Council extends resident submission period for flood mapping amendment
Published on 04 August 2022
Baw Baw Shire Council has extended the exhibition and submission period for a proposed amendment to the Baw Baw Planning Scheme to update flood maps for existing overlay controls until Thursday 1 September.
Amendment C144 – Baw Baw Flood Mapping Update proposes to amend the maps for the Floodway Overlay (FO) and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (LSIO), both of which are designed to ensure flood risk and community safety in flood prone areas is appropriately managed.
The proposed Amendment will update the FO and LSIO maps to reflect the existing flood modelling information already held by the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Melbourne Water.
The initial exhibition period for the proposed Amendment ran for 8-weeks from Thursday 10 March to Friday 6 May 2022, with submissions from impacted residents welcomed during this time.
At the Council Meeting held on Wednesday 27 July, following submissions from a number of residents, Council moved to extend the exhibition and submission period for a further four weeks, and to hold an additional information session for residents to provide an overview and impacts of the Amendment.
The facilitated session will be held on Tuesday 23 August, from 5:30pm -7pm at the West Gippsland Arts Centre, Fountain Room. Council officers, representatives of the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Melbourne Water will be in attendance.
The session will provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions, seek clarifications and express any concerns they may have relating to the Amendment.
About the consultation process
Residents are invited to view the proposed changes and make submissions in writing by 5pm on Thursday 1 September.
All submissions already received to the Amendment will be acknowledged and recognised as part of the amendment process.
Council will consider all submissions to the Amendment and determine whether there is a need to appoint an independent Planning Panel to consider any unresolved issues before the item returns to a Council meeting later in the year.
Quotes attributable to Deputy Mayor Cr Annemarie McCabe
“It is necessary to undertake further consultation on this amendment to ensure there is an accurate understanding of the flood mapping changes and how they may impact our residents.
We’re providing our residents the opportunity to attend an information session where they can speak firsthand on their concerns, ask questions and seek clarification about the amendment.”
Quotes attributable to Mover Cr Joe Gauci
“The idea of the consultation extension is to gather further information from our residents on this planning amendment. If you’ve got a concern, come and voice it.
We need to have an educated and upfront conversation on the accuracies of the mapping and if you have proof that it is wrong, we need you to come forward and let us know at the open consultation session”.
Quotes attributable to Seconder Cr Danny Goss
“Impacted residents need to know the full ramifications of this amendment, and it’s a big deal in my opinion.”
“I think a public meeting, that is publicised and invites people to come along and tell us what they think, will see a lot more residents telling us face-to-face and in writing what they think about the amendment.”