Wednesday, 3 May 2023

Motions

Regional sitting

Debate resumed on motion of Wendy Lovell:

That this house:

(1) acknowledges the serious impact of the recent floods in Victoria;

(2) meets and sits in a flood-affected community in central northern Victoria for one day by April 2024;

(3) requires the President and the Clerk of the Legislative Council to consult with the Mitchell Shire Council, the Greater Shepparton City Council, the Campaspe Shire Council, other flood-affected local government areas in northern Victoria and parliamentary staff in relation to choosing an appropriate date and specific location for the regional sitting to occur; and

(4) authorises the President to do all things necessary to facilitate the Council sitting in central northern Victoria.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:29): I am very delighted to be in the chamber this afternoon and speak to the motion that you have put on the notice paper, Deputy President, about a very important matter, and that is taking the Parliament into the regions. Now, the Parliament has done that in previous times. Obviously through COVID there was some disruption, and of course we had the devastating bushfires just prior to COVID. But the Parliament, this chamber in fact, went to Bright in 2021 I think it was, and it was a tremendous opportunity to take the Parliament to the regions and really have an understanding of the impacts and be able to speak to community members and stakeholders and affected groups that were involved with not only the bushfires themselves but the recovery about how that impacted on services and on the communities themselves.

I know that many people in the chamber who were in the Parliament then and who did that got a great benefit out of it. From memory, it was the most beautiful autumnal weather that we had, and Bright was absolutely spectacular. I am looking at the clerks who were there; they did a tremendous job. It was a huge effort, and it really was wonderful. It is a big effort to take the Parliament into the regions, but it is an important one. It says that our Parliament is going to the people, and I think that is why this motion put up by Ms Lovell is incredibly important.

The motion itself does go to various aspects, and I think that is also important to get on the record. It reads:

That this house:

(1) acknowledges the serious impact of the recent floods in Victoria;

(2) meets and sits in a flood-affected community in central northern Victoria for one day by April 2024;

(3) requires the President and the Clerk of the Legislative Council to consult with the Mitchell Shire Council, the Greater Shepparton City Council, the Campaspe Shire Council, other flood-affected local government areas in northern Victoria and parliamentary staff in relation to choosing an appropriate date and specific location for the regional sitting to occur; and

(4) authorises the President to do all things necessary to facilitate the Council sitting in central northern Victoria.

Those aspects to the motion are important, because like the previous time when we had the regional sitting in Bright, when we acknowledged the impacts of the devastating bushfires of that summer period of 2019–20, this is recognising the floods of last October. They had a very big impact, and some of those communities are still recovering; I was just having a look at an article. Because of the widespread devastation of the floods, I was pleased that I was able to move a motion for an inquiry into those floods and that the Parliament is undertaking that important work, and that also is reaching the communities that have been impacted by this natural disaster.

When understanding the widespread nature of the floods, the devastation they caused to local communities and businesses and the impacts they had on those communities in the northern areas of Victoria, where most of the floods had a very, very big impact, of course we cannot forget the impacts to the city areas, the Maribyrnong. I know that member for Western Metropolitan Region Mr Trung Luu and others – Mr Mulholland – who have spoken to their communities, and indeed other members, have been very concerned about the impacts of those floods on their local communities around the metropolitan areas, and that is what the inquiry will look into.

But this motion goes to the heart of taking the Parliament into the regions so that all MPs can have an opportunity to speak to affected communities and stakeholders. Indeed that will be an enormous benefit for those communities – to understand that the Parliament does take this seriously and that the Parliament is prepared to go into the regions and to hear from the communities so that they do not have to come to us. Of course they can come to us via telecommunication means, but being physically there, reaching out to communities and speaking to them, meeting with them and really getting a feel for the community where the Parliament may sit is, I think, terribly important.

So, Deputy President, I want to commend you for putting this motion on the notice paper to say that this Parliament should be going into the regions and for understanding and acknowledging the impacts of the floods in those particular areas that you have highlighted in your motion.

