Moorabool council has been updated on flooding issues affecting Lay Court, Walsh Street and Ingliston Road in Ballan.
Melbourne Water outlined ongoing and future measures to manage persistent flooding concerns at the 4 February council meeting.
The council wrote to Melbourne Water last year requesting a detailed account of actions taken to address flooding issues across the three adjacent roads.
Officers wrote to Melbourne Water on 12 June, requesting the planned actions to be taken, information on future measures planned to rectify the issue, and for Melbourne Water to host a community forum to discuss resident concerns and provide updates.
The formal response from Melbourne Water addressed actions already taken, planned mitigation works and recent community engagement efforts in the flood-prone area.
Melbourne Water also advised council the drainage network servicing the area was a legacy system not designed to modern standards and was unable to manage larger flood events. The area is also covered by a land subject to inundation overlay and a special building overlay under the planning scheme.
To manage the issue, Melbourne Water has been undertaking routine desilting works in the Lay Court drain, removing vegetation to prevent blockages and applying planning permit conditions to new developments to limit downstream flood impacts. An ongoing inspection and scheduled maintenance program has also been put in place.
Melbourne Water service delivery executive general manager Sue Jackman said measures were put in place to manage the ongoing issue.
“After completing a detailed assessment of the drainage system, we have undertaken a series of actions to ensure the major drains in the area are operating as intended and helping to manage flood risk for the community,” she said.
“We have an ongoing maintenance program in place and will continue to monitor these drainage assets and carry out further works as required.”
Mayor Steven Venditti-Taylor said council would continue to work with Melbourne Water to resolve ongoing issue.
“Council officers work closely with Melbourne Water and meet regularly with the organisation to discuss issues and solutions for areas of Ballan where there are flooding concerns,” he said.
“This collaboration ensures the best outcomes for our communities.”
