Flood mitigation committee member Tracie Kyne — whose family, like so many others, spent two years cleaning up after 2022 — said she could not believe this advice was being offered now.
Not only do locals feel it is more than a day late, they’re also sure it’s a lot of dollars short.
The Flood-Resilient Homes Guide sets out a range of practical steps homeowners can take to cut damage costs and speed up recovery after future flood events.
These include raising electrical switchboards, hot water systems and appliances above likely flood levels, fitting water-resistant wall linings and flooring, and installing reflux valves to stop sewage from backing up into the home.
But having spent two years repairing her home after the devastating 2022 floods, Ms Kyne said the advice had come far too late to make a real difference.
“It is absolutely four years too late,” she said.
The guide is intended to help residents understand their flood risk and consider resilience measures when building, renovating or maintaining their properties.
Its recommendations are not compulsory and apply to existing and new homes.
Outlined in the guide are ways to modify doors, cabinetry and other household features to limit flood damage and make the clean-up process more manageable after a flood.
But residents are more interested in knowing where the flood study, arising out of all the reviews and research done in the past four years, is because no-one has seen it or heard if or when it is going to be released and implemented.
Council responded by saying the guide complemented its ongoing Rochester Flood Study, which is examining potential mitigation options alongside updated flood modelling and mapping.
Flood modelling based on the 2011, 2022 and 2024 flood events has been completed, with 39 possible options to reduce future flood risk now being assessed.
Options include local barriers, house raising, retarding basins and other structural and non-structural measures.
Some of these fall under the responsibility of the Victorian Government or water authorities and their implementation would depend on further funding, approvals and co-ordination.
Council plans broader community engagement later in 2026, with a draft final report expected in early 2027 and formal consultation to follow.
Ms Kyne said she and her family moved back into their home the day before the second anniversary of the flood, following an extensive repair process.
And while she acknowledged the guide's recommendations in principle, she said the prospect of pulling apart a recently repaired home to install more resilient materials was financially unrealistic.
“The report makes sense,” she said.
“Everything they’ve put in there definitely makes sense that, you know, you can use different materials to make it more resilient.”
But she pointed out insurance companies typically only paid to restore a home to its previous condition.
And this meant any extra work to make it more flood-resilient would come entirely out of the homeowner’s pocket.
“If there’s more resilient solid timber doors to be put in, that would be at our cost, not at the cost of the insurance company,” Ms Kyne said.
She questioned how residents who had already spent years and significant sums rebuilding could now be expected to afford further work.
“I just don’t know how anyone can do that unless they’ve got spare cash lying around in the bank,” she said.
Campaspe Shire Mayor Daniel Mackrell said the guide was developed in response to requests ― from residents in late 2025 ― for practical information about upgrading existing homes and designing new ones to better withstand flooding.
Council acknowledged some recommendations may not be financially feasible for every household, particularly residents whose homes had already been rebuilt.
The guide was also not intended to replace advice from environmental health authorities, emergency services, insurers or other specialists on managing contaminated water and household contents.
The longer-term flood risk management plan could include infrastructure works, improved warnings, planning controls, preparedness measures and further advocacy for government funding.
Council said Rochester was better placed to handle a major flood today than it was in 2022, with portable flood barriers now in place for key areas of town, additional pumps on hand, updated emergency plans, improved relief centres and clearer local flood information available to residents.
While Ms Kyne said she was not angry about the guide, she questioned its timing and how useful it could be for residents still facing the financial consequences of the 2022 flood.
She said without financial support and broader mitigation measures, many homeowners could struggle to put the recommendations into practice.
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