I also want to commend the government, who I think are in support of this motion, and other members of the chamber who have also lent their support to it. Everyone has acknowledged the important role we do play in this house and how taking the Parliament into the regions will be of benefit not only to all of us to understand and to learn from those communities but also to those communities to understand exactly how we work.

With those few words, I am very pleased that it seems that the house is in agreement that this motion do pass. If that is the case, it will be in the hands of the President and the clerks, with their excellent abilities to get things moving so that we can go into the regions and sit before the date that is indicated in the motion, April 2024 – so in 12 months time.

Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (14:36): I support this motion. We are all Victorians, every one of us. I do not care where people were born, at what age they moved to this state or in what part of it they live. As Victorians it is incumbent upon us all to come together and look after each other when crisis hits, no matter where it is or what part of the Victorian community it affects. I grew up on a farm, and my first memory is of fire trucks coming up our driveway to put out a fire 24 hours after a neighbour’s burn-off spread to our land, so I have a deep appreciation for our local volunteers and the importance of them in our regional and rural communities.

The impacts of the recent October floods on individuals, businesses and communities have been enormous and far-reaching. We know that since the devastation of these floods many industries and people have been doing it very, very tough. I want to start by paying tribute to the loved ones and communities of the two people who tragically lost their lives in Rochester and Nathalia. I also want to acknowledge the bravery of those who responded to these devastating floods, particularly our emergency services, including the SES, CFA, FRV, Forest Fire Management Victoria, Victoria Police, Life Saving Victoria and Ambulance Victoria, as well as the many people who came from other states to lend a hand.

In relation to the motion before the house, it is important to point out that the ministers or indeed any members of this government do not need and have not needed a regional sitting to visit and provide support to flood-affected communities across Victoria. I note the work that the Minister for Emergency Services, Minister Symes, has done in northern Victoria and also that of Minister Shing, who like me is also a member for Eastern Victoria Region. The work she did during this time in her position as Minister for Water was incredible. There were a lot of hours she put into that, so I would just like to recognise that. A regional sitting does provide an opportunity for members of this house from non-flood-affected regions to hear directly from those Victorians impacted by floods, but our government has already been putting in a lot of work. We on this side have been visiting, returning home to and working alongside regional Victorians – not just talking to people but listening to them and, where we can, investing in programs and initiatives that support them.

I spoke earlier about my deep appreciation for regional volunteers. I also have a deep appreciation for my party’s commitment to regional Victoria. In the 1990s on the farm where I was, we were suffering drought, and unfortunately at that time I watched as the government of the day removed train lines, hospitals and schools. As they disappeared, so too did banks. Smaller farms were selling up. We were seeing smaller communities. Pubs were closing, takeaway stores were closing and buildings were being left, some abandoned to literally rot into the ground. As I said, I support this motion, and I do believe this government focuses on what we can put into regional areas, never thinking about what it is that can be ripped out.

A thriving Victoria means thriving regional and rural towns. The Andrews Labor government knows how important it is as that a government support and invest in these communities to ensure their continued growth and prosperity for generations to come. We know that regional and rural communities face unique challenges and have too often been left out of conversations about growth and investment. It is why we are backing our regional and rural communities and investing in places across this great state to support jobs, infrastructure, investment, tourism and vibrant local communities.

With regard to the flood recovery, the Andrews government is committed to working with flood-affected communities. Whether it is support for households or clean-ups of local roads, we are delivering the support that these Victorians need. We know that even now that the water has subsided the work must continue to ensure that those affected by these devastating floods are not left behind. We will continue to work closely with Victorian communities who have been affected by last year’s floods to ensure the swiftest recovery possible. Already the Labor government has provided a range of flood recovery initiatives to businesses and communities that have been impacted by the 2022 floods, including a $500 million business recovery package and a $6.3 million small business concessional loan program as well as $1.78 million to help the tourism and events industry. Preliminary data collected by Emergency Recovery Victoria suggests the flood response is being successfully implemented, with more than 5600 small businesses having immediate flood relief grants being paid out, as well as other support programs progressively being paid out. We will continue to provide support and help to ensure our regional and rural communities that have been impacted will recover.

