Parliamentary inquiry into Rochester 2022 floods visits town

Community leaders are calling on government to better support Rochester, 10 months after floodwaters decimated the town.

Cutting red tape and proper planning for future flooding were emphasised by Rochester’s community leaders as they fronted a parliamentary inquiry into the 2022 floods.

Hundreds of Rochester residents were displaced from their homes in October last year when the swollen Campaspe River submerged the northern Victorian town, 190km north of Melbourne.

At least 90 per cent of households in the regional centre were damaged by flood waters, with some residents still living in alternative accommodation 10 months on.

Rochester Business Network president Tracie Kyne told the committee on Wednesday that the nearly year-long clean-up had been a heart-wrenching process.

“Businesses took weeks, some months, to reopen their shopfront premises, and some remain closed even now, 10 months down the track,” she said.

“Others have been forced to close permanently due to a reduction in income, with two-thirds of the community having been relocated to other towns and cities.

“In the midst of cleaning up after a disaster and feeling utterly overwhelmed, our community was faced with a ridiculous amount of time and paperwork required to apply for recovery grants.

“These bureaucratic hurdles seemed insurmountable at a time when immediate action was needed, and people were grappling with loss and devastation.”

October 2022: Rochester township floods from the Campaspe River as it rises through the streets. Picture: Jason Edwards

Rochester Community House manager Amanda Logie said one of the key messages from this week’s hearing was the need for improved external preparation.

“So much of the flood response was too slow and even now, many people are still living in caravans,” she said.

“It was a community-led effort because we had to rely on each other. It took a long time for the government agencies to get in place and assist and even then, there was way too much paperwork getting in the way of helping the community.”

Former Campaspe Shire mayor Leigh Wilson said many Rochester residents were dismayed by the haphazard response from state authorities in the hours and days after the flood waters flowed through town.

“Rochester was absolutely smashed by the floods, absolutely smashed,” he said.

“The timeliness of the government response wasn’t adequate. There’s still a lot of frustration about the air support flying over Rochester towards Echuca.”

This week, the Victorian government announced a live music festival — Rochella — would be held in the town on October 14 as part of its Live Music Flood Recovery program.

Victorian Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos said: “As part of our support for flood-impacted communities, we are proud to back Rochella.

“(The event is a) celebration of this strong, vibrant community featuring some of Victoria’s outstanding music talent.”

Northern Victoria MP Wendy Lovell is part of the cross-party parliamentary committee.

The Liberal MP said a number of community leaders called for a strategic release of water from Lake Eppalock.

“It’s at 100 per cent capacity and there are concerns that a significant rain event would cause flooding in the future,” Ms Lovell said.