Carisbrook Levee

levee.carisbrook.new.town.protection.png

Council acknowledges the Carisbrook Levee designers (Entura) were not engaged as part of the Independent Review process.  Comments made by the Independent Reviewer in relation to the Levee Design are opinions based their desktop of supplied design and project documents, a site visit and local community consultation throughout the review process.

March 2025 update: Next steps for Carisbrook's flood management plan 

Developing an updated Flood and Drainage Management Plan for Carisbrook moved a step closer at a meeting of Central Goldfields Shire Council on 26 March, 2025. 

At the meeting, Council endorsed the Draft Flood Study Advisory Reference Group Terms of Reference and appointed Tullaroop Ward Councillor Anna de Villiers along with three community members to the group.

In 2024, the North Central Catchment Authority secured $300,000 through the Victorian Government’s Flood Study Reclamation funding program for Council to deliver and review the Plan which was last developed in 2013.

The 2013 plan recommendations included the construction of the levee, waterway maintenance, drainage works, updated information in the Municipal Flood Emergency Plan and a planning scheme amendment – all of which have now been implemented.

Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Grace La Vella said the updated Flood and Drainage Management Plan was part of Council’s continued commitment to flood mitigation in Carisbrook.

“The new Plan will allow us to better understand the flood risk for Carisbrook for the full range of flood events, extension of the mapping area to include Flagstaff, and to reassess potential mitigation options for the town that may complement existing mitigation.

“With advances in flood modelling software, this is an opportunity for us to update the original modelling as well as include the latest climate change science and consider and incorporate several of the medium-long term recommendations identified in the independent review undertaken by Fred Spain in 2024.

“As we develop and implement the updated Carisbrook Flood Management Plan, the newly established Flood Study Advisory Reference Group will support this process by providing guidance, expertise and stakeholder perspectives.

“The Group will include members from SES, DEECA (Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action), NCCMA (North Central Catchment Management Authority, 3 x Council officers, Tullaroop Ward Councillor Anna de Villiers, CFA and the Department of Transport and Planning.

“Three community members – Martin Mackay, Aaron Beaton and Giuliano Marcon – have also been appointed following a public expression of interest process. Guilano Marcon was also appointed to serve on the Tender Evaluation Panel for the project consultant role.

“The group will meet bi-monthly or as required and will serve for the duration of the project which is anticipated to take approximately 20 months.

“We thank the community members for their willingness to be involved and look forward to the updated Plan being completed in due course.”

The review and update to the Carisbrook Flood and Drainage Management Plan will include:

  • Hydrologic and hydraulic modelling to determine flood information for the full range of flood events up to and including the probable maximum flood.
  • Calibration to historical flood events, particularly floods that have occurred since the original study was completed in 2013.
  • Modelling of climate change scenarios based on recently revised recommendations.
  • Assessment of the feasibility of a range of potential mitigation options including recommendations from the independent review.
  • The information produced will enhance the flood resilience of the Carisbrook community by improving and building on the available flood information. The project outputs will be used for land use and development planning, emergency management planning and response, and community education. The project will include consultation with the local community to collate local knowledge and assess potential mitigation options.
  • The information and mapping produced by the study will be made freely available to the public and will also be used to inform VICSES Floodsafe programs.

 

November 2024 Update: Implementation Plan for Carisbrook Levee 

At the September 2024 Council Meeting, Councillors noted a report on the Carisbrook Independent Levee Review.

The Independent Review – completed by independent engineer Fred Spain of NSW Public Works - identified that there are a number of actions that can be taken so that the Carisbrook community can be confident in the levee.

To address these actions, Council officers have developed the Draft Carisbrook Independent Levee Review Implementation Plan(PDF, 451KB) .  

It was also noted at the Council Meeting that Entura, the specialists who designed the levee, were not consulted with as part of the Review.

Council supported the recommendation that Council officers instruct the Independent Reviewer to interview Entura and make any necessary updates to the report.

Other recommendations included seeking formal feedback on the report from key stakeholders and technical experts including the North Central Catchment Management Authority, Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Entura and Water Technology. 

The review process has now concluded and Council thanks the members of the Carisbrook Levee Community Reference Group for their commitment and contribution during the review.

Officers are now working on implementing the recommendations from the September 2024 Council meeting report as well as the short-term actions in the Draft Implementation Plan (actions identified as being able to be completed within 3 months or less).

In early 2025, Council will advertise an expression of interest for a new community advisory committee to assist in delivering the actions in the Draft Implementation Plan as well as an updated Carisbrook Flood Study and Flood Management Plan which is being funded through the North Central Catchment Management Authority.

