Wellington Shire Council

Flood information for the Wellington Shire Council, encompassing catchment based local flood guides for Cowwarr, Heyfield, Sale, Licola, Glenmaggie, Tinamba, Newry, Brigalong, Bushy Park, Boisdale, Hollands Landing, Loch Sport and Stratford as well as the Wellington Shire Municipal Flood Emergency Plan.
Wellington Map

SES has developed Local Flood Guides to explain local flood risks for communities at risk. This includes advice for communities on how to prepare and respond to flood events and who to contact in the event of a flood.

SES has also developed Municipal Flood Emergency Plans to prepare, respond to and recover from flood events within each Municipality.

Flood History

Wellington Shire Council is home to the Thomson, Macalister, Avon, Latrobe, Albert, Tarra and Mitchell Rivers, Merrimans Creek and the Gippsland Lakes.  The Thomson Reservoir, Glenmaggie Weir and Cowwarr Weir are located in the Thomson / Macalister rivers and can impact flooding in areas below the reservoirs.

Weather systems commonly referred to as East Coast Lows can produce heavy rainfall on frequent occasions which can lead to minor riverine flooding with major flood events in both the rivers and lakes occurring more rarely.

For example, during June 2007, four major east coast lows occurred in succession with each one producing heavy rainfall.  The last east coast low brought up to 300mm of rainfall resulting in major riverine flooding across the Council area and the Gippsland Lakes rising 1.3m above normal levels.

A significant risk is isolation of communities, vehicles and recreational visitors through the area when rivers and creeks rise making roads impassable.

Households and businesses should refer to their Local Flood Guide or East Gippsland Shire Flood Emergency Plan for more information.”

Municipal Flood Emergency Plan

Flood warning system information

Other links

Your local SES units are located at:

  • Sale Unit: 37-37 Union Street, Sale Victoria 3850
  • Stratford Unit: 53 McFarland Street, PO Box 81, Stratford  Victoria  3862
  • Maffra Unit: 90 Landy Street, PO Box 124, Maffra  Victoria  3860
  • Yarram Unit: Railway Avenue, PO box 243, Yarram  Victoria  3971
  • Rosedale Unit: 47 Cansick Street, PO Box 203, Rosedale  Victoria  3847
  • Loch Sport Unit: National Parks Road, PO Box 355, Loch Sport  Victoria  3851

More information

For more information, contact the Gippsland (East) Region Headquarters.

For information on flood warnings, see the SES Warnings page.

Visit the Wellington Shire Council website.