In short
Short answer: the Floodway Overlay (FO) is a Victorian planning overlay set out in clause 44.03 of the Victoria Planning Provisions and applied to land through each council's planning scheme. In the clause's own words, its first purpose is: “To identify waterways, major floodpaths, drainage depressions and high hazard areas which have the greatest risk and frequency of being affected by flooding”. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 27 Sep 2026)
An overlay sits on top of the land's zone and adds controls for one issue, whatever the zone is; a lot can carry several.
What it typically means for a buyer (Delora editorial, not legal advice): The strongest flood control: the land is on a floodway or major flood path. New buildings and works are typically tightly restricted.
Check whether the Floodway Overlay applies to an address with Address Check. For a decision on a specific property, the official record is a Planning Property Report from VicPlan, and the council's schedule sets the local detail.
What the clause says
Clause 44.03 of the Victoria Planning Provisions (Floodway Overlay) states its purposes as: to identify waterways, major floodpaths, drainage depressions and high hazard areas which have the greatest risk and frequency of being affected by flooding; to ensure that any development maintains the free passage and temporary storage of floodwater, minimises flood damage and is compatible with flood hazard, local drainage conditions and the minimisation of soil erosion, sedimentation and silting; to reflect any declarations under Division 4 of Part 10 of the Water Act, 1989 if a declaration has been made; to protect water quality and waterways as natural resources by managing urban stormwater, protecting water supply catchment areas, and managing saline discharges to minimise the risks to the environmental quality of water and groundwater; and to ensure that development maintains or improves river and wetland health, waterway protection and flood plain health. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 27 Sep 2026)
Ask your conveyancer: What flood level and flood history information is available for the property?
Shown on planning scheme maps as FO, RFO.
What can I build? Worked examples
General examples of how state-wide rules apply, not an assessment of any property. The council's schedule and other overlays on the lot can add requirements; Address Check shows which apply to one address.
Example: extending a house on land in the Floodway Overlay
An owner plans a rear extension. Melbourne Water states that the Floodway Overlay requires a planning permit for buildings and works; councils in the Port Phillip and Westernport region refer those applications to Melbourne Water, and its consent may be needed before the council issues a permit (Melbourne Water, verified 21 Oct 2026). The permit exemption for a small second dwelling (granny flat) applies only where there is no flooding control (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 20 Aug 2026), so a granny flat here needs a permit too.
How much of Victoria this covers
From the 2899 sample suburbs Address Check's export has processed so far — a lower bound, not a statewide total, until the export runs statewide.
25,111 land parcels and 35,166 addresses in the sample so far.
Councils with the most coverage
- Greater Shepparton (5940 lots)
- Moira (2457 lots)
- Wellington (2026 lots)
- Campaspe (1313 lots)
- Wangaratta (1228 lots)
- Greater Geelong (848 lots)
Suburbs with the highest share
- Barmah — 79% of addresses checked (200)
How it has changed since 2017
Vicmap Planning's published scheme history tracks where the Floodway Overlay has applied since 2017-07-30, recording when it was added to or removed from a parcel and the gazettal date where one is recorded. Address Check shows this timeline for any specific address — check below.