Mooroopna locals frustrated with lack of flood preparation

Emergency services and council did not provide enough warning ahead of the October floods, Mooroopna residents say.

Mooroopna residents say they were not given enough warning ahead of the October floods which destroyed hundreds of homes across the state.

Frustrations were aired at a flood recovery event on Wednesday night, held by the Greater Shepparton council.

One woman, who asked not to be named, believed more could have been done to reduce the impact from the floods, including better drainage near the Goulburn River.

She said residents only received 48 hours warning from council and emergency services.

However, mayor Shane Sali told her the council had received the same amount of notice as the residents.

Speaking to the group, council community director Louise Mitchell said she was impressed with how the community had united during the recovery process.

“It has been a really difficult time and continues to be,” she said.

Katrina Robinson, a Mooroopna local, saw the first hand impact of the floods in her town.

“We had to clean the local chemist quickly so people could access it,” she said.

Ms Robinson volunteered to help out when the flood warnings were issued, by knocking on doors to warn locals.

While Ms Robinson’s home was not impacted by the floods, she helped with the clean up for those whose house and business had been destroyed.

“A couple that own a caravan spot had been severely impacted by the floods, they had to evacuate and had no insurance to cover flood damage costs,” she said.

It is understood many Mooroopna locals have been left homeless since the October floods and remain in temporary accommodation.

Council will be holding more flood recovery events this week with further information yet to be released.