The City is working with Cumulus Engineering to complete the Goornong Flood Study.

The Goornong Flood Study has two main parts:

1. Flood Study – This looks at how water moves through the land.
2. Flood Management Plan – This looks at ways to reduce flood risks and how well those ideas might work.

The focus of the study is about understanding the problems and looking at possible solutions. It doesn’t mean that the City or others will undertake any infrastructure improvement projects right away.

A Flood Study Report and a Flood Management Plan Report will be created as part of the study. These reports are a requirement of the Victorian Planning Scheme and are the first ones ever done for the Goornong area. They will also help guide the development of the Goornong Structure Plan, which is also happening now.

We want to hear from the community to make sure the flood maps are right and to understand how floods affect people. We also want to hear ideas for fixing the problems.

The reports will be used to:

• Improve flood controls in the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme
• Help emergency services plan better for floods
• Apply for money to build flood protection projects that the community supports
• Create flood safety information for the public
• Help with flood risk assessment for insurance purposes

If you would like to stay updated about this project, click the follow button at the top of the screen to sign-up for updates.

There are lots of ways you can have your say. You can:

Attend the drop-in session

Complete the survey

Add information to the map

Attend a community emergency planning workshop

Come and speak with a flood expert about your experience with flooding and any other local information you think is important.

You can also speak with volunteers from the Goornong and District Emergency Planning Group (GDEPG) who are gathering stories about emergencies and preparing a plan.

Date: Thursday October 9, 2025

Time: 5pm to 8pm

Location: Goornong Memorial Hall, 32 Railway Place South, Goornong

Book a time below.

Add markers to the map below. Use these themes to help you think about what you might add:

• Getting around - Places where flooding or water prevent you from getting to where you need to go for more than one day. Examples: driveways, depressions, creek crossings
• Damage and change - Places near the creek that need our help or have been affected by flooding. Examples: erosion, trees removed, flood debris, sediment
• History - An enduring tradition or thing that has existed for many years, located near a creek. Examples: ruins, old buildings, scar trees
• Special places - Places near a creek that are important to you for play and relaxation. Examples: fishing spots, picnic areas, boat launches, recreational areas
• Plants and animals - Places near a creek where animals stay or noteworthy vegetation has grown or built up. Examples: logs, significant trees, frogs, birds
• Built objects - Things people have built to manage and use water or to get around. Examples: bridges, drains, dams, levees, pumps, flood ways
• Other - Any other important things you think others should know about in this area

Three community emergency planning workshops are being held over the next few months. The workshops are a chance for people to talk about how emergencies, like floods, fires, and heatwaves, affect their lives. They are also a space to share ideas and help shape the future.

At the workshops, you can:

• Share your story and what changes you think are needed
• Help the City understand what emergencies your area faces
• Talk about what matters most to you, like nature, history, people, and the economy, and how these things connect
• Share ideas to solve problems, what you hope for, and what might get in the way
• Learn how we can support strong, connected communities and what might stop that from happening
• Hear new ideas and let us know if you’d like to be part of making them happen

Workshop 1 - Planning for emergency: October 2025. Further details coming soon.

Workshop 2 - Flood deep dive: February 2026. Further details coming soon.

Workshop 3 - Finding a way forward: April 2026. Further details coming soon.