Heavy rainfall event August 2026

Published on 13 August 2026

Parts of the Central Goldfields Shire received more than 70mm of rain in three days, including more than 60mm on Sunday 9 and Monday 10 August. 

https://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV60174.html

Many sealed and unsealed roads across the shire sustained significant damage due to flash flooding. The estimated timeframe to repair is weeks, if not months.

The main effected areas are where the Avoca River, Bet Bet Creek, Deep Creek and McCallums Creek flow across roads, bridges and surrounding roads (both sealed and unsealed).

In accordance with Council’s obligations under the Road Management Act and to ensure the safety of road users and the broader community, 54 sealed and unsealed roads were assessed and determined to require closure.

On Wednesday, operational crews undertook extensive recovery activities across the shire, including:

• Road condition assessments and inspections
• Capturing audit and damage data to support recovery planning and funding submissions
• Assessing flood impacts to roads, bridges, and associated infrastructure
• Cleaning affected roads and removing debris where safe to do so
• Preparing road sections for reopening
• Installing, adjusting, and removing traffic management and road closure signage as conditions improved.

By Thursday (13 August) morning, 36 roads had been reopened for public use, restoring access across several affected areas and reducing community disruption.

The remaining closed roads will continue to be monitored and reassessed to determine whether conditions have improved for them to be safely reopened.

In addition to the road network response, Council (engineers, crews) will undertake a more detailed inspection program for bridges, culverts and other structures affected by floodwaters.

These inspections will be undertaken through a separate process involving specialist engineering assessments to determine any structural damage, identify repair requirements, and ensure the ongoing safety of the community before assets are returned to normal service.

Operational staff will continue to monitor conditions, respond to emerging issues, and support recovery across the Shire as water levels recede and access to affected areas improves.

The recovery works may be eligible for funding assistance from the Australian and Victorian Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) if a declaration is made.

More information on road closures here.