Council & Business
14 August, 2023
Future flood strategies to be investigated at Newstead
Future flood risk mitigation strategies will be investigated for Newstead as part of a long-term Mount Alexander Shire Council project. Sitting alongside the Loddon River means the Newstead township can experience flash flooding from heavy rainfall...

Future flood risk mitigation strategies will be investigated for Newstead as part of a long-term Mount Alexander Shire Council project.
Sitting alongside the Loddon River means the Newstead township can experience flash flooding from heavy rainfall and riverine flooding from the Loddon catchment, which can make the town inaccessible from all directions — as it did during the 2022 October floods.
New funding from the National Emergency Management Agency Disaster Ready Fund will allow council to develop the Newstead Flood Study, which will consider the frequency and severity of flood events in the town and the impacts of climate change.
Data from the study will inform future design of a new levee.
Funding in the 2023/24 council budget has also been allocated to upgrade the existing flood gate in Newstead.
Mount Alexander Shire Council Loddon River Ward councillor, Matthew Driscoll said the upcoming study is an important step towards getting the Newstead levee project on track.
“This is a long-term project that will significantly reduce the impact of flooding on the Newstead community,” he said.
“Starting with the study means that we’ll have all the information we need to design a levee that meets the needs of the town.
“An upgraded levee will make an enormous difference to the safety and wellbeing of our residents, and we’re pleased to be getting started with this first step.”