The Victoria State Emergency Service (SES) is the control agency for flood response and works in partnership with support agencies, such as DSE, to manage responses to flooding.

During a flood event, DSE is responsible for:

• Providing real time access to stream flow data collection networks for flood warning purposes.
• Providing timely flood advice to emergency management agencies.

During a flood event, catchment management authorities (CMAs) are responsible for:

• Advising SES on the movement of floods during an emergency.
• Monitoring regional flood warning systems.
• Coordinating flood monitoring and collecting flood data.
• Reporting on regional flood management issues.

Victoria’s flood warning system

Flood warning information is acquired through the Victorian streamflow gauging network. The network has 750 gauging sites that serve a range of purposes, including 283 that are used as primary flood warnings sites. Other sites are used to provide further backup data and flash flooding information.

Data is collected by the flood warning services of the Bureau of Meteorology in real time to enable prediction of flood severity and time of onset of particular levels of flooding. Warning messages are developed and disseminated to response agencies and the community.