Mr NORTHE (Morwell) (17:00); Today I rise to grieve for the victims of recent flood events, including our northern neighbours in both New South Wales and Queensland and for residents and organisations in my own community who were subject to flooding events last year. The images that we have seen over recent weeks in both New South Wales and Queensland have been both terrifying and heartbreaking—to see the extent of some of those floods, with people being trapped on their roofs and even in roof cavities. It has obviously been a very destructive time for our northern neighbours. I certainly want to take the opportunity to thank those who have responded to those emergency events, including some members of the Victorian community and our volunteer organisations who have gone north to help out in these times of need, including our own SES personnel. I will give a shout-out to members of our own SES in the Morwell electorate, through the Morwell branch and also those located at Traralgon.
From a local perspective, in June of last year we had some severe flooding of the Traralgon Creek, which hit homes, community groups, sporting clubs and local businesses quite hard. This is not unique. Unfortunately the Traralgon Creek has been subject to flooding multiple times over the years, but last year’s flood in particular was very devastating. It was an awful time for those residents who have endured multiple floods over the years, and many residents were forced to evacuate after the floodwaters had actually peaked. This left many residents angry and frustrated that in this case the emergency warning system had let them down and had failed. What actually had occurred was that notifications to evacuate came to local residents, in many respects, hours and hours after the floodwaters had actually peaked. This left many vulnerable and elderly residents in a pretty precarious situation. The community really rallied together. Residents helped out neighbours. Neighbours were helping neighbours, and people really came to the fore to get people out of those very dangerous situations.
Since that time our community was promised a review into the management of the June 2021 Traralgon Creek floods, and this was to be undertaken by way of an after-action review. That was intended to involve all of the emergency service agencies and the departments, and the local community was to have a voice within that particular review. At the time, we were notified that the review would most likely be concluded by the end of 2021. That did not occur. Then we were led to believe it would occur by February 2022. That still has not occurred, and I have advice that now states that the review will be concluded next month. This is something that the whole community is looking forward to seeing—what findings and recommendations come about as a result of that review—and let us hope it is next month. It is imperative, from my perspective and that of my community, that the legitimate issues that have been raised by the community are acknowledged, considered and acted upon.
Just going back a step, part of the criticism from local residents in the community has been that the emergency warning system has changed over time. If we wind back 10 years, there was a more local response to these types of situations. The feedback I have had from residents is it was a system they had faith and confidence in. It was managed by Latrobe City Council at the time, and when floodwaters were a danger to local residents and home owners, activity such as doorknocking, text messages and phone calls occurred for local residents to give them time to remove themselves from a precarious situation and exit their homes. As I say, with the changes in the warning system to a more statewide-based system, that has not endeared itself to local residents who, in this case, were caught out by evacuation warnings arriving hours and hours after floodwaters had actually peaked and unfortunately when many homes had been substantially flooded. This after-action review is very significant and very important for the local community. As I say, at the moment the community and our local residents along that flood plain expect, and should have, a warning system that they can have faith and confidence in. Hopefully the after-action review will go to some findings and recommendations of where that faith and confidence can be restored for the local community.
I think also the other point to make here is that my concern with going to a statewide-based warning system is about the potential loss of local knowledge, local input and feedback from local emergency service personnel and even local incident controllers, who know the floods well. They know the Traralgon Creek well. They know that these incidents have happened before. They know the local lay of the land, and it is critical that that advice and knowledge is imparted through an emergency warning system. That would give the total community even more faith and confidence going forward.
The other thing to raise in this context is that the Traralgon Creek has flooded multiple times over the years, and as a community what we are looking for is some guidance and some advice in terms of what the medium to longer term flood-mitigation measures are that might be able to be put in place for residents within the Traralgon community who are on that flood plain. It appears at the moment that there have been past reports and consultant reports that have been undertaken that really have not gone anywhere, but in a growing community—and the reality is that the Traralgon Creek will flood again in the future, it is just a matter of when—we need to look at those longer term flood mitigation measures. One proposal that has been put forward is whether with the Traralgon bypass, which is in a very early planning stage and which is earmarked to be south of Traralgon, they might be able to do some flood-mitigation measures through some engineering and other technology-related initiatives at the time. But that could be many, many years away, so in the interim having some knowledge about what we are going to do to mitigate floods in Traralgon Creek in the future is really important.
