Oral Presentation IPWEA Victoria Public Works Conference 2026

A primary goal of many flood mapping studies is to inform effective land use controls. In Victoria, the Special Building Overlay (SBO) is a crucial tool for regulating development affected by urban stormwater overland flows. Implementing an SBO requires a Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) process. This involves mandatory advertising, informing affected people, a public panel hearing, and endorsement by elected officials and the state planning minister. Consequently, community acceptance is essential for a PSA to succeed.

Recently, in collaboration with Engeny, Merri-bek City Council successfully navigated staged community engagement for this local drainage authority's SBO, impacting over 10,000 properties. Initially, many residents expressed emotions such as shock, denial, and anger. These emotions stifle constructive dialogue, and need to be respected if community acceptance is to be achieved.

Recognizing this challenge, the Council and Engeny adopted an empathetic approach, inspired by the Kϋbler-Ross model. They prioritized emotional awareness and used diverse engagement tools, tactics, and interpersonal skills designed to foster connection and understanding. Instead of dismissing strong reactions, the team approached residents with patience and compassion. The engagement process included:

• Several rounds of targeted mail-outs to every affected property
• Multiple drop-in sessions for open dialogue
• Hundreds of personalized emails and phone calls
• Robust online content with much information
• On-the-ground assessments when specific mapping concerns arose
• On-site meetings and walking tours for those seeking deeper insights
• Comprehensive and timely responses to all concerns raised

This thoughtful, staged engagement process proved effective, resulting in only two landowners requesting to address the independent panel hearing.

This endeavour shows effective community engagement. With minimal concerns expressed at the panel hearing and rigorous mapping methods employed, the SBO was overwhelmingly supported by the panel, elected officials, and the local community.

In an age marked by rising climate risks and increasing public scrutiny, this approach offers a timely, transferable framework for planning, drainage, floodplain management, and catchment authorities. It highlights the necessity of leading with empathy and understanding when introducing communities to flood maps.

This presentation will explore the critical elements behind this success and aims to help others to capture these learnings.