Warrnambool Council officers “still unpacking the implications” of flood study rejection

Warrnambool City Council’s chief executive says council officers are still trying to understand the implications of the councillors’ decision to reject a state-funded flood study, as the fallout continues from a contentious vote that left the city’s long-term planning in limbo.

Council CEO Andrew Mason told the Brolga the organisation was now working closely with state agencies to unpack the consequences of last Monday’s 4-1 vote, which saw councillors refuse to adopt a flood study for South Warrnambool and Dennington that projected rising flood risk to the year 2100.

The independent, peer-reviewed study was commissioned by the state government and found average annual flood damages in the area of over $700,000. Michael South, the investigation’s principal environmental engineer and lead investigator, told the ABC the findings were at the “upper end” of risk and that Warrnambool’s rejection of the findings was “a first”.

Now, Warrnambool Council CEO Mason says more will be done to determine the next actions.

“What we are currently doing as officers is trying to work with agencies such as the Catchment Management Authority and state government, particularly the Department of Transport and Planning, around what this decision means for council,” Mason said.

“But also, it does have a broader state context.”

Mason said while council staff would not be using the flood study moving forward, other agencies still would.

“As it currently stands, the flood study won’t be used by the council,” he said.

“But we understand it will be used, is available, and will be used by other agencies such as the Catchment Management Authority.”

Mayor Ben Blain was the only councillor to vote in favour of adopting the study. During last Monday’s meeting, he warned that without formal adoption and referral to a planning panel, residents would be left without recourse to challenge flood classifications or push for mitigation works.

Multiple calls were organised with Mayor Blain for comment but all were eventually cancelled before the Brolga was directed to CEO Mason.

Mason said council officers were still trying to make sense of the situation, but recognised the potential concern for flooding in South Warrnambool and Dennington.

“We respect the decision of the council and so we’re trying to work out how we can best implement the decision, that’s going to take a little bit of time because we really need to start unpacking it and understanding what the implications are.

“We certainly recognise that sea level increases and rainfall intensity are going to be issues that we will have to continue to manage as we go forward,” he said.

“But we obviously need to be doing that in the context of understanding the council decision.”