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 the Municipality.

Flood history

Flooding did not trouble many of the early settlers, however as urbanisation intensified, the percentage of area that is unable to absorb water has increased.

This has resulted in more frequent and larger instances of overland flooding. Most of the City of Whitehorse is fully developed and is now undergoing a phase of redevelopment, with increases in population density and intensification of land use, particularly along the main transport routes.

As a result the potential for increased flood risk and increased. The key flood risks are associated with relatively short and intense rainfall events of a few hours duration.

Water level rises through Whitehorse tend to be quick following a heavy rainfall event as major watercourses in the municipality are all at stages of their upper catchments. As such, flooding along the Whitehorse stretches of Gardiners; Koonung; and Mullum Mullum creeks with generally occur with quick rises and falls, with the exception of Dandenong Creek which can see slow water movement and prolonged inundation because of the relatively flat topography.

Households and business should refer to their Local Flood Guide or Municipal Flood Emergency Plan for more information.