigo line has trains are operating between Gisborne and Bendigo.

All train and coach services between Bendigo and Swan Hill/Echuca will remain suspended until further notice.

Coaches replacing trains between Gisborne and Southern Cross due to planned upgrade works in the metropolitan area.

The Newbridge Football-Netball Club put a social medal call out on Saturday for a working bee on Sunday and Maroons' president Andrew Friswell was overwhelmed with the response in the wake of the town's third biggest flood.

"There's people here that I don't even know; the community has just been fantastic and that's what it's all about," Friswell said.

"We've got people here with bobcats and different machinery and they are all donating their time, which we are very appreciative of."

It's the second time in 11 years the Maroons are recovering from a flood that has wreaked havoc on their home ground at Riverside Park, which sits alongside the Loddon River.

Read the full story here.

Floodwater still fills most of the streets in Rochester but levels have started to drop.

Bendigo Advertiser reporter Tom O'Callaghan is in the town this afternoon and says streets that were only accessible by boat are now able to be waded through.

It is clear there is extensive damage to the town with water and air still coming up from underneath roads in places.

"Residents seem as upbeat as you can be in these situations," O'Callaghan said.

"They have talked about the kindness of strangers who came to help sandbag before the waters hit."

Rochester SES volunteer Judith Gledhill said while the water has receded in places, she did not encourage anyone to return to properties.

"We are still assessing roads to see if they are accessible," she said. "Sewerage is still down and we are unable to get toilets and showers going.

"Please do not drive in flood waters. We have had to rescue way to many people stranded in floodwaters in their vehicle. It ties up valuable resources.

"If you have been advised to leave home - bag it, block it, lift it and leave so emergency services aren't putting themselves in danger to go into flood areas to evacuate you after the fact."

The floods are far from over, SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch has told reporters in Melbourne.

He is updating the state on where floods are up to across the state.

On the Avoca River, Charlton is closing in on its peak of 8 metres today.

"That will continue to peak into tomorrow at a level similar to what we saw in 20210," Mr Wiebusch said.

Waters are unlikely to reach records of 8.6 metre levels, he said.

More: Prime minister sends in the troops, reveals financial help for flood victims

Eighty properties could be threatened by today's flood peaks. They are in and around the township.

On the Loddon, Serpentine has seen flood impacts and all of that water is now washing down towards the Murray River.

Pyramid Hill and Kerang are coming under threat over the coming days, as the floods move downstream.

Kerang's waters could start peaking from Monday into Tuesday.

"In Pyramid Hill there was a community meeting yesterday and [it] is well ready, having sandbagged properties around that location," Mr Wiebusch said.

Pyramid Hill's peak is expected ithrough tomorrow.

On the Campaspe, waters are receding around Rochester but floods will likely remain for another few days.

It will soon be too late to leave some locations downriver around Echuca.

Waters could peak this afternoon, with 1000 properties expected to be surrounded or inundated by water.

Defence force personnel are now stationed in the area to help emergency crews.

Mr Wiebusch thanked the community groups that had helped sandbag in the area.

The latest peak is one of two expected this week.

The Murray River should peak from Monday into Tuesday.

FINANCIAL support for flood-battered Victorians will be available from as early as this afternoon, prime minister Anthony Albanese says.

Reporter Tom O'Callaghan has published this breaking news story on those payments, which he will keep updating as a press conference continues in Melbourne.

Our photographer Darren Howe captured these extraordinary images in Rochester yesterday.

They show the damage but also resilience of people in the face of crisis.

Communities far up the Avoca River are expected to gather today for flood meetings.

Quambatook is having one shortly (it starts at 1pm) at the Quambatook Memorial Hall. It will be livestreamed at www.gsc.vic.gov.au/floods

Kerang will have its meeting at 4pm at the Kerang Memorial Hall. It too will be livestreamed at www.gsc.vic.gov.au/floods

Anthony Albanese says the government is ready to help people however it can in brief comments during a visit to Bendigo.

"My heart goes out to those who are doing it tough at the moment," the prime minister said.

Reporter Chris Pedler has the latest here.

Stop driving around "road closed" signs, the Department of Transport has said after yet more reports of people getting trapped in floodwater.

There's a reason roads are closed, it says.

Motorists are also being told to drive with extreme caution in many areas as receding floodwaters leave badly damaged surfaces.

Major roads currently closed include:

PRIME Minister Anthony Albanese has visited Epsom's incident control centre as a clearer sense of the flood damage emerges.

He is expected to speak to reporters later this morning alongside premier Daniel Andrews, who is making his second visit to Bendigo in as many days.

The prime minister could reveal new details today on how the federal government will help people and communities facing mammoth clean-up and repair bills.

We will bring you those comments as they happen.

A traveller has described the heartbreak that damage has caused in Baringhup.

Mark Polsen moved through the area in the last few days and says people there have suffered terrible losses.

All sorts of possessions had been strewn along fence lines, he says.

"The stuff of homes.... so sad. Blankets, mattresses, TVs, and other household items. I'm sure help is much needed in this little community," Mark says.

Are you in Echuca or Echuca Village and need to evacuate?

Travel to a safe location, authorities say, including:

Central Victoria awakens this morning to a flood crisis engulfing towns throughout the region.

Evacuation orders remain in place for Echuca and Charlton, with emergency warnings still in place up and down all three major rivers.

Echuca residents are being told another flood peak is on its way along the Murray River.

But for the moment, up to 300 people have been told the evacuate properties for a flood that has been expected to peak this morning on the Campaspe River.

In Charlton, flood waters are expected to peak at eight metres overnight tonight, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Levels had risen to 7.73 metres by 8am this morning.

Major flooding is occurring downstream of Charlton but not at Quambatook.

We expect to hear more today about a weather system that could bring more flooding to northern and central Victoria later this week.

The next few days could see fairly stable weather conditions but that may not last long, emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters yesterday.

Wednesday could rainfall across parts of Australia's east coast, he said.

"Into Wednesday night we could see falls in the north west [of Victoria], maybe moving into central Victoria," Mr Crisp said.

The falls could bring between two and 10mm of rain but some areas could get as much as 20mm, according to the latest predictions.

The falls might not be as heavy as what has been seen this week but meteorologists say the ground and catchments are so sodden new rainfall could retrigger floods.

The rains could move over central Victoria through Thursday, Mr Crisp said.

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