Brief
Victoria allocates $250,000 to study flood‑risk at Ocean Grove caravan park
A federal grant will support a flood‑risk study and adaptation plan for the Barwon River levee protecting a popular holiday caravan park.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action announced on October 11 that it will use $250,000 of federal funding to commission a flood‑risk study and adaptation plan for the Riverview Family Caravan Park in Ocean Grove, a site protected by a 1970s‑era levee along the Barwon River estuary.
What happened
The department said the funding will enable the procurement of a consultant in the coming weeks to assess the existing flood defence system. The study will inform the design of long‑term mitigation infrastructure for the caravan park, which hosts thousands of holidaymakers each peak season.
What the reports add
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Barwon Coast Committee of Management identified the caravan park as a hotspot for coastal inundation in a report released earlier this year. The report noted that the levee’s height varies by about half a metre and that low points are already partially breached. It also forecast full inundation by 2100 under current sea‑level‑rise scenarios.
What was said
Barwon Coast Committee of Management chief executive Gareth Smith told the outlet that “a small hole left unpatched could result in a serious problem later in the levee” and warned that “they can get bigger if not addressed and compromise the levee’s structural integrity.” A department spokesperson said, “We know how important it is to protect coastal communities from flooding and rising sea levels, which is why we’re investing in the work needed to identify long‑term solutions for Riverview Caravan Park.”
How it came about
The levee was built in the 1970s after the Barwon River’s eastern shoreline was converted from mangrove swamp to a caravan park. Earlier state funding in 2024 covered repairs to the revetment wall, part of the same defence system. Smith highlighted that caravan parks are often situated in low‑lying, high‑risk areas, making them frontline sites for climate‑related threats such as coastal erosion, sea‑level rise and storm‑water flooding.
Key facts
- Victoria's department received $250,000 in federal funding for a flood‑risk study at Riverview Caravan Park. (smh.com.au)
- The Barwon Coast Committee's report says the levee height varies by about 0.5 m and low points are partially breached. (smh.com.au)
- The report forecasts full inundation of the levee by 2100 under current sea‑level‑rise scenarios. (smh.com.au)
- A consultant will be hired in the coming weeks to design long‑term mitigation infrastructure. (smh.com.au)
- The levee was originally built in the 1970s to protect the caravan park after the area was developed from mangrove swamp. (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “Coastal erosion in Victoria: How rising sea levels and storm surges are threatening popular holiday spots and infrastructure”
