Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Evelyn electorate storm damage

Ms VALLENCE (Evelyn) (19:09): (6310) It has been 10 months since the devastating cyclonic storms that ripped through my local community from Lilydale, Mount Evelyn and Montrose right up through the Dandenong Ranges, where these communities continue to grapple with long-lasting impacts. It is extraordinarily underwhelming that as we approach the anniversary of this disastrous event our community has been left hanging by the Andrews Labor government in terms of ongoing disaster relief funding. Local residents, volunteer organisations, small businesses and the council all desperately need the confidence that disaster recovery funding will be extended to ensure these communities can recover and rebuild.

The matter I raise is for the Premier, and the action I seek is that he explains to my community why the Andrews Labor government has refused to provide full disaster recovery funding, including for fixing vital infrastructure such as drains and roads, and business recovery funding and that he intervenes and commits to extending the council support fund for the Yarra Ranges council, as requested, by an incremental $2 million to ensure council-employed resources can continue beyond 30 June this year and provides a further $3 million in direct funding to ensure that the 75 to 80 families whose homes were utterly destroyed during the storms can have full risk assessments conducted by council, given the complexities of being in a bushfire and erosion zone with environmental overlays.

It is outrageous to hear that the Andrews government has told these communities and council to just wait until the state budget. Further delays mean our communities risk losing these vital support workers, losing that intel, losing that momentum and risk leaving people in my community behind. It makes no sense to me that the Andrews Labor government has abandoned these Victorians. No wonder local residents in the most impacted areas of the Dandenongs are scratching their heads, astonished that their local member, the member for Monbulk, has done nothing to advocate for this funding to ensure these resources and works can continue. Clearly he has no gravitas. Why isn’t he championing the cause of the people in his electorate? Why is he missing?

Yarra Ranges council have been required to submit five business cases to the state government for funding for recovery—for fallen trees and debris, damaged structures, roads, bushland—and yet the Andrews Labor government has failed to take action. The fact that five business cases were required—it is as if the state government were completely oblivious to the fact that these communities experienced the most vicious storms causing a level of damage not seen for decades. Premier, please urgently take these actions, provide these explanations to my community and ensure council receives this vital and requested funding.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Evelyn, there were multiple requests within your adjournment tonight. Can you clarify which action you are seeking, please? It can only be one. Just to clarify, member for Evelyn, your first request was an explanation regarding funding, and I will take that as the request and the action sought.

Ms VALLENCE: Yes, the explanation to my community of why they have refused to provide the funding and intervene to commit to extending the council support fund for the Yarra Ranges council by an incremental $2 million to ensure council-employed resources can continue beyond 30 June and provide a further $3 million in funding for the 75 to 80 families whose homes were utterly destroyed during the storms so they can have those risk assessments done.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Evelyn. That clarified it for me.