Council Statement on the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Floods

Published on 05 September 2024

Murrindindi Shire Council welcomes the findings and recommendations of the Parliamentary Inquiry into the October 2022 Floods. The Inquiry has provided critical insights into the unprecedented nature of the event and the challenges faced by communities across Victoria, including our own.

Council is particularly encouraged by the recommendations that align with our ongoing advocacy efforts, including:

• Recommendation 34: The development of new temporary operating rules for water storage and release during high storage and high rainfall conditions. This recommendation resonates with our concerns regarding the management of Lake Eildon and the need for a more adaptive and responsive approach to protect downstream communities.
• Recommendation 35: That the Victorian Government ensure that the state’s existing culvert infrastructure in high-risk flood areas is fit for purpose.
• Recommendation 17: The fast-tracking of flood studies into planning schemes, ensuring that local councils and stakeholders are actively involved. This is crucial for effective flood risk management and aligns with our advocacy for better coordination and funding for flood studies in our region.
• Recommendation 4: Victorian Government to ensure all flood studies for local government areas are fully funded and completed.
• Recommendation 6: Increasing public preparedness and clarity of roles. The chain of command during the event did not have much consideration for Murrindindi, was not able to respond in time to our needs, and not prepared to support the local response. Due to the unpredictable and rapid speed of flood waters at the top of the Goulburn catchment, we have requested that the regional incident control centre be located within Murrindindi Shire to ensure responsiveness and better decisions informed by local knowledge and intelligence.
• Recommendation 7: The funding and resourcing of regional catchment management authorities and local councils to conduct and regularly update flood studies. This supports our efforts to ensure that flood management strategies are based on the most current data and methodologies.
• Recommendation 41: The priority transfer of State-owned rain and river gauges to the Bureau of Meteorology and the expansion of the gauge network. Enhancing flood warning systems is vital for improving community preparedness and response, which is a key focus of our ongoing advocacy.

Murrindindi Shire Council is committed to working closely with the Victorian Government and relevant stakeholders to ensure the implementation of these recommendations. We believe that these measures will significantly enhance the resilience of our communities to future flood events, safeguarding lives, homes, and businesses.

We look forward to continued collaboration with State agencies to ensure that the lessons learned from the 2022 floods lead to meaningful improvements in flood management and community safety across Victoria.