The State Emergency Service launched its Ballarat east, Central Business District and Miners Rest FloodSafe guide on Thursday morning at Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka. 

According to the SES, the best action residents can take to protect homes from severe flooding is sandbag drainage holes. 

SES operations officer Tony Grimme said placing sandbags in areas like toilets, sinks, showers and doorways could almost completely remove the risk of your house flooding.

Mr Grimme said toilets were often the first area to flood because heavy rainfall often caused blockages or overflows in sewerage systems. Driving through floodwater is also the number one cause of adult death during floods.

“Evacuating through flood water is extremely dangerous and you may be swept away,” he said.

The FloodSafe guide was created in partnership with the Ballarat City Council, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.  It includes information on past floods, rainfall levels, evacuation and emergency plans.

“It gives residents information on what they need to do when there is a risk of flooding,” Mr Grimme said. “It provides general information about flooding risk and how to respond responsibly to minimise the impact and costs of floods.” 

Mr Grimme said the council had undertaken extensive work in the Miner Rest township since the disastrous floods in 2011.

He said the council continued to work with catchment management authorities to map the flooding and explore how mitigation should be changed. Regional floodplain management strategies were also being developed to address deficiencies in flood management identified by a recent parliamentary inquiry.

The guide is available at Phoenix Building, 25 Armstrong Street South or online from ses.vic.gov.au