By Paul Millar, Reid Sexton and Maris Beck
EMERGENCY crews are on standby to combat flooding expected to be worse than the devastating September floods in regional Victoria, as mudslides and flash floods hit parts of the state last night.
The SES and police warned people in the popular Grampians holiday centre of Halls Gap to evacuate, fearing the last bridge out of the town would be cut off overnight. One bridge was already under water, while mud and rocks were blocking the other road out of the town.
Sandbagging in Halls Gap.Credit: Justin McManus
A group of three German tourists said their car was trapped by two landslides just outside Halls Gap, where they were planning to hike in the national park.
Jochen Fleischhacker said: ''We are pretty sad about it but we are glad we survived.''
They were boarding two buses of evacuees leaving Halls Gap last night.
The SES has issued major flood warnings for the Loddon and Avoca rivers and properties in the area are expected to be under threat with heavy rain predicted to continue today.
The state government also said the Queensland and Victorian floods could affect its first budget in May, due to a big loss of GST revenue.
Tim Wiebusch, the acting director of operations at the SES, said predicted powerful winds reaching peaks of 120km/h in elevated areas would add to the problem through potential building damage, and trees and power lines being brought down.
In Creswick, residents sandbagged against the rising waters. Many holidaymakers had left or were packing up to go.
Police said 22 people at the Creswick Elderly Citizens Club, about 10 kilometres north of Ballarat, were evacuated as the Creswick Creek rose last night. People at the Loddon House Holiday Park at Baringhup, beside the Loddon, were reportedly evacuated.
''Victoria's western areas have already received significant rainfall and this will impact the Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera rivers significantly,'' Mr Wiebusch said. ''If these rivers receive rainfall in the upper end of the forecast range, then we are looking at impacts larger than the September flood.''
The Avoca River had hit 6.8 metres at Charlton last night and was rising as rain continued to pour, putting the community at risk.
The SES said homes near the Loddon River, including at Newstead, Serpentine, Bridgewater, Boort, Durham Ox and Kerang, could be flooded.
The SES has responded to more than 1400 requests for aid since Tuesday night, with most of the calls from Horsham, Ballarat, Kyneton and Mildura.
In three hours after 5pm yesterday, the SES fielded 72 calls from Kyneton residents, mostly in response to flash flooding.
Flash-flooding warnings were issued for Horsham yesterday, with residents in low-lying areas saying the council was not doing enough.
People south of Horsham spent yesterday and the day before sandbagging homes.
Anger was directed at the Horsham Rural City Council, with claims the drainage system was inadequate.
''Surely the council can do something about it … they say they are waiting for a solution but they are all talk and no action,'' one resident said.
David Eltringham, the council's general manager of technical services, said while low-lying rural areas were a concern, it was not worth spending a lot of money on underground drainage in places where there were not many houses.
Meanwhile, a section of the Great Ocean Road remained closed last night between Cape Patton and Kennett River following silting and major rock falls. With rain and strong winds predicted for the area, VicRoads said it would reassess whether the road will be reopened later today.
Premier Ted Bailleu said the floods in Queensland and Victoria had a potential to affect his government's first budget in May.
''Let's recognise that the Queensland floods are going to impact the economy broadly,'' Mr Baillieu said.
He said it was too soon to say what financial aid would be offered to Victorian flood victims.
■ Record rain drenched north-east Tasmania yesterday, isolating towns and soaking the floors of some homes, authorities said.
Beach town Scamander recorded 278 millimetres of rain to 9am yesterday, exceeding, in 24 hours, the previous January record, according to the Bureau of Meteorology
With ANDREW DARBY