Council
3 June, 2026
Curdies River study completed
COUNCIL has adopted the Curdies Flood Study, which aims to build an understanding of flood risks in the Curdies catchment area.
At last week’s Ordinary Meeting of Council, councillors moved to adopt the Curdies Flood Study with the intention of seeking written consent from the Minister for Planning to implement the findings of the study into the Corangamite Planning Scheme.
The Curdies River catchment is subject to a range of flood events including riverine flooding, overland flooding and storm surge flooding.
The study began in 2024, with council partnering with Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA) to undertake the study.
The study estimated annual average flood damage costs and modelled several options to mitigate flood risks in priority areas.
It was estimated the average annual cost of flood damage within the study area, which does not include the Scotts Creek or Cooriemungle sub-areas, is $431,123 per year.
The flood study modelled and analysed several mitigation options to address flood impacts on key assets including the Cobden Pool, Moorehouses Bridge Road Curdies River Crossing, Timboon-Nullawarre Road, Lavers Hill-Cobden Road and Maddens Bridge Road.
A cost benefit analysis was undertaken and, based on the analysis, the mitigation options would not achieve a neutral or positive cost benefit ratio because they are costly to implement and would only produce a small reduction in annual average damages.
Councillor Jamie Vogels moved the motion, thanking all involved in making the study possible.
“This work finally fills a long-standing knowledge gap that we’ve had,” he said.
“This study will directly support our emergency services by improving warnings, road closures, decisions and emergency planning into the future.
“Adopting this study gives us better information, better preparedness and better protection for our people, property and our roads.
“It also ensures future development is appropriate for where there’s flood risk with full community consultation to come in the near future.”
Councillor Nick Cole seconded the motion and said while nature was hard to predict, the study would prove useful in future planning.
“Nature plays by its own rules quite often and whenever you plan for nature it will usually bite you in the bum,” he said.
“All the planning in the world doesn’t help – sometimes a major flood can come very quickly, but this will help.
“It helps with building bridges and culverts and things like that which we need to keep the joint functioning – I think it’s a great study.”
A full summary report of the study and its findings is available on the council website.
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