Government funding, including $300,000 for flood modelling in Benalla, has been awarded to projects in Indi to build resilience to natural disasters under the Disaster Ready Fund.
Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines announced that seven projects across the electorate would share in $17,899,746.39 in funding from the federal and Victorian governments.
The Disaster Ready Fund is a resilience and risk reduction initiative administered by the Commonwealth Government.
The fund aims to help communities curb the devastating impacts of natural hazards such as bushfires and floods.
By partnering with state governments, the funds go towards investing in important disaster resilience and risk reduction projects.
“Indi communities have been severely affected by both the Black Summer bushfires and the 2022-2023 flooding events, which created huge damage to our roads and properties,” Dr Haines said.
“These projects will help protect our communities when the next natural disaster occurs.
“I have worked with communities across the electorate as we have recovered from those natural disasters and had many conversations about how we can be better prepared.
“These projects will make a real difference in many ways.
“They will help protect the power grid in the Upper Murray, protect our roads and properties from floods and prepare for a recovery centre.
“As the communities’ independent voice in parliament, I have worked with the government to ensure our needs are heard and understood.
“I congratulate all the communities involved in preparing these projects and being awarded funding.”
Projects in Indi to be awarded Commonwealth funding include:
- $300,000 for flood modelling in Benalla to better understand current flooding inadequacies in road infrastructure;
- $300,000 to the Strathbogie Shire Council and Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, to formulate a Flash Flooding and Storm Surges Strategy for towns at the base of the Strathbogie Ranges, which will map and model the waterways and drainage infrastructure to improve community awareness and reduce flood risks;
- $1,569,116.39 to the Rural City of Wangaratta to upgrade the existing levee bank at Merriwa Park, to cope with severe flood events and upgrade the pump station; and
- $420,630 to the North East Catchment Management Authority to repair and replace the flood channel along Hodgson and Burgoigee creeks in Wangaratta, in order to protect public and private assets.
The Federal Government contributed $8.1 million of the funding, with the remainder from the Victorian Government.
Applications underwent an independent and transparent process by the National Emergency Management Agency. NEMA ensured applications met the guideline requirements, and made recommendations to Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt, who accepted them in full.