The October floods were devastating for so many communities across Victoria, particularly northern Victoria. The flood event most heavily impacted the regional townships of Shepparton, Seymour, Rochester and Echuca and additionally impacted the suburb of Maribyrnong in Melbourne. The Goulburn River, the Campaspe River and the Loddon River all experienced major flooding, with floodwaters causing significant damage to farms, townships, roads, water supply infrastructure and communities. Throughout the duration of this event the water sector responded to over 220 incidents, ranging from flooded assets like sewage pumping stations, private and public dam safety events, fish death incidents, sewer spills and water service disruptions. The government put in place many and varied supports in response to this emergency, which I know are currently being examined by the Environment and Planning Committee made up of members of this place. These supports were many and varied, but first and foremost the most pressing area was the providing of emergency and temporary accommodation – in hotels, caravan parks and even the Centre for National Resilience in Mickleham.

Emergency Recovery Victoria, a body which operates in the Department of Justice and Community Safety, oversaw and continues to facilitate a range of support programs, such as the clean-up program, which managed street debris and sandbag removal, and structural assessments for impacted properties. The flood recovery support program was established to provide a trauma-informed service to help impacted people navigate the range of supports available. The Flood Recovery Hotline, which so far has received over 8700 calls, has served as a central place for people wishing to access these supports. The program provides access to financial support, the clean-up program, temporary accommodation, mental health support, business support, support for farmers and translated information for CALD communities. Over $1.8 billion in joint state and Commonwealth funding has been announced to date to support directly impacted individuals, businesses and communities. This investment has focused on meeting the immediate needs of individuals, families and communities, providing support to councils and emergency management agencies to ensure continuity of essential services, restoring critical and community infrastructure, providing loans and grants to small businesses and primary producers and meeting short-term community relief and recovery needs.

Grants provided include personal hardship payments for emergency accommodation; $75,000 for primary producers, $50,000 for eligible businesses and $200,000 for medium and large businesses impacted; and $15 million for people with complex needs to help secure alternative accommodation and deliver additional counselling services. The Council Flood Support Fund is supporting impacted councils, helping with the considerable clean-up and rebuilding task. $22 million will help establish up to 16 recovery hubs. The flood recovery program will get an $11 million boost, helping more people to get support with housing, health and wellbeing and financial and legal counselling. The Victorian government has also provided $21.82 million in water bill assistance. Priority recovery work continues throughout the water sector, focusing on residual floodwater and water quality assessments in what will be a long recovery effort across multiple public and private portfolios. We have provided $26.79 million for waterways to address immediate safety risks and hazards and to support communities.

The scale of the October floods tested our emergency services and demonstrated the amazing dedication, skill and compassion of our emergency services personnel, local councils and government agency workers, and of course local community members and volunteers who banded together to support each other and the broader community in the immediate aftermath of this emergency. Now we find ourselves in the recovery and rebuilding stage.

A regional sitting located in a flood-affected community in northern Victoria will provide an opportunity for those that have been impacted and those communities to share their experiences with people in this place. It is an opportunity for us to acknowledge and appreciate what these regional communities contribute to our state and how they step forward in their recovery. Events such as the October 2022 floods have had a traumatic impact on the wellbeing of residents, so for us as politicians to see firsthand what these communities have encountered is very important. Therefore, as I said at the start of this contribution, I am very happy to support a regional sitting.

Sonja TERPSTRA (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (14:46): I rise to also speak on this motion brought forward by the Deputy President, and I would like to thank her for bringing this motion to the house, because, as we all know, this is very important motion. The motion does talk about the need for Parliament to attend for a regional sitting in flood-affected areas, and everyone in this chamber who has spoken on this motion today has very well articulated all of the devastating and tragic events that occurred with the floods that happened in October 2022. I speak in support of this motion, as I note many of my colleagues have.

