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New Flood Zone and Overlay

Learn more about the State Governments new flood policy for Victoria

Keeping Yarra flood resilient

Under Amendment VC317, the State Government introduced flooding reforms which include a new flooding zone and flooding overlay to all Victorian planning schemes. The new zone and overlay will be applied to properties in accordance with updated flood mapping, which is currently being undertaken by Melbourne Water.  

Background 

Melbourne Water is working to update flood maps across Greater Melbourne as part of their Greater Melbourne Flood Information Program. Draft stormwater flood mapping is available on the Melbourne Water website. This mapping shows the predicted flooding from stormwater drain overflow in the current day and also in the year 2100.  

Melbourne Water is also working to update riverine flood modelling, including updated maps showing land surrounding Yarra River, Gardiners Creek, Darebin Creek and Merri Creek (Lower).  

Draft updated stormwater flood mapping for Yarra was released in October 2025 and commenced community engagement. In December 2025, Council adopted a submission [ PDF, 295.03 MB] to Melbourne Water which called for more information and process improvements in Melbourne Water’s Greater Melbourne Flood Information Program.  

The draft updated stormwater flood mapping classifies flooding into 6 levels of hazard.  

  • H1 and H2 = Low risk 

  • H3 = Medium risk 

  • H4 = High risk 

  • H5 = Very High risk 

  • H6 = Extreme risk 

The draft stormwater flood mapping is available on the Melbourne Water website.  

Changes under Amendment VC317 

Amendment VC317 introduces a new state-wide flood policy (within the Planning Policy Framework), to the Yarra Planning Scheme. It also introduces a new Flood Management Zone (FMZ) and a new Flood Management Overlay (FMO), which are new tools that are now available to be used by councils in Victoria. 

No property will have their zone or overlays changed as a result of this amendment. The existing flood controls will continue to apply.  

Melbourne Water’s new flood mapping will not become part of the Yarra Planning Scheme under this amendment.  

Click here to find out more about Amendment VC317 

Future of flooding 

Once Melbourne Water has finalised and published all updated flood mapping for Yarra, the Victorian State Government will undertake another planning scheme amendment. 

This new amendment will seek to apply the new flood zone and flood overlay to properties in Yarra (in accordance with the finalised Melbourne Water stormwater flood mapping).  

The new Flood Management Zone will apply only to properties with “extreme flood risk”. 

The new Flood Management Overlay will only apply to properties with either “very high”, “high”, or “moderate” flood risk.  

Owners of properties with a "low risk" of flooding (per the draft updated stormwater flood mapping) will need to consider building regulations in relation to managing flood risk on their property for any future works upon their land.  

More information about the impact on individual properties will be available once the updated flood mapping has been finalised.