STATE Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland is calling on the new emergency services minister Paul Edbrooke to visit her electorate and meet communities still living with impacts of recent disasters.
Ms Cleeland extended the invitation during an adjournment debate in Pariament this week.
She believes the the government recovery efforts have fallen well shore, saying “In nearly four years since I was elected to this role, our region has endured floods, drought and bushfires, with the Labor Government failing to respond to calls for help since 2022.”
“The primary role of a government is to help Victorians in need. Rather than talking about disaster recovery from Melbourne, come to regional Victoria and see the reality of recovery on the ground.”
“The response to the January bushfires has been slow, fractured and dysfunctional, and the Minister has a responsibility to see for himself what bad policy looks like on the ground,” she said.
She said the need for rate relief and fast-tracked permit approvals had also been escalated.
The North Central Review contacted State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes for comment.
Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke said he was committed to looking into the findings.
“We know every major emergency presents opportunities to learn. We are committed to carefully considering the inquiry’s findings and I look forward to visiting the affected communities very soon,” he said.
Ms Cleeland was also rather passionate about the 2022 floods, calling on the current government and emergency services minister again to provide a comprehensive implementation report.
“For these communities, 2022 is not history,” she said.
“They remember the rising water, the evacuations, the damage and the years of trying to rebuild.
“Nearly four years on, they deserve to know exactly what this Government has done to make sure the same failures are not repeated.”