The impacts of the flood event have been devastating, tragic and far-reaching. I will go through in a moment some of the support and resources that the government has put in place to ensure that regional communities who are affected by these floods can recover. But I can say that I am someone who has experienced natural disasters. I was living in Canberra in 2003 at the time bushfires came through there. I was living in Duffy at the time, and effectively those bushfires destroyed that community. A number of people died. There were people who were providing services in the form of firefighting and rescue – those sorts of things – and there were people caught in the bushfires as well, so I understand firsthand the impacts of traumatic natural disasters and what that means not only in the actual event itself but in the aftermath of it.

I sympathise deeply with people who were impacted by the floods. It is a long road back when you lose your property or have damage to your property. Often dealing with the after-effects – things like wrangling with insurance companies and trying to get property rebuilt or even trying to go and replace items that you have lost that had sentimental value – can be very, very difficult. It is a long tail. The event that happened might have occurred over a number of days – sometimes these events can occur in a couple of hours – but there is a long tail that continues, and often people will struggle with mental health and the like. But I can say, as someone who has been through a traumatic event, there is hope and there is recovery. It is not easy, but you can go on. I think that is the thing that is important to focus on, that there is recovery.

Australians and Victorians are a resilient people as well. Sadly, we are seeing the impacts of climate change, meaning that we are having severe weather events more often. You often hear people talk about a one-in-100-year flood. We are certainly seeing that in the likes of what we saw towards the end of last year with this flood event. We may see these things more often now. I know myself as I experienced the bushfires in Canberra I had never seen anything like that in my lifetime.

The idea that perhaps you can stay and defend property I think needs to change as well. Some of the effects of some of these things are unprecedented. Even in speaking with people after the fires that came through Canberra many people remarked that they had never seen anything like it. I have seen fireballs come out of a forest. I have seen trees blown out of the ground. I have seen oxygen taken out of the air and birds drop from the air to the ground.

These things are unprecedented, but what we know is, through climate change, these types of events are going to occur more often, and I think we are all going to be well served if we can make sure that we prepare ourselves properly when we are faced with these sorts of events. Sometimes I think the decision to just go and get out is the best decision, because you cannot replace a life. You can replace property and things, but if someone loses a life, that is a really terrible tragedy. Returning to the motion – and I appreciate the indulgence of the chamber just while I gave that personal anecdote – I just want to pay tribute to the loved ones and the communities of the two people who tragically lost their lives in Rochester and Nathalia. As I said, these are tragic events, and it is always terribly tragic when someone loses their life. As I said, there is a long tail to these things and particularly when someone does lose their life.

I also want to acknowledge the bravery and the help of those people who responded during the floods to provide assistance and support to people who were affected, particularly our emergency services people – the SES, the CFA, FRV, Forest Fire Management Victoria, Victoria Police, Life Saving Victoria and Ambulance Victoria – and of course the many, many hundreds of other people. This is, I guess, what happens sometimes in these events: it brings out the best in us, where people just jump in and help and provide support. I know in the flood events, some of them around Maribyrnong, there were people filling sandbags and the like, and they were helping people get those things out to others who could take them and then go back to their houses. So it brings out the best in us. Even though they are sad and tragic circumstances and terribly stressful, people do come together and help one another, and that sense of community really does shine through.

A regional sitting does present an opportunity for members of this house from non-flood-affected regions to hear directly from those Victorians impacted by the floods, but our government has already been putting in the work. I note my colleague Mr McIntosh very aptly went to a lot of the detail about a number of the things this government is doing. I note that I and the Deputy President, Ms Lovell – I am the chair of the Environment and Planning Committee – are dealing with the inquiry into the floods, and I note Ms Bath is as well. So we will hear firsthand, and we have got a number of submissions that we will all get to read and will be visiting some regional areas as well and will hear directly from those Victorians who were flood affected.

Lee TARLAMIS: I move, by leave:

That the debate on this motion be extended by 15 minutes.

Motion agreed to.

Sonja TERPSTRA: As I was saying, we know that we on the Environment and Planning Committee will travel to a number of flood-affected areas to hear directly from Victorians who were affected by this unprecedented disaster. It will be difficult and challenging, but it is important that the committee travel to these areas to hear directly and firsthand the experiences of Victorians who were affected.