 

 

 

Stage One

  • Pleasant Street levee construction (north of the railway line)
  • Drainage works along Wills Street and within the racecourse.
  • Construction completed in early 2017

 

Stage Two

  • Williams Road Levee construction (West - East running levee, which continues east from Williams Rd across Landrigan Rd towards the Tullaroop Creek).
  • Constructed in 2017

 

Stage Three

Construction of Stage Three of the Carisbrook Levee is complete including:

  • Works to relocate Telstra, NBN, water and gas services, were carried out.
  • The installation of twin cell box culverts across the Pyrenees Highway (located to the west of Pleasant Street, Carisbrook)
  • The reinstatement of the road surface at Pyrenees Highway and final site clean-up
  • Drainage works within the rail reserve

The construction work also included construction of open drain through the rail reserve and installation of driveway access to the culvert and constructing and sealing the road through the rail reserve.

The culverts will redirect the overland flows along the levee when the southern section of the levee is completed and these works will complete the missing link in the northern section of the levee and open drainage.

The project was carried out by local company Doran Earthmoving Pty Ltd - following a public tender process.

 

Stage Four

Completed in June 2023. 

The final stage of the project included construction of the Levee south of Pyrenees Highway.

Specifically, Stage Four works involved the Western Levee construction - south of Pyrenees Highway and construction of 1,500 metre earthen levee bank and open drainage.

Funding for Stage Four was received at the Ordinary Council Meeting in March, 2022 and was awarded to local business Doran Earthmoving, who tendered for the project.

 

 

Tullaroop Creek Maintenance Works - June 2021

Maintenance works have been undertaken along Tullaroop Creek within Carisbrook. These maintenance works included the removal of tree saplings and any recently fallen trees that were blocking the waterway.

The works were carried out by Dja Dja Wurrung Works Crew contractors.

 

August 2023 update

The final stage of Carisbrook Levee project was completed in June 2023.  

The project has delivered a significant piece of infrastructure which will mitigate flooding for the township of Carisbrook. Due to the nature of this project and importance this asset has in providing ongoing protection for Carisbrook, Council has commissioned a piece of work to develop a Levee Management and Maintenance Plan.

This plan will outline how Council will manage and maintain the levee efficiently into the future. The work will also identify any operational improvements that could be made to the asset to improve flood mitigation whilst not compromising the intent of the engineering design for this infrastructure.

The final stage of the project has been delivered with project savings. Council has held discussions with funding partners and received in principle support to spend this savings on drainage improvements throughout Carisbrook.

These works will be delivered over coming months with the first project to be delivered in Belfast Road. The works at this location includes installation of culverts across Belfast Road at the Carisbrook Main Drain inlet point and raising of this road to facilitate all weather access along the road. Works are underway and will be completed over the coming weeks.

The previous stage of the levee project has reached the end of its defect period. A final inspection of this stage has been carried out and defects have been found with this work.

In accordance with contract requirements, the contractor will be returning to repair these defects over the coming weeks. This will see works carried out on crossroad culverts on the Pyrenees Highway, with approved traffic management from the Department of Transport in place whilst this is carried out.

Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Grace La Vella said it was great to see further works in Carisbrook carried out.

“This project delivers much needed flood mitigation infrastructure to Carisbrook and sees completion of an asset that has been subject to years of ongoing discussions and engagement with the local community.

“Whilst this work provides flood mitigation, due to the nature of the landscape and function of creek system in Carisbrook, full proection cannot be guaranteed from this work, and people should make themselves aware with the local flood management plan.

“Council remains committed to doing everything it can to supporting the Carisbrook community in managing flood mitigation and the work that has recently been commissioned to establish a levee management plan will seek to maintain this asset sustainability into the future.”

Carisbrook CFA Captain and life-time resident of Carisbrook Ian Boucher said that without the levee diverting the water around Carisbrook in the October 22 floods, the township certainly would have got wet feet again.

"It was just amazing the amount of water the levee captured. It's not a magic cure, but it certainly mitigated a lot of that stuff from 2011.

"Last year, if it wasn't there, we would've had a very similar conversation to 2011...It wasn't, but it could've been.

"I wasn't sure about it to be quite honest. I attended every levee meeting that was had in the lead up. But I've seen it in action - we monitored it, the level of it, for 12 hours, being mindful of the fact that it wasn't the full levee. It wasn't even three quarter's finished at that stage, and it's been improved since then."

The Carisbrook Levee project was designed by specialists Entura in response to major floods which occurred in 2010 and 2011.

 

Independent Review

Over the last month, the Carisbrook Levee Independent Review Reference Group have been working together to support the independent review of the Carisbrook Levee.

The purpose of this review is to help us better understand:

  • How the levee, as constructed, compares with what the community wanted and expected
  • How the levee will perform under specific weather events
  • Any improvements needed to the levee

Independent reviewer and engineer Fred Spain presented his review on Tuesday 6 August.  The report is available on this web page.

