Emma Germano, Rob Amos: rural communities still recovery from Victorian floods

Flood-affected areas of northern Victoria are “in absolute dismay” at the state’s flood recovery with 40-50 per cent of one town still displaced.

Farmers have blamed a “centralisation of power” within Victoria for leaving rural communities in “absolute dismay” after devastating spring floods.

This week marks six months since the floods ravaged multiple parts of southeast Australia, up-ending homes and livelihoods, costing lives and wiping billions of dollars of potential from bumper winter crops.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said communities in flood-affected areas of northern Victoria were “in absolute dismay at the lack of assistance for repair and recovery” and laid the blame squarely at the feet of Premier Daniel Andrews.

“We have farmers funding their own levee banks, rural councillors begging for road funding, small business owners still trying to re-open impacted businesses, and mental health issues at a critical point,” Ms Germano said.

“Farmers are saying they just can’t get any support. Farmers couldn’t even get access to sandbags. We have this centralisation of power in Victoria – the decisions are coming out of one office and that’s all well and good except when there’s times of crisis and emergency and you need that thought leadership to be something that exists within departments so they can make decisions.

Last year the Lodden River burst its banks creating a small inland sea in the northern Victorian town of Kerang.

“At the moment when things hit the fan, local councils and emergency service agencies are without the resources required and the autonomy to offer adequate assistance.”

In Rochester, which bore the brunt of the flooding last October, locals say no one knows the true number of houses inundated because no official count was ever conducted. There are estimates 40-50 per cent of Rochester’s population is now displaced with about 300 families still living in caravans or campertrailers on their properties as they wait insurance assessment or repairs.

Local governments say federal and state funding too has been slow. Campaspe Shire mayor Rob Amos said while council had received some funding for recovery activities “we are still waiting on substantial funding across a range of operational areas”.

He urgently called on the state and federal governments to act swiftly in providing much-needed funding for flood-impacted communities.

“With dozens of residents still not living in their own home, many people struggling with mental health issues and whole communities trying to restore their social fabric and local economies, the money can’t come quick enough,” Cr Amos said.

A Victorian government spokesman said “every single flood-affected Victorian council has been given the vital funds they need to clean up and recover from this devastating event” with “nearly $2 billion in support has been paid out by the state and federal governments”.