I might touch on a few things just briefly. As I said, I know Mr McIntosh went to a lot of detail in his contribution, but it is important just to run through a few things that the government has already done to support flood-affected communities. There has been over $1.8 billion in joint state and Commonwealth funding provided, and this investment has focused on meeting the immediate needs of individuals and families. As I have said, often when you have an event like this, there is an immediate response that is required, which is that people need housing because their houses have been destroyed and there are health and other concerns. For example, the grants that have been provided already include personal hardship payments for emergency accommodation. Obviously that was pretty important. When your house has been flooded and there is mud, dirt and just a horrible stench everywhere, you definitely need a roof over your head. So there was $75,000 for primary producers and $50,000 for eligible businesses who were affected, $200,000 was provided for medium and large businesses who were impacted and $15 million will help people who have complex needs secure alternative accommodation and deliver additional counselling services as well.

The Council Flood Support Fund is supporting impacted councils, helping them with the considerable clean-up and rebuilding task. It is always incredible to see footage on the news of just the tonnes and tonnes of refuse that comes when a flood happens but then the damaged property as well. So all that needs to go somewhere and it needs to be cleaned up, and councils are doing an amazing job in supporting communities in helping to deal with that. So $22 million will also help establish up to 16 recovery hubs, which people will be able to access, and the flood recovery program will also get an $11 million boost to help people to get support with housing, health and wellbeing, and financial and legal counselling. The Victorian government has also provided $21.82 million in water bill assistance.

There is the immediate event, but then there is the long tail and there is the aftermath, and we have got to help people recover. As I said, we are a resilient people, and I think it is good to see people be optimistic about the future. It is very difficult, though, because whilst they are in this process of recovery and rebuilding it can be very heavy going sometimes, working with different organisations such as insurance companies and the like to get to where you need to be. But once you get through that there is the opportunity to rebuild and for life to continue on.

I have 24 seconds on the clock, so in closing I will just say it is obviously a good idea for the Parliament to go and attend a regional sitting. The whole thing is that Parliament needs to be accessible to the people, and going to a regional sitting is one way of doing that. So I would support this motion, and I look forward to the continuation of this debate on this matter.

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (14:56): Deputy President, I do thank you for not only calling me as the last speaker but for raising this as a motion and bringing to the house’s attention the need to go to regional Victoria, and in this case to northern Victoria, to show our love, show our consideration and show our empathy for flood-affected towns, communities and victims and for the region. I would also like to congratulate and thank – and I will not speak for too long – my National Party colleague Gaelle Broad for her very eloquent speech on this debate and her in-depth knowledge of the people in her community in that northern region who have been so devastated by these floods.

Indeed we saw on our television the towns of Rochester and Echuca, of Shepparton, of Mooroopna, of Nathalia – and our heart does go out to the families of those two lovely people who lost their lives as a result of these devastating floods – and Seymour and the broader community in the north. It is absolutely devastating to see the loss, the grief, the emotional stress that people face when an environmental issue – a flood – is coming down the valley, coming down the river, and you cannot stop it. We saw the emotional turmoil that they were in, the physical exhaustion of preparing for the inevitable, the sandbagging, and we saw so many community members, first responders, the SES – and we could go in depth into all of their magnificent work – and also the football and netball clubs, whole towns, rally to save homes, to literally sandbag in a variety of ways, and we thank them for that work. And then there was the event, then of course the devastation and then the mop-up that people had to face, and then there was the discussion with their insurance companies and the need to unpack, remove rubbish and then rebuild. It is an absolute marathon for those people to have to recover.

Indeed I am familiar with this in terms of the fires of 2019–20. Also I think I heard Ms Terpstra speak about her personal experience of the fires in Canberra some years ago. Thankfully my home was not endangered in 2019–20, but the people of my electorate were under incredible stress from those horrendous fires that took out 1.5 million hectares in both East Gippsland and the northern area.

In short, the fact that this Parliament, this house, came to Bright some years ago was not only a signal that we care, it was also an economic stimulus for that town, although it is a pity we cannot do a rolling visitation and take Parliament right across the regions that were devastated. But it says that we are listening, and it does provide the accommodation and the meals, and people and businesses are able to highlight their various amazing goods on offer – local produce et cetera.

