Saturday 22 February has been declared a Total Fire Ban Day, with an Extreme Fire Danger Rating. Monitor warnings and advice through emergency channels, including VicEmergency, and emergency broadcasters.
Find out about impacts to Council services on this day
Published on 22 November 2024
Over the last two years, Murrindindi Shire has experienced six declared natural disaster events, including devastating floods in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Murrindindi Shire Council continues to repair damage to local roads and infrastructure from these events, seeking funding from state and federal governments to restore community assets.
From the October 2022 floods, which damaged $30 million of Council assets, to the January 2024 floods, which caused a further $10 million asset damage, recovery across the Shire has been laborious and costly. This does not include the unquantifiable amount of damage to private property, livestock and the environment. Over these events, Council has continued to focus on community safety, asset longevity and pursuing all potential opportunities for the reinstatement of our infrastructure.
This has required significant planning and collaboration with external agencies and adherence to complex funding processes. Due to the magnitude of damage, Council requires funding from the Department of Transport and Planning’s (DTP) Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), which provide funding to reinstate assets to their prior condition. If we are unable to meet strict conditions, we are unable to be reimbursed for the cost of repairs. The timelines for repair work are determined by funding agency approval.
Currently, we have completed $2.8 million worth of asset repairs, including on 11.2 km of Council roads. These costs exclude relief and recovery activities, the protection of public and personal assets, and debris and waste removal. All expenditure claims for 2022, 2023 and 2024 declared flood events, totalling over $3.2 million, have been submitted to the DTP with an estimated $24 million of works planned to be delivered over the next two years.
As climate impacts are becoming more significant for our community, Council continues to advocate for additional support from state and federal governments to improve our infrastructure and rebuild damaged assets to contemporary standards, rather than replacing what was there.
Learn about the flood recovery process here or get updates straight to your inbox by signing up to our Flood Recovery Newsletter.
Murrindindi Shire Council Mayor Cr Damien Gallagher stated, “Council recognises the profound and ongoing impacts of natural disasters in recent years, and the complexity of our recovery efforts.”
“Repairs and restoration to roads and infrastructure will be ongoing and is not a task that can be completed overnight. Council is dedicated to getting the most out of Disaster Recovery Funding. We always look for ways to rebuild stronger and more resilient assets. We understand the community is affected by damaged assets, so we push for more government funding to improve them. By seeking extra support now, we hope to prevent expensive and repeated repairs from future severe weather events exacerbated by climate change. Your patience and support are important to us as we navigate the aftermath of these significant flood events.”