One of the other issues of course, which our northern neighbours are experiencing at the moment, is where you get repetitive floods and there is the inability for home owners to have adequate insurance, or if they can take out insurance, as you would appreciate, the premiums are at such a high level it really puts home owners at a significant disadvantage. Unless we have got those flood-mitigation measures in place, it does come back upon the home owner to try and find adequate insurance, which is very difficult to do.
During this same flood event there were a number of assets at the Traralgon Recreation Reserve that were also destroyed. Clubs and organisations such as the Traralgon Football Netball Club, the Ex Students Cricket Club, the Traralgon Amateur Boxing Club, the Traralgon Men’s Shed, the model makers club, the Gippsland Ranges Roller Derby club, the Traralgon and Districts Agricultural Society, the Traralgon Bridge Club and the Traralgon Racing Pigeon Club, amongst others—they all had their buildings and assets either severely destroyed, severely damaged, condemned or otherwise.
Like home owners, they are in the very same situation that now their ability to obtain insurance from a position where they have had multiple floods over the years is a very difficult proposition for them. The reality is that some of these community groups who were on the footprint of the Traralgon Recreation Reserve need to be relocated. As I say, some of the buildings were so severely damaged that they just cannot go back there, and they cannot attract insurance. Many of them unfortunately have been through multiple floods. The reality is they are done. They are cooked. They just cannot go through another flood event. But I must say in the same context I have great respect for those groups and organisations and individuals for their resilience at such a difficult time.
So out of that particular flood event and all the organisations and user groups of the Traralgon Recreation Reserve, a Traralgon flood recovery project was born. That is being delivered by Latrobe City Council in consort with all the clubs and community groups, who have collectively developed a plan that seeks to flood-proof some facilities at the Traralgon Recreation Reserve for those who will remain there whilst also building some new facilities for those who are about to be relocated to Glenview Park Racecourse, Traralgon.
There are two elements to the flood recovery project, and the first is to build a multi-use pavilion at the Traralgon Recreation Reserve—of course that is above flood-level requirements. That would mean that the Traralgon Football Netball Club, Ex Students Cricket Club and the Traralgon amateur boxing club would remain at the rec reserve but in elevated facilities. Now, I mentioned the Traralgon Football Netball Club, which I have a previous relationship with: at the moment, as it stands, whilst they can use their ground, the facilities they are unable to use, and in the season ahead the footballers and netballers will be forced to use temporary or portable facilities, which is obviously not ideal.
The second part of the project is a community hub and outdoor events space to be built at Glenview Park—or the Traralgon racecourse—which is obviously outside of the flood plain of the Traralgon Creek. Organisations such as Gippsland Ranges Roller Derby, the Traralgon Men’s Shed, the model makers club, the Traralgon and District Agricultural Society, the Traralgon Bridge Club and the Traralgon Racing Pigeon Club are earmarked to be relocated to Glenview Park.
A couple of shout-outs particularly to Bodye at Gippsland Ranges Roller Derby and Lyn at the Traralgon Men’s Shed. They have been really fierce advocates in trying to find funds for their respective organisations but also the whole totality of the user groups at the Traralgon Recreation Reserve. It is an exciting project to be able to have new facilities for them at Glenview Park, but the reality of the situation at the moment is there are a number of activities and services that have had to stop because they simply do not have the facilities available for members or they are operating at limited capacity.
So the Traralgon flood recovery project is an exciting one but for the fact that we really need state government support and funding for that project. I have written to the Treasurer and to various ministers, including Minister Symes, Minister Pakula and Minister Spence, about same and their respective portfolios. It is a $10 million project. Council are seeking state government support of $7.5 million, and we are hopeful with fingers and toes crossed that in the upcoming budget the state government does see fit to support this project. $7.5 million in the totality of the state budget is minuscule, but the benefits it would deliver to my community—to a whole range of different organisations that are delivering different services to various members of our community—would be profound. More importantly, what it would mean is that all of those organisations and clubs that I have mentioned would not be subject to flooding in the future, and that would be an enormous emotional relief. All these organisations have suffered financially, but imagine being flooded multiple times over the years. It takes an emotional toll on individuals and these groups and organisations. So I do implore the state government to support the Traralgon flood recovery project and look seriously with the upcoming budget at contributing $7.5 million to what is a wonderful project for our community.
