More than a year has passed since the October 2022 floods in Seymour, but residents are still experiencing setbacks.
Courtney Carroll, owner of Stihl Shop Seymour, moved to High St, bought her house in April 2022 and was renovating it before the floods.
The October 2022 floods destroyed most of the progress they’ve made in renovating in their supposedly new home.
Until now, her home has been under renovation from the floods and is still uninhabitable due to delays in her insurance.
“I just need help,” she told the Mitchell Shire Council during the community meeting on Wednesday, January 10.
On Friday, January 12, Ms Carroll hosted State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland, Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto, and Victorian Shadow Emergency Minister Richard Riordan in her property in High St.
“Courtney is still fighting battles to get her home restored and rebuilt to undo the damage that was done by the floods,” Mr Pesutto said.
“Listening to Courtney’s account, it’s quite harrowing to think that her insurer could have treated her so badly and that there’s been so little active support for people like Courtney who have acted alone to the physical challenges of getting their homes rebuilt, but also the emotional toll it’s taken on them.”
Ms Carroll said insurance had become unaffordable, with a premium cost rising from $3450 to $19,500 per year.
That is about a 500 per cent rise in premium.
This is because after 13 months of getting her insurance company to get a builder that fits their quotes.
Ms Carroll explained to Ms Cleeland her struggle with insurance for the past 15 months and what actions she’d like to see.
“It’s just being in the delay of any action from the insurance companies,” Ms Carroll said.
“Just the back and forth on the slowness of any result to get these happening and just the fact that ... like it’s a hard situation to be in, and they could do a lot better to make it easier.
“It’s already hard enough.”
On top of the insurance stress, Ms Carroll’s business, Stihl Shop Seymour, was almost inundated by water coming back from stormwater drains during the floods on Monday, January 8,
“The first time, it was really bad,” she said.
“This time, we dodged a bullet.”
Ms Cleeland said the biggest issue was the region went through a national disaster a week ago while many were still struggling to recover from the prior 15 months.
“We need a government that actually actions and supports regional, Victoria and not ignore it in it’s most vulnerable period,” Ms Cleeland said.
“The fact that we’re fighting for insurance reform or flood mitigation 15 months after a natural disaster that decimated a community is unacceptable.”
During a round table with Ms Cleeland, Mr Pesutto, Mr Riordan, and businesses around the region, they found that people within the business community who had excess insurance of $3000 had gone up to $80,000.
“Surviving and thriving in Seymour is really impacted at the moment,” Ms Cleeland said.
“That’s a good point that JP (Mr Pesutto) is here today to say, is this acceptable behaviour, and why hasn’t the government stepped in already?”
Mr Pesutto said he was concerned regional Victoria was missing out and would continue to miss out for the suitable future because there was simply no financial bandwidth under the current government without debt profile being what it was and taxes being as high as they were to free up that capacity to invest in regional infrastructure
The Victorian Government has been contacted for comments.