The Rochester community now has valuable and easy to follow information to help them better understand flood predictions and warnings, thanks to the Resilient Rochester Project (RRP).
Campaspe Shire Council General Manager Community, Keith Oberin said Rochester should now be more flood ready following the recently completed RRP.
"The RRP has addressed the flood risk to individual properties and will help residents better plan for, and respond to, flood events," Mr Oberin said.
Eighty per cent of Rochester businesses and residents were significantly impacted by the unprecedented floods of January 2011 which caused devastation to the town. Following this, work has been undertaken by the community, Council, and partner agencies to reduce the impact of future flood events on the town and to improve flood warnings.
"Extensive and invaluable community input guided the development of the Rochester Flood Management Plan. This has provided valuable flood information and flood mapping for the town," Mr Oberin said.
"Flood warning systems have also been upgraded to provide more timely and accurate information during flood events."
The new automated Rochester Town Gauge provides water level information in real-time which helps the public and emergency services monitor water levels.
The Resilient Rochester Project delivered a variety of tools and information including:
- Information packs for residents and business owners including property specific flood height data linked directly to the Rochester Town Gauge. (this information can be accessed at www.nccma.vic.gov.au/flood-eye).
- Flood markers at various locations around town which are a record of historical floods.
- Flood information signs on each side of the river.
- A series of short videos, to be available shortly, will explain the project and to celebrate the resilience of the Rochester community.
- Flood education collateral including the 'Bag It, Block It, Lift it & Leave' flood jingle which can be listened to at https://vimeo.com/464101634
"The work achieved through the RRP further enhances the capacity, capability, and resilience of the Rochester community. When a flood warning is issued, residents can now understand what it means and how they should respond," Mr Oberin said.
"Information gathered from the project has also enhanced the development of operational response plans."
While major floods are rare, it is important people understand their individual flood risk and have a plan.
The Resilient Rochester Project, partly funded through the Natural Disaster Resilience Grant Scheme, has carried out all the recommendations of the Flood Management Plan. Campaspe Shire Council led the project, in partnership with local and regional VICSES and the North Central CMA.
The final action of Resilient Rochester is to seek community feedback on what they have learned through the project. Local residents are encouraged to complete a brief survey via Council's website with hard copies available from the Rochester Customer Service Centre.
This information will be compared to the survey carried out at the start of the RRP.
