Media Releases

Four Shepparton district projects will be funded under the State and Federal Government’s Floods Community Recovery Fund, State Member for Shepparton Jeanette Powell was happy to announce today.

There was significant damage at KidsTown which Greater Shepparton City Council needed to repair including: a concrete section of the path from the top of the playground to the bridge, an area of the outdoor theatre and a section of the bike track.

Mrs Powell said Greater Shepparton City Council has received over $56,000 for repairs to damaged infrastructure at Kidstown Adventure Playground and the Jordan Bend shared pathway.

“KidsTown received a fair bit of damage during the heavy downpours, so I know Greater Shepparton City Council and patrons of KidsTown will be happy to see money being spent on the paths and nearby bike track,” Mrs Powell said.

“There were also problems near Jordan Bend where the council has had to move and rebuild the shared pathway due to a river bank slump.

“The Shepparton district has been subjected to several floods in the past few years after more than a decade of drought, so I am pleased these projects have been approved for funding.

“I congratulate Greater Shepparton City Council for the terrific work which has been done in the clean up after the floods,” Mrs Powell said.

Since the establishment of the Floods Community Recovery Fund, more than $2.6m has been used to support over 200 flood recovery projects statewide.

The $4 million Floods Community Recovery Fund, to which the State and Commonwealth governments each contributed $2 million, supplements other available funding and provides further financial support to help flood-affected communities get back on their feet.

Projects are a testament to the hard work and coordinated efforts of local councils, community organisations and residents who are working closely with state government regional offices to identify and coordinate local recovery projects.

For more information about floods funding information, please visit the Department of Human Services website http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/floods.

Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell has met with representatives from Buloke, Loddon and Gannawarra shire councils to announce almost $850,000 in grants from Round 2 payments of the Local Government Clean Up Fund.

Buloke will be receiving $346,078, Loddon $293,717 and Gannawarra $207,062 in Round 2 funding.

The Round 2 payments to assist flood-affected municipalities with the long and costly clean-up process are in addition to $100,000 each Shire Council received in Round 1 funding.

“The Victorian Coalition Government moved quickly to provide generous assistance for local councils facing financial pressures as a result of the devastating floods,” Mrs Powell said.

“The Local Government Clean Up Fund was a special Coalition Government initiative to help councils deal with the range of clean-up and repair tasks resulted from the floods.

“Removing the general debris the floods produced was a significant expense for councils across the state.

“As the municipalities hardest hit by the floods, Buloke, Loddon and Gannawarra shire councils will receive the most funding from the Clean Up Fund,” Mrs Powell said.

· Buloke Shire Council will receive a total payment of $446,078

· Loddon Shire Council will receive a total payment of $393,717

· Gannawarra Shire Council will receive a total payment of $307,062

The three shires have now received more than $1.14 million from the $5 million Local Government Clean Up Fund.

The fund has assisted 29 councils throughout Victoria in dealing with the cost of cleaning up after the floods.

The joint Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements picks up the cost for much of the other recovery and reconstruction work undertaken by councils.

The Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell and the Executive Director of Local Government Victoria John Watson toured some of the flood-affected sites in the town of Creswick last week.

Accompanied by Hepburn Council Mayor Rod May and Chief Executive Officer Kaylene Conrick, the Minister was shown where the water swept through the town with such devastating impact.

The Minister also met with local business people to hear their stories of how the floods have affected their lives.

“Understanding how the floods have impacted on local people and local businesses is of critical importance to me,” Mrs Powell said.

“The courage and resilience of Creswick locals in the face of ongoing adversity is a testament to their strength of character.

“I’m acutely aware of just how difficult dealing with the after-effects of repeated flooding must be, and the local knowledge I have gained will help shape the government’s response.

“The Coalition Government moved swiftly to bolster existing programs providing government support, with the establishment of the $5 million Local Government Clean Up Fund to assist local councils with the clean-up and rebuild of affected communities.

“The councils expressed their gratitude for the government’s prompt response to the crisis,” Mrs Powell said.

Mrs Powell also met with mayors and CEO’s from Central Goldfields, Corangamite, Mount Alexander and Pyrenees councils in Creswick.

Previously Mrs Powell had visited Horsham for a meeting with Hindmarsh, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack councils, and Kerang for a meeting with Gannawarra, Campaspe, Mildura, Swan Hill, Buloke and Loddon councils.

The Victorian Government has called on the Commonwealth to bring forward its second round of financial assistance grants to local councils in response to Victoria’s extreme flood event this month.

Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell said the recent deluge across Victoria had caused already flood-affected communities to suffer further damage.

“Successive flooding has caused significant damage to services and infrastructure in towns across the state,” Mrs Powell said.

“The most recent flood event has also affected councils in Melbourne and in areas such as Mildura and Wodonga.”

Mrs Powell said the Commonwealth had already fast-tracked its February round of financial assistance grant payments to flood-affected councils at the Victorian Government’s request.

“As the Local Government Minister I have again written to the Commonwealth in light of the recent flood events, requesting grants due to be paid in May are also brought forward,” Mrs Powell said.

“These payments provide significant short-term financial relief for flood-affected councils by improving their cash-flow positions as they assist local families recovering from these events.

“Many communities have been affected by flooding several times over so the State and Federal Government need to stand alongside councils to help them recover and rebuild.”

