Strathbogie Shire Council has released a statement saying it will receive $230,000 of the $1.15 million, which is a far cry from the $2.8 million it reportedly needs for fire recovery.
Six months after lodging a request for three years of rate relief for bushfire-impacted residents, council has revealed that it is still waiting to hear if the Victorian Government will fund the $5.9 million request.
It says the government is also yet to confirm if it will waive the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund for impacted properties.
Strathbogie Shire Mayor Scott Jeffery said impacted residents needed more ongoing support.
“Disaster recovery support must be proportionate to the scale and complexity of impact,” he said.
“Strathbogie residents lost 115 homes, but of the $15 million announced to establish community recovery officers and recovery hubs across bushfire-impacted areas, Strathbogie has received only $1.53 million.
“That is not enough to support the three years of recovery we know our residents will need.”
At a council meeting on Tuesday, August 18, councillors urged the state government to immediately accept the 80 recommendations in the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee’s report into the summer bushfires.
The council recommendation noted disaster recovery funding pledged by state and federal governments was not sufficient to meet the long-term needs of bushfire-impacted communities in Strathbogie, and additional funding was urgently needed.
“Another fire season is just months away, but our residents are still struggling to get their properties cleaned up and battling to get access to temporary accommodation on their blocks,” Cr Jeffery said.
“We thank the committee for its report and for listening to the experiences of all those impacted by January’s bushfires, but it won’t mean anything if the state government does not immediately pledge to accept and implement the recommendation. And this includes providing adequate long-term funding.
“We’re not giving up. I’ve given a commitment that we’re going to continue to keep working to achieve what our community needs and deserves.”
