A family in Mitchell Park was almost stranded after the creek running across their property swelled following the weekend rain.
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They say they have concerns a dam nearby may have affected the course of the creek, which drains water from nearby paddocks and eventually connects to Lake Burrumbeet near Windemere.
Jitka Dotzauer said the family built on the block of land in 2009 and were cautioned about modifying the course of the creek, which had the potential for flooding.
"The ground is too shallow, so it spreads across the property and doesn't go anywhere," she said.
"The current has changed and the water is rising."
She added she is worried council planning rules aren't being followed by neighbours, as this weekend's flooding is the worst it has been since 2016.
"Building the property, we were told it had to be drawn on the plans that it was a certain distance from the creek for overflow," she said, adding the family had deepened the creek bed.
She said she was concerned by a neighbour's earthworks, and had called the City of Ballarat, but officers determined the stabilising works were for a dam which had pre-dated the Ballarat Planning Scheme.
Council's infrastructure and environment director Terry Demeo said in a statement these types of works do not trigger a planning permit.
A council inspection was carried out at the site in 2017.
"A planning permit would be required to build a new dam that would change the rate of flow across a property boundary," he said.
"Direction would need to be sought from the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority before deciding an application on the basis of today's Planning Scheme."
In the mean time, Ms Dotzauer and her family are worried the flooded property will cut off their driveway - usually, the creek runs under a small bridge to maintain access.
On Sunday morning, waters were more than a foot deep in some places, with a strong current across several paddocks, including across the driveway.
Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority was contacted for comment twice on Friday.
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