The Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, has dismissed the Allan Labor government’s response to the flood inquiry as a callous example of a citycentric government which “couldn’t care less about regional Victoria and regional Victorians”.
Mr Walsh says not only is the Allan Labor government’s response “inadequate in the extreme” it looks even worse as local government areas across the region still wait for the full delivery of the estimated $2.5 billion the Victorian government claims it spent in conjunction with the Commonwealth on this natural disaster.
He says that urgently needed money was made available under the disaster recovery funding arrangements “but local governments are still waiting for funding from this program to repair flood damaged roads”.
“The inquiry shows the October 2022 flood affected a staggering 63 of the 79 Victorian LGAs, with the destruction of more than 1700 homes and damage to a further 2314 residences,” Mr Walsh says.
“And caused damage and losses to more than 2300 farming businesses,” he says.
“Nearly 900 submissions were received by Victorian Legislative Council inquiry into this flood event, and it held public hearings in flood affected communities including Echuca, and Rochester where the Town Hall was packed out for the whole day.
“Yet the Allan Labor government response to the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Inquiry shows nothing but callous disregard for the impassioned pleas from those making submissions and giving evidence for better preparation for future major flooding events by kicking real outcomes down the road.
“And let’s never forget, for many of those making submissions this was their second devastating flood in 11 years.”
Mr Walsh says the following government recommendations are a “direct slap in the face” for communities still a long way from recovery:
- Recommendation 23 refuses any support for helping households being more flood resilient.
- Recommendation 27 refuses any funding to analyse the effects and spread of flooding in the event of rural levee breaches in areas such as Torrumbarry and Tyntynder.
- Recommendation 29 refuses to assist building ring levees around rural houses despite significant evidence the pilot program to do that after the 2011 floods was an outstanding success.
- Recommendations 33 and 34 condemn Rochester to years of waiting before further studies identify what changes may be made to the operation of Lake Eppalock to better reduce the peak flood level in that town.
“The Allan Government can blow billions of dollars to maybe one day completing one of its many train tunnels across Melbourne but won’t spend a few million to help Victorian regional communities be better prepared for future flood events,” Mr Walsh says.
“The government response to this vital report, a report which would not have happened if the Liberals and Nationals had not pushed hard to set it up, is proof the rush for the Premier and assorted headline hungry Ministers to visit flood affected communities immediately after they were hit was just a cynical exercise in media spin rather than any genuine care for helping these communities to a better future,” he says.
“If this government really is a government, it must do much better than this or it must go.”
CAPTIONS:
ROCHY 1
Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, talking to Rochester SES and volunteers helping with sandbagging before the 2022 floods.
ROCHY 2
Peter Walsh talking with concerned locals and shop owners in Gillies St as the sandbags started arriving.
ROCHY 3
Sandbags were being brought in by the truckload in what would prove a vain bid to save Rochester from its second flooding disaster in 11 years.
