Underneath the lush green exterior of Victoria’s south-west sits a string of volcanoes that could erupt at any moment.

In an interview with 60 Minutes, Tasmanian volcanologist Doctor Rebecca Carey told reporter Liz Hayes that most Melbournians were blissfully unaware they lived near a volcanic province.

“The manifestation of eruptive activity that we are seeing at Kīlauea - low level explosions, lava ocean entry, lava flows - is typical of the type of eruptive activity that’s occurred in that [Victorian] province.”

The last eruption was 5,000 years ago and another is imminent. (Supplied)

Speaking from Hawaii, Dr Carey warned that the footage being beamed from Kīlauea in Hawaii is not very different to the eruptive activity that could be expected from the Newer Volcanics Province , that runs from Melbourne to Mount Gambier in South Australia.

Victoria hosts two of the world’s largest maar volcanoes: Tower Hill near Warrnambool and Lake Purrumbete near Camperdown.

Maar volcanoes are craters with low rims around them and are formed by intensely explosive interaction between magma (mixture of molten rock, crystals and gases) and groundwater.

“The last eruption was 5000 years ago, and in the last 10,000 years there’s been, I think, up to 10 eruptions from that center,” Dr Carey said.

Dr Carey believes Melbournians are not prepared should another eruption take place. (Supplied)

The Newer Volcanics Province has been active for more than 4.5 million years, with eruptions occurring at least once every 10,000 years.

Carey, who has been in Hawaii studying the volcano in Kilauea, is hoping to gain a better understanding of what causes these eruptions. She claimed the volcanoes in Victoria could potentially erupt at any moment.

“Are you telling me that we could see a volcano in Victoria, near Melbourne that we should be aware of, that could erupt?” asked Hayes.

“Absolutely,” Carey responded.

“From what we can establish now we're in a long phase of dormancy and that there is the possibility of an eruption in this province.”

Victoria hosts two of the world's largest maar volcanoes, that could repeat eruptions like that of Kilauea in Hawaii. (Supplied)

When probed for a time-frame, Carey couldn’t provide an answer.

“Well, that's the key question,” she said.

Carey believes that Melbournians are starkly unaware and severely underprepared for the possibility of an eruption. Asked by Hayes if Victorians are prepared for the worst, she was not confident.

“I would say, no,” she said.