Flood risk will evolve over time as Melbourne grows to house more people, and as our climate changes. But even if the new flood extent maps show your property is affected by flooding, the impact on your home or other buildings may vary. This depends on the flood depth – which can differ greatly across a property – as well as the distance between the floor and the ground.
Property flood information
If your property is subject is flooding under the new model, we can provide a flood information letter with the updated data. This includes your property’s:
- flood level – estimated to Australian Height Datum (AHD)
- flood depths – minimum and maximum across your property
This information is given for a flood with a 1 per cent chance of occurring in any given year (1% Annual Exceedance Probability), in both current (2024) and future (2100) scenarios.
For comparison, we will also provide the flood level that was previously in our system – if there is one. Some letters will state, ‘Flood Information for this property was not available in the 2003 Flood Model’. This means your property was not identified as being subject to flooding in our previous flood modelling.
To find out your property’s floor level, you may wish to engage a licensed surveyor. They can also advise if any buildings or structures on your property are below the flood levels that we’ve provided.
How to apply
To request this information, call 131 722 or email [email protected] with your full name, email and property address.
Our team will then lodge a request on your behalf, and you will receive a flood information letter within 14 days. If you need help understanding the information we provide, you can:
What this means for your property
The information we provide for the 2024 flood scenario is our best understanding of flooding today, and can be used to develop your own individual flood emergency plan. The 2100 flood scenario shows flooding predicted in a future with climate change, and should be used if you plan to renovate or redevelop your property.
Renovations and redevelopments
The 2100 scenario information will be translated into planning scheme controls. Once this is done, any new builds or property modifications that need a planning permit would be assessed against this new flood information.
If you’re planning to build on or renovate your property, you may need to change your designs to be flood resilient – such as including appropriate design measures and floor levels to reduce the risk of damage. It may be frustrating, but taking these steps now will benefit you if a flood were to happen in the future.
There are many things to consider in planning and development, and it’s best to seek advice as early as you can. Contact your local council or refer to the Melbourne Water website, or call us on 131 722.
Insurance and property values
It is Melbourne Water’s responsibility to ensure that planning and emergency agencies, communities and individual property owners can understand their flood risk, so that as a community we can be prepared for any flood.
The new modelling represents the flood risk that exists – it is not creating more risk. We’re releasing this information to help prepare for the impacts of climate change and plan for the future. This includes informing decisions about flood mitigation infrastructure like drainage, levees and retarding basins, and other options to manage flood risk.
We are not best placed to speculate or comment on property values or insurance premiums. These climate change impacts are global issues that the insurance industry has been dealing with and considering when setting their premiums.
We advise you to engage with your insurance company to understand your own circumstances.