Council has been made aware that Entura and Jacobs were not provided with an opportunity to be interviewed by the independent reviewer as part of the review process. Council acknowledges that Entura, North Central Catchment Management Authority, Water Technology were not given the opportunity to respond to the assumptions and findings of the independent review prior to the final report being released to the community on 7 August, 2024.

 

 

September 2024 update

September 2024 update: Implementation Plan for Carisbrook Levee 

At the September Council Meeting last night (16/09) Councillors noted a report on the Carisbrook Independent Levee Review.

The Independent Review – completed by independent engineer Fred Spain of NSW Public Works - identified that there are a number of actions that can be taken so that the Carisbrook community can be confident in the levee. For a copy of the independent review report, please access the September 2024 Council meeting agenda.

To address these actions, Council officers have developed the Draft Carisbrook Independent Levee Review Implementation Plan(PDF, 451KB) .  

It was also noted at the Council Meeting that Entura, the specialists who designed the levee, were not consulted with as part of the Review.

Council supported the recommendation that Council officers instruct the Independent Reviewer to interview Entura and make any necessary updates to the report.

Other recommendations included seeking formal feedback on the report from key stakeholders and technical experts including the North Central Catchment Management Authority, Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Entura and Water Technology. 

Central Goldfields Shire General Manager Infrastructure, Assets and Planning Amber Ricks said the Draft Carisbrook Independent Levee Review Implementation Plan demonstrates that Council has heard the community and is taking action.

“Thank you to the members of the Carisbrook Levee Community Reference Group for their commitment and contribution during the Review process.

“We remain committed to working with the community and doing everything we can so that the Carisbrook community can be confident in the levee.

“The Draft implementation Plan provides a detailed list of what Council will do to action the findings across three focus areas – Modelling/further Technical Investigations; Infrastructure Works; and Levee Maintenance/Management and Flood Mitigation.

“It also includes the likely timing for these actions to take place – either short (within three months), medium (within six months) and longer term (more than six months).

“We plan to reform a reference group to oversee the delivery of the Implementation Plan and to oversee the updated Flood Management Plan and Flood Study. The reference group will be formed via a public EOI process and will be open to anyone from the local community to be involved. As suggested by the review reference group members, we will also seek membership through representatives of other groups in Carisbrook who have an interest in the levee to ensure consistent communications and to maximise information sharing”

Many of the immediate and ongoing actions in the implementation plan are in the current pipeline of investigation and additional maintenance works.

The updated modelling and further technical investigations will be supported through funding provided by the Victorian Government and managed by the North Central Catchment Management Authority.   

Some of the actions in the implementation plan will require additional funding, which officers will investigate funding options for either through external grant opportunities or the 2025/2026 annual budget process. 

 

Background information on the levee

The Carisbrook Levee project was designed by specialists Entura in response to major floods which occurred in 2010 and 2011.

A project timeline is provided HERE.

Community Meeting, 1 March 2021

January marked 10 years since the anniversary of the Carisbrook floods and since then we also experienced a significant rain event in late January.

These two events put the Carisbrook Levee project back on the agenda and so, in response, Council held a Carisbook Levee project community information session on Monday afternoon, 1 March, 2021.

Just over 20 members of the community attended which was an opportunity to hear from, and ask questions, to the Carisbrook Levee designer – Entura Specialist Dams Engineer Paul Southcott.

For those unable to attend, the information shared at the meeting is available to view here:

Meeting Summary(PDF, 105KB)

Meeting Minutes(PDF, 197KB)

Carisbrook Levee Designer Paul Southcott PowerPoint presentation(PPTX, 5MB)

Project timeline(PDF, 107KB)

Question and Answer summary(PDF, 136KB)

Carisbrook Levee Project Plans(PDF, 7MB)

Carisbrook Flood Mitigation Expenditure and Income Stages 1 to 4(PDF, 203KB)

 

Additional information

Carisbrook Levee Overland Flow Question and Answers - May, 2021

Attachment to the Q&A document above - Carisbrook: 1% AEP flood depth (m) - 6-hour rainfall event - Ultimate Mitigation Scenario animation:

What statistics did Entura use when they did the modelling, and who gave them the data?

Entura used statistics provided by Water Technology, from the Water Technology Study completed in 2013.

Council provided Entura the data from Water Technology through the tender process.

Entura completed preliminary design and detailed design in 2016.

Water technology study updated 2019 due to updated rainfall statistics from the Australian Rainfall and Runoff guidelines.

Council requested that Entura review the design and make some minor modifications to alignment to protect vegetation in 2020 as result of the update from Water Technology.

 

Contact

Manager Project Services and Asset Management

P: 03 5461 0610

E: mail@cgoldshire.vic.gov.au

 

Back to top