Yarra Ranges Council is calling on $19 million from the state government to continue support for storm-impacted residents into 2023, with some services set to finish in December.
Planning consultants, mental health services and community connection programs have been provided to residents after the council submitted a business case to the state government after the June 2021 storm event, but Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Councillor Jim Child said the recovery support service is still assisting many clients and people don’t fit their recovery into a calendar.
“A key recommendation from the Melbourne University’s ‘10 Years Beyond Bushfire’ report identifies that a five-year framework for recovery from disasters is necessary as up to a quarter of the impacted community can still be suffering with mental health and financial stress at this point, ” Cr Child said.
“We are only at the 18-month mark and we know that there are still some of our community suffering from this natural disaster.”
With properties in storm-impacted areas often in complex locations needing septic tanks, bushfire protection measures and the possibility of mitigating landslip risks, the council is also asking the state government to extend support for residents yet to rebuild and those in alternative accommodation facing years of re-builds.
“We have some people still not in their home and we have only just received the first planning application for rebuilding an entire home,” Cr Child said.
“We are also facing the complexity of the planning scheme in the Yarra Ranges and have started the process of gathering expert advice and reports on landslip risk, so we are able to assess and prepare for a Planning Scheme Amendment – similar to that of Colac-Otway Shire.”
It is believed the state government has provided more than $15 million to Yarra Ranges Council to fund specialist staff and programs, including more than $3.2 million to fund 33 dedicated recovery roles for 12 months after the storm event.
It is understood more than $51 million has also been provided to support community members impacted by the flood and storm event, through $280,000 of personal hardship grants for 252 residents for emergency relief in the immediate aftermath of the event.
More than $750,000 was dedicated to emergency re-establishment assistance to people whose principal place of residence was destroyed, damaged or uninhabitable, with more than $300,000 allocated to support for people to rebuild who have complex building site issues.
It is also understood more than 500 residential and community properties were cleaned-up, free of charge under the flood and storm clean-up program.
“…Bushfire Recovery Victoria is continuing to provide support to families, businesses and communities affected by this event – including through a dedicated recovery support program that has worked with 250 people in the Yarra Ranges Local Government Area,” a Victorian government spokesperson said.
“They have cleaned up more than 500 properties with hazardous debris free of charge and funded the Yarra Ranges Council to have specialist staff and services to help recovery well into next year,” the spokesperson said.
Some residents are now beginning to need additional services, according to Yarra Ranges Council.
“It’s important that our residents who were impacted by the worst storm in the Dandenongs in recent history are not forgotten and that they are treated the same as any other person who has suffered from a natural disaster, be that flood, fire or storm,” Cr Child said.