We are very pleased that this looks like it is going to have an endorsement by this chamber. But also, as I think Ms Terpstra just said, we should be the house of the people, and even though we are the red house, the royal house, we should be out listening to community. We need to be out listening to community, because so often, I know, people of Eastern Victoria Region feel like Melbourne forgets them. So this is one opportunity to listen, and not listen perfunctorily but actually get down and meet and hear the testimonies of various people.

I was up in the northern region. I did not need a leave pass I hope, Ms Broad. But I did go up there fulfilling a commitment only last weekend – up to the Barmah Forest and the Barmah Muster, which attracts an amazing group of people, country people, who want to maintain their traditions and their skills and show those wonderful traditions and skills of horse and rider, of dog and animal and owner. It is truly amazing. It was the first time that my family had stayed in this lovely Airbnb, this cottage, and it was the first day back that the owners had actually been able to remove the junk – they were flooded out entirely – and recarpet, repaint and renew. Thankfully it was not totally trashed, but after that huge effort they were exhausted. So they need us to go and visit. They need all of Victoria, like we asked from the eastern side during the fires, and they need Melbourne and anybody else who would like to to come to the northern region and experience the hospitality but also put their good hard-earned cash into their economy.

Finally, the floods: we do have the flood inquiry, and it is really important that we listen and that we go to the regions. I know we have got a number of hearings in those towns. Again, it is a pity we cannot go to each and every one, but it is really important that a variety of people, not only people from council and emergency services but individuals, have the opportunity to speak and provide their testimony to this inquiry. What I do not want to see, and I am quite fearful about this, is that various people within the community who might be in the SES feel they will not be able to speak openly and honestly about this in case there is some retribution down the track from the Andrews government. Now, I hope that is not the case. I do not want that to be the case, but I think there is an element of ‘I better not actually speak my truth because I’m not sure what will happen in the future.’ So I put that on the record. That is my concern. I hope that this government deals with people respectfully, and with that I am very pleased to support Ms Lovell’s motion.

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (15:04): Thank you very much to everyone who has contributed to this motion. I am heartened that the entire chamber seems to be supportive of the motion and very supportive of regional communities and the need for the Parliament to go out into those regional communities to engage with them, to listen to them and to ensure that we refine our processes as we go forward with responses to natural disasters.

There are still a lot of people in our communities who are hurting. They are hurting because they are not in their homes, and they will not be in their homes, some of them, for probably another 12 months. They are hurting because their businesses have been badly affected, and if many of you had come with me down the main street of Mooroopna days after the floods, you would have seen the devastation of all the windows and the businesses flooded out. We spoke with those devastated businesspeople, many of whom have not been able to reopen their businesses yet.

It is very important that we do choose a flood community to sit in. The communities of Seymour were absolutely devastated. I know Strathbogie are feeling that they have kind of been a little bit overlooked as a flood community because perhaps their devastation was not as visual as the devastation in Seymour or in Mooroopna and Shepparton and Echuca and Rochester – particularly Rochester. The people of Rochester are absolutely desperate for people to assist them. They have had their town severely impacted. Ninety per cent of the homes there were inundated. No-one is really sure exactly how many, because the government did not do a count, but 90 per cent is the estimation of the number of houses that were inundated. And there are other communities. As I said, Echuca was badly affected. We had two very tragic deaths during those floods, and our hearts go out to the families of those people.

But the floods continued on along the river long after people sort of got over the visuals on the TV, and we saw the communities in Kerang and Charlton and even in Mildura impacted by these floods. For those of us who are members for Northern Victoria Region, we saw these floods travel right throughout our state. They started up where the Murray starts and travelled down the Murray River. They started up at Lake Eildon and travelled through the Goulburn River, through the Campaspe River or through the Loddon River. There are so many rivers in our areas that the water is just unbelievable when you see it. Thank you to everybody who has contributed today. I really appreciate the input of everyone, and I look forward to this motion passing.

Motion agreed to.