Mrs Powell said her request for Commonwealth assistance was in addition to the Victorian Coalition Government’s $5 million Local Government Clean Up Fund which was set up to help councils resource recovery and relief operations.

“The first payments of $100,000 from this fund were made to flood-affected councils within a week of the January crisis and we will continue to assess the damage to determine the allocation of the remaining funding,” Mrs Powell said.

“In the wake of these devastating events the Victorian Government will continue to work with councils to monitor the needs of our communities and will take all necessary steps to ensure help is provided efficiently,” Mrs Powell said.

Flood-affected councils across Victoria have started to receive support payments from the Victorian Government’s $5 million Local Government Clean Up Fund to assist their communities to clean up, recover and rebuild.

Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell said support payments totalling $1.4 million had already begun to reach the bank accounts of the first 14 flood-affected councils via a special electronic funds transfer.

“The impact of the floods on affected councils has been extensive, including not only stresses on the community, but on services and infrastructure as well,” Mrs Powell said.

“This funding will assist with managing the collection and clean-up of household goods, furniture and appliances that have been damaged by the floods.

Mrs Powell said the $100,000 to each of the 14 initial councils is just the first set of payments being made to councils from the Local Government Clean Up Fund, which is jointly administered by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and the Victorian Government.

“The 14 councils to be included in this first round of payments were identified based on immediate need,” Mrs Powell said.

“Over the coming weeks as the impact of these floods continues to be assessed, support from this fund will be provided to additional councils, with some of the initial 14 funded councils potentially receiving further support.

“Each council is different and will have its own needs and challenges, so this fund will help councils to help their communities recover.”

Mrs Powell said the recovery process for local communities would take time but the Coalition Government was determined to support local councils as they cleaned up and rebuilt.

“I would like to acknowledge the many mayors, councillors, CEOs, officers, emergency services staff and volunteers who are already working hard to support their communities through this devastating time,” Mrs Powell said.

The 14 initial councils receiving support payments from the Local Government Clean Up Fund are:


- Ararat Rural City Council
- Buloke Shire Council
- Campaspe Shire Council
- Central Goldfields Shire Council
- Corangamite Shire Council
- Gannawarra Shire Council
- Hepburn Shire Council
- Hindmarsh Shire Council
- Horsham Rural City Council
- Loddon Shire Council
- Northern Grampians Shire Council
- Pyrenees Shire Council
- Swan Hill Rural City Council
- Yarriambiack Shire Council

For more information about the Local Government Clean Up Fund, please visit www.dpcd.vic.gov.au or call 1300 366 356.

The Brumby Government should consult with local councils affected by the September floods and immediately provide full support and assistance to rebuild damaged roads, bridges and other public assets, Shadow Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell said today.

“Victoria’s 15 flood-affected councils are struggling to cope with the enormous financial task of replacing and rebuilding damaged assets,” Mrs Powell said.

“Works include repairing flood-damaged roads, repairing and replacing damaged and collapsed bridges, replacing road barriers, removing trees and clearing drains.”

Mrs Powell said the millions of dollars being spent by local councils on emergency works was not budgeted, and therefore caused concern among some affected councils.

“Just like on bushfire safety measures and roadside weed control, John Brumby is loading up councils with extra responsibilities but not providing them with the money they need,” Mrs Powell said.

“The current emergency and recovery efforts are putting a huge dent in council budgets and councils need urgent support from the Brumby Government.

“Many flood-affected councils do not have the economic capacity or resources to complete the recovery effort on their own, and they need to know how much compensation they will receive from the Brumby Government and when they will receive it.”

Mrs Powell said councils faced serious long-term financial sustainability issues after having their resources sapped by a decade of drought and the terrible bushfires of 2009.

“John Brumby must step in and provide the support and assistance these councils need to repair their public infrastructure,” Mrs Powell said.

In Parliament this week, State Member for Shepparton, Jeanette Powell congratulated all the services involved in protecting the community from the recent floods.
In a Members Statement, Mrs Powell said “I would like to congratulate and pay tribute to the action taken by local councils, SES, other emergency services, Police and Army personnel in protecting communities from the recent floods in regional Victoria.
“They worked tirelessly with the Shepparton community to protect homes and towns from flood waters,” Mrs Powell said.
“The community was on high alert as the rising flood waters threatened many homes, farms and businesses.
“The community meetings held by council and the SES played an important role in giving residents up to date information on the flood situation.
“Up to date factual information was critical to enable people to decide whether to evacuate or stay in their homes.”
“The constant updating of river levels and relief operations by ABC Radio was also important in keeping residents informed, as was the coverage in the Shepparton News.”
Mrs Powell’s family like many others were isolated on their property and she said it was great to see the wonderful community spirit as residents helped each other protect their properties.
“Thankfully there have been no reports of significant damage or loss of life,” Mrs Powell said.
“Although it is too early to tell the extent of the damage, there have been a number of roads, fences and other public assets which have been damaged.”
“The Greater Shepparton City Council is now assessing the damage and the effectiveness of their response to the emergency.”
“I called on the Premier to urgently assist local councils with the funding necessary to ensure the repair of roads, bridges, fences and other infrastructure damaged by the floods,” Mrs Powell said.