Residents in Victoria’s north have told a parliamentary inquiry they were given little to no warning to evacuate their homes during flooding last year.
Key points:
- Residents are calling for better emergency responses and mental health support
- Farmers in the region lost 3,500 animals to floods and say the number could have been far higher
- The inquiry was told that government apps and websites contributed to confusion during the emergency
A second day of hearings is underway in Echuca, where many residents are still displaced 10 months after the disaster.
The inquiry began yesterday in Rochester, where residents called for better emergency support and asked that water levels be reduced at nearby Lake Eppalock to lower the risk of flooding.
Murray River Group of Councils Mayor Rob Amos told the inquiry in Echuca that state government mobile apps needed to be updated so they could issue more timely alerts.
“Residents have reported to councils that they felt uniformed on the progress of the floodwaters and what they should do to prepare and protect themselves and their property,” he said.
“Some residents reported that floodwaters surrounded their properties without any or little warning being received.
“They were underprepared and isolated, in some cases with animals, for prolonged periods of time.”
Cr Amos said digital connectivity and mobile phone reception were a major barrier to accessing reliable and updated information.
“The Vic warning apps, as well as their websites, also played a significant role in the confusion and experience by the public and council staff,” he said.
“Kerferd Street in Echuca is still listed as an SES sandbag site on the Vic traffic website today.”
3,500 animals lost
Campaspe Shire chief executive Pauline Gordon told the inquiry that better mental health services were needed in all the shires affected by last year’s floods.
“We can’t get enough mental health workers or support … or the funding,” she said.
“It is the greatest impact on our community.”
Ms Gordon is asking for funding to be fast tracked to help the community recover from the trauma experienced.
Loddon Shire Council’s chief executive Lincoln Fitzgerald said farmers in the region lost $100 million dollars’ worth of crops and more than 3,500 head of stock.
“It was a significant impact,” he said.
“When you lose your animals that you care for on a daily basis, that was a huge impact on the wellbeing of our farmers, as well as the financial impact.”
Loddon Shire Council Mayor Dan Straub said his council experienced 75 per cent of the stock losses in the entire region.
“We had flyblown sheep and lambs, ewes lambing in floodwater,” he said.
“We’re very dairy prominent, with cows calving that time of year too, so a lot of stock losses go unidentified.
“That number could easily be doubled or tripled.”
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