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Help shape Maribyrnong’s community‑led flood plan

After the 2022 Maribyrnong flood, local community leaders formed the Maribyrnong Neighbourhood Flood Network – a network of community leaders equipped to share information with neighbours and networks, with a focus on community empowerment and reaching residents who may face barriers to accessing information.

The network’s development has been supported by Council and VICSES.

The draft Flood Plan has been shaped by a workshop with local residents in May 2025, then refined by the Neighbourhood Flood Network with Council support. The aim of this plan is to capture the community strengths, values and local context to bring community voices and needs to the forefront of emergency planning.

We’re inviting the local Maribyrnong community to review the draft Flood Plan, share feedback, and contribute local insights that strengthen flood preparedness.

Learn more about key elements of the draft Flood Plan and share your feedback below.

Feedback closes midnight Sunday 17 May 2026.

Read the full draft Flood Plan

Vision, Principles, and Objectives and Actions

The following was drafted by the community via the Maribyrnong Network Flood Network.

Vision

Principles

Principles

The draft Maribyrnong Community Flood Plan is based on the following principles:

Objectives and actions

Objective 1: Community Voices are heard by emergency agencies and shape emergency planning

What we'll doWhy we're doing itWhat success looks like
We (Council) will...So that...And then (by June 2026)...
  • Host meetings to listen to what community members think Emergency Management agencies could do before, during and after a flood.
  • Take community ideas to Emergency Management agencies.
  • A Maribyrnong Community Flood Plan can be created.
  • Emergency Management agencies consider the community's ideas in their planning.
  • Emergency planning includes the Maribyrnong community's ideas.
  • Community members are told which ideas can be supported and reasons why any ideas can't be included in emergency planning.


Objective 2: Emergency flood information is shared by the community for the community

What we'll doWhy we're doing itWhat success looks like
We (Council and all Network Leaders) will...So that...And then (by December 2026)...
  • Work together to start the Maribyrnong Neighbourhood Flood Network, recruiting Network Leaders and Network Members and organising two meetings per year.
  • Provide Network Leaders and Network Members with any training and tools they need.
  • Pass flood information about risk, preparedness and warnings, via Network Leaders and Network Members, to Community.
  • Pass information about community’s worries, strengths and future needs to Council via Network Leaders and Network Members.
  • All households at risk of flood are allocated a designated Network Leader.
  • Network Leaders feel confident and clear about their role and what they are going to do.
  • All households at risk of flood will receive information about their household risk, preparedness and warnings.
  • Council will receive regular updates about the community’s flood preparedness worries, strengths and future needs.
  • Council can share the community’s worries, strengths and future needs with Emergency Management agencies.
  • Community members know who their Network Leaders are for their neighbourhood or group.
  • Network Leaders and Network Members report feeling supported in their role/s, with three quarters of them having received some training.
  • Flood risk and preparedness information will flow to community via multiple channels that suit community preferences for receiving information where possible.
  • Council and the Maribyrnong Neighbourhood Flood Network can respond to the community’s worries and future needs.
  • Emergency Management agencies hear about the community’s worries, strengths and future needs at least once per year.


Objective 3: Maribyrnong's preparedness for floods increases

What we'll doWhy we're doing itWhat success looks like
We (Council and all Network Leaders) will...So that...And then (by December 2028)...
  • Work together and with Emergency Management agencies to create tools about flood risk and preparedness (e.g. Property Risk Cards, Welcome to the Neighbourhood Pack, videos on preparing your property, exit mapping) or events like workshops and community flood practice exercises).
  • Network Leaders can share at least three tools and host events about preparedness with their designated neighbourhood.
  • Network Members can share at least three tools and host events about preparedness with their designated group/s.
  • Maribyrnong community members (including new residents) report an increased understanding of flood risk.
  • Maribyrnong community members (including new residents) report an increased feeling of preparedness for future floods.


Objective 4: Maribyrnong's community connectedness increases

What we'll doWhy we're doing itWhat success looks like
We (Council and some Network Leaders)...So that...And then (by December 2028)...
  • Work together to plan and host activities and events to increase community connectedness.
  • Develop a roster for post-flood check-ins of isolated or vulnerable community members.
  • Each neighbourhood will have at least one social connection opportunity.
  • Each neighbourhood is supported to host one social connection opportunity for their group.
  • No-one is left out of supports in a future flood.
  • Maribyrnong community members report increased feelings of community connectedness.
  • Isolated and vulnerable community members report feeling well supported.

