More than 13,000 properties across the Yarra Ranges will now require geotechnical assessments, after the council adopted new changes to its erosion risk mapping. The changes aim to stop development on land that could be susceptible to landslides or landslips.
A quick catch-up: Yarra Ranges Council has been looking to amend its Erosion Management Overlay (EMO) maps since the severe storms that hit Mount Dandenong in June 2021, as well as the McCrae landslide event in January 2025.
Officially, the council started the process to amend its planning scheme in June 2025.
If your property is moved into the EMO, it means any development or earthworks would require an assessment from a qualified engineer.
How’d we get here? New modelling carried out following severe storms in June 2021 increased the recorded number of all known landslides within the Yarra Ranges from 167 to more than 1,100.
Public consultation on the proposed changes ran from Thursday August 21 to Friday October 3, with a total of 88 submissions received.
The main issues raised in submissions included the impact on future development, stormwater and drainage, property values and insurance costs.
During its meeting on December 9 2025, the council requested the appointment of an independent planning panel to consider submissions, with a panel hearing held on May 25.
What will change? During a meeting on Tuesday September 8, the majority of councillors voted in support of adopting changes to the overlay in the Yarra Ranges planning scheme.
The changes would see the number of properties within the EMO increase from 11,359 to 13,432 – an 18.2 percent jump.
The changes also include removing 1,702 properties from the overlay — significantly more than the 937 initially proposed for removal.
What they said: Yarra Ranges mayor Richard Higgins said a number of other regional councils were looking to follow in the council’s footsteps, including the adjacent Knox Council.
🗣️ “We’re one of the first councils to actually do this work … and get it right so that our community is safe,” he said.
Yarra Ranges councillor Peter Mcilwain said the overlay would act as a “preventative measure” to avoid approving inappropriate development on land susceptible to landslides or landslips.
🗣️ “We're not in the process of identifying risk … it's about preventing risk in the future,” he told the chamber.
What’s next? The council will now submit the adopted amendments to the Planning Minister for a final tick of approval.