Disaster relief funding for Victoria’s flood-ravaged and fire-prone communities is instead going to solar panels and consultants.
The fund was set up by the former federal Coalition government in 2019 as the Emergency Response Fund, but was rebadged last year by the Albanese Labor government to allocate $200 million a year across the nation to help communities mitigate the impact of natural disasters.
However the first tranche of payments to be announced this week, shows the largest recipient in Victoria is the Corryong advanced micro-grid, which received $15 million ($7 million in federal, matched by $8 million from the Victorian government) to subsidise buying solar and battery systems for 50 residents to roll out a simple micro-grid for increased energy resilience.
Meanwhile most of the federal and state Disaster Ready Funding for Victoria is set to be spent on employing consultants to undertake reviews and studies, including:
$2.2 million for a Campaspe Shire flood review and mitigation project.
$465,000 for the Shepparton-Mooroopna community to fund “flood intelligence mapping”.
$100,000 for the Traralgon Creek retarding basin feasibility study.
$4.847 million for fire-prone East Gippsland to develop “resilient regions and capable communities”.
$500,000 to investigation flood-prone transport routes in North Central Victoria.
$3.67 million to strengthen resilience in Yarra Ranges and Campaspe communities.
$549,846 to develop a business case for emergency preparedness model for people with disabilities.
$3 million to develop “integrated strategic bushfire management in a changing climate”.
Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said “people are over having another study, they actually want things done.
“Another strategy or study doesn’t make people’s lives any better, it just ties them up in meetings.”
All up $54.58 million will be spent on Victorian Disaster Ready Fund projects, with $26.358 million coming from the federal government and $28.23 million from the state.
Queensland received a total of $152.5 million, $84.2 million from the federal government and $64 million from the state.
NSW disaster-hit communities received a total of $70.26 million, $31.8 million from the federal government and $38.5 million from the state.
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