Melbourne Water will release draft stormwater flood maps for Brimbank and Hobsons Bay from mid-July 2026.
The maps will allow residents and property owners to search their address, understand stormwater flood risk and provide feedback.
Melbourne Water said the maps do not create new risks. Instead, they provide clearer flood information for communities, emergency services and authorities to plan and prepare.
The draft stormwater flood maps will show flood information under current conditions and future climate scenarios to 2100.
Why are new flood maps being released?
The maps are part of Melbourne Water’s Greater Melbourne Flood Information Program. The program will eventually cover all 38 Council areas across Greater Melbourne.
Updated stormwater flood maps have already been released for Banyule, Moonee Valley, Darebin, Yarra, Glen Eira and Merri-bek.
The Brimbank and Hobsons Bay maps are the next stage of that wider work.
Melbourne Water said the draft maps use best-practice modelling that reflects how the areas have grown and how climate change will affect properties.
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What will residents be able to do?
Residents and property owners will be able to search their property once the maps are released. They will also be able to provide feedback on the draft information.
Melbourne Water will hold community engagement sessions in Brimbank and Hobsons Bay in the weeks following the maps’ release. The sessions will allow residents to ask questions, understand what the maps mean for their property and share local knowledge that could help refine the final maps.
Details of session dates and locations will be announced closer to the release date.
What do the maps cover?
The maps cover stormwater flooding. That means they focus on flooding associated with local drainage and runoff during rainfall events.
Melbourne Water said riverine flood models for major waterways and coastal inundation affecting Brimbank and Hobsons Bay are being updated separately.
Those models will be released in the future. That distinction matters because different flood sources can involve different risk profiles, planning processes and response measures.
The July release will focus on stormwater risk, not riverine or coastal inundation.
Will the maps change planning controls?
Melbourne Water said the draft maps will not change planning controls. Any future changes to planning controls would involve a separate formal process. That process would include public exhibition and independent review, giving residents a chance to have their say.
The draft maps are therefore an information-gathering and engagement step.
They are designed to improve awareness and support preparedness before any separate planning process occurs.
What has Melbourne Water said?
Melbourne Water Executive General Manager Service Futures Chris Brace said the maps will help communities make more informed decisions.
“These updated flood maps give community members clearer information so they can make informed decisions about their property and safety. We’re also continuing to invest in the infrastructure to reduce flood impacts across Melbourne over time, and having accurate, up-to-date mapping is a critical part of that work,” Brace said.
The draft maps will be available from mid-July through Melbourne Water’s Brimbank and Hobsons Bay flood mapping pages.
Community members will also be able to register for engagement sessions through those pages.