Maribyrnong Neighbourhood Flood Network

Role of the network

Goal

The role of community leaders – both formal and informal – is critical in disasters, with communities often looking to these figures for concrete information.

The Maribyrnong Neighbourhood Flood Network aims to equip these community leaders with resources and training to increase the reach of critical flood risk and preparedness information. The goal is to make this information accessible to all, particularly those who may face barriers accessing information through the existing channels.

Approach

Network Members receive information and tools to better inform them of flood risk and how to be prepared. Network Members then share this amongst their neighbours and contacts.

The Network Members also relay information on local needs to Council to enable informed decision-making, provide resources and programs to community where feasible, and share information with agencies and emergency services as needed.

Members also co-create preparedness tools and host connection activities within their neighbourhoods.

This is not intended to replace the current warning system; rather it aims to support the flow of information into community to increase the reach of the warning system.

Maribyrnong Neighbourhood Flood Network graphic

Asks for agencies

Before a flood

ThemeActionsLeads
Communication
  • Establish channels of communication between community at risk of flood and agencies before a flood.
  • Inform residents of these information channels in advance.
Maribyrnong City Council
Planning
  • Undertake an annual agency and community flood exercise.
  • Review forecasting effectiveness and explore opportunities to upgrade gauges, monitoring technology and other solutions such as sirens.
  • Undertake community mapping to better understand needs.
  • Consult with people with lived experience or experts when planning for future Emergency Relief Centre activation to enable consideration for accessibility, and cultural safety.
  • Provide a resource kit for residents in the at-risk area.
  • Create a volunteer coordination plan to enable volunteers to safely support communities following a flood.
  • Pre-prepare sandbag stock and establish accessible collection points.
  • Create a framework to support young people in emergencies and facilitate youth engagement in emergency management planning.
  • A representative from the Maribyrnong community participates as a member of the Municipal Emergency Planning Committee (MEMPC) and Flood and Storm Sub-Committee.
  • Review the Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP) and subplans to ensure they consider needs of people with a disability, older adults, children, the culturally and linguistically diverse community and other groups that experience barrier in emergencies.
VICSES

Melbourne Water

Maribyrnong City Council

MEMPC
Community preparedness
  • Provide clear resources in multiple languages outlining what to do in a flood event tailored to the local context.
  • Provide support to map exit routes based on historical information.
  • Hold Emergency Relief Centre walk-through sessions to build community awareness of supports available.
  • Hold an annual preparedness meeting with residents to share seasonal outlook and reinforce preparedness information.
  • Share risk information with local real estates and owners' corporations.
VICSES

Maribyrnong City Council

MEMPC

BoM



During a flood

ThemeActionsLeads
Communication
  • Provide interpreters and translated material at the Emergency Relief Centre.
  • Provide several message boards in accessible locations to share critical information.
Maribyrnong City Council
Coordination
  • Provide support with transport to the Emergency Relief Centre or to alternative accommodation where feasible via a community bus.
  • Activate local spaces for use where beneficial, e.g. the Parish at St Margaret’s Catholic Primary School or Highpoint Shopping Centre, to move cars, provide relief and an additional safe space.
  • Provide dedicated staff available to help residents apply for rebates, grants and other support and offer this as an outreach service.
  • Outreach and psycho-social support provided, including supports appropriate for children and young people.
  • Support community volunteers to activate their own relief hubs in an emergency.
MEMPC

Maribyrnong City Council

Department of Education

DFFH


After a flood

ThemeActionsLeads
Communication
  • Provide clear information about returning home, cleaning up and what to expect.
  • Use multiple channels of communication and languages.
  • Environmental Protection Authority and Department of Health to provide information on sanitation and clean up safety using accessible formats.
Maribyrnong City Council
Coordination
  • Coordinated volunteer clean-up program implemented Insurance, financial, psychosocial and case support available at the Recovery Centre for at least six weeks.
  • Coordinate relief support for residents, including provisions for ‘vulnerable’ residents.
  • Offer clean-up programs and hard rubbish collection at several intervals.
  • A detailed needs assessment to be undertaken alongside the Secondary Impact Assessments to better understand early relief needs.
  • Dedicated staff available at visible, accessible locations to support residents to access recovery information and support.
Maribyrnong City Council

Emergency Recovery Victoria

MEMPC

Ways to share your feedback

There are plenty of ways to share your feedback on the draft Plan. You can:
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  • Come to an event

    Join us at a community event:

    • Saturday 18 April from 5pm, movie screening at Coulson Gardens hosted by the Neighbourhood Flood Network
    • Saturday 2 May 1-3pm, scenario-based workshop at the Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre