Allan Government holds onto federal fire and storm recovery funds

Rural councils are waiting on the Allan Government to pass on federal recovery funds for the February 2024 storms and fires.

Councils surrounding the Grampians are still waiting on the Allan Government to pass on federal funds to cover the cost of the February 2024 fires.

The Allan Government has failed to pass on federal funds owed to Ararat, Horsham, Pyrenees and Grampians councils to cover the costs of the February 2024 storms and fires.

Ararat and Pyrenees councils confirmed they were yet to be refunded hundreds of thousands of dollars each, which they spent on clean-ups, rebuilding infrastructure and community support over the past 11 months.

The failure comes despite Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promising in February last year he would “provide whatever support is requested from Victoria”.

But it took the Victorian Government until April to lodge an application with the Federal Government seeking funds towards a $10 million Community Support Fund to reimburse councils for the support they provided to their communities in the wake of the storms and fires.

The Weekly Times understands the application then sat on former federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt’s desk until July, when he was replaced in a reshuffle by Senator Jenny McAllister.

It then took Senator McAllister until November 11 to join former Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes and Local Government Minister Melissa Horne to announce the $10m Council Support Fund had been established.

At the time Ms Horne said “local councils are on the frontline of recovery efforts – this funding boost will make a real difference to councils who have been instrumental in leading the clean-up and recovery efforts in their communities.”

Yet council officers said the Allan government was yet to pass on the funds, simply telling them it was coming.

“The problem is it (the money) has to pass through so many hands,” one council officer said.

Federal Opposition emergency management spokeswoman Perin Davey said the Victorian government was notorious for delaying applications for assistance and that councils should not have been forced to wait for almost a year to be refunded.

Victoria’s latest Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward, who took over from Ms Symes in December, said the government had “been working with the Commonwealth to clarify eligibility guidelines and payments from the Council Support Fund will start shortly”.

Ms Ward was asked if she had lodged applications with the federal government to gain category C and D disaster recovery funding to support the Grampians communities hit by the latest fires, but did not respond.

Category C assistance would provide fire-affected communities with another Community Recovery Fund and category D grants that would fill any funding gaps in other programs.