A statewide inquiry will be held to allow for communities in Victoria to have their voices heard regarding Victoria’s preparedness and response to flooding events.
A motion has been passed in the Victorian Legislative Council requiring the Environment and Planning Committee to report on the preparedness and response to the October 2022 Victorian floods.
State Member for Ovens Valley and Shadow Minister for Water Tim McCurdy said regional communities deserved answers from the Andrews government and an inquiry would give impacted communities the opportunity to be heard.
Mr McCurdy described the Victorian Government’s original flood inquiry as nothing more than a positive PR exercise that did not deliver answers for Victorians.
“When the terms of reference of the government’s own review fail Victorians, the Liberals and Nationals are left to take up the slack,” Mr McCurdy said.
“This inquiry will shine a light on the shortcomings of Victoria’s current preparedness for devastating floods, as well as a review into the October 2022 floods.”
Mr McCurdy said the Liberal and Nationals were ensuring Victorians got answers.
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Georgie Crozier said those impacted by the devastating floods deserved an independent inquiry.
“I am pleased the Liberals and Nationals’ motion for a parliamentary inquiry into the state’s preparedness for the recent devastating floods has passed,” Ms Crozier said.
“Thousands of Victorians have been impacted by this natural disaster. This independent inquiry will go a long way in determining whether we could be better prepared to respond to similar events in the future.”
A spokesperson for the Victorian Government said the victims of the floods had not been forgotten and the government was doing all it could.
“The floods devastated communities across the state and we are continuing to support affected communities to help them recover, rebuild and plan for future flooding risks,” the spokesperson said.