Tuesday, 17 February 2026

 Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (14:40): (1506) My question is to the Premier. How will the government restore a universal coordinated clean-up so every fire-affected Victorian can recover safely and fairly? Families across Euroa electorate are still living with the physical scars of the 2026 bushfires more than five weeks on. Burnt homes, asbestos debris and unsafe structures remain weeks later. But they are being told that if they were responsible enough to insure their home, they are excluded from the state clean-up. For more than a decade Victoria took a universal approach so communities could recover quickly and safely. Instead this year Labor has created a two-tier emergency response that many residents feel taxes them twice and punishes them for doing the right thing. People are being quoted tens of thousands of dollars just to clear debris. That strips rebuild money from insurance payouts, slows recovery and is already pushing some residents to attempt dangerous clean-ups themselves, which increases the environmental risks when properties are cleared piecemeal. It is inequitable, it creates a moral hazard and it divides communities street by street and town by town.