Tuesday, 15 October 2024

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (14:11): This week marks two years since the devastating floods that wreaked havoc and destruction across Victoria in October 2022. Most Victorians in metropolitan areas have moved on and think that the recovery is finished, but it is not. Unfortunately for far too many people in flood-affected areas the process of recovery is far from over. I admire the incredible strength and resilience of locals who continue to work to rebuild their communities.

In Rochester, where 90 per cent of homes were inundated, up to 300 homes are still not ready for the residents to return. That is a quarter of the town that is still displaced or living in caravans. It is the same situation in other towns like Seymour, Shepparton and Mooroopna, where homes have not yet been repaired and residents continue to suffer. In my own street two homes have not yet been repaired and three have been demolished but not rebuilt. For me it is a daily reminder of how slow and inadequate the recovery has been.

For many the mental health battle continues, particularly in Rochester, where the government is not providing funding for one-on-one mental health counselling, and the community house has had to step in and provide this through fundraising. Rochester is also about to face its third long, hot summer without a swimming pool because the state Labor government has still not committed funding to rebuild it. It is now three months since the final report of the flood inquiry was tabled, and the government has still not responded to any of its recommendations. Flood-affected communities deserve better, and government members should hang their heads in shame.