Flood recovery news and events

The government is funding a series of initiatives to help support flood-affected communities and individuals recover from the 2010-2011 Victorian floods. The information on this page provides an outline of these initiatives.

For information on grants and financial assistance you may be eligible for see Financial Support for Individuals or Financial Support for Business.

 

Infrastructure and future flood mitigation

Victorian State Emergency Service Response and Recovery Costs   

$5.58 million for Victorian State Emergency Services critical response and recovery costs related to the January and February floods.

$7 million for critical response and recovery costs for agencies assisting Victorian State Emergency Services related to the December and January floods.

$3.86 million for the Department of Sustainability and Environment response to the January flood.

Emergency Morwell Mine Batter Response

$6.1 million for urgent remedial work required to stabilise the Hazelwood mine adjacent to the Princes Highway in Morwell.

Community Recovery Fund 

$4 million for the restoration of community infrastructure by local councils and community organisations.

Local Government Clean Up Fund  

$5 million is available to councils to assist in covering the cost of initial services to flood-affected communities, including restoration of streetscapes, tipping and waste disposal and primary producer and business support.

Flood Recovery Officers

$1.44 million for 15 Flood Recovery Officers to assist councils to coordinate flood recovery efforts.

Rural Coordination Officers

$540,000 for nine Rural Coordination Officers to assist in addressing rural issues in response to the impact of the floods, including volunteer coordination.

Flood Recovery Community Infrastructure Fund

$30 million to local economies and help councils and community groups restore flood-affected local assets, such as playgrounds, swimming pools, sporting facilities, picnic areas and recreational walkways.

National disaster resilience funding

$7.1 million to improve preparedness for natural disasters.

Flood Warning Recovery System

$7.1 million to repair and improve Victoria's flood warning system for the timely prediction of future flood peaks.

FloodZoom

$12.1 million flood intelligence platform and improved flood warning system.

Repair of Flood Damage to Arterial Roads

$121.5 million for repair to flood damaged arterial roads.

Repair of Flood Damage to the Regional Rail Network

$6.3 million for repair of Victoria’s regional rail network for damage caused from the flooding between August 2010 and February 2011.

Repair of Wilsons Promontory entrance road

$1.5 million to repair Wilsons Promontory Road leading to Tidal River.

Parks Victoria

$19.1 million for restoring and reopening Victoria’s parks.

Disease control   

Disease control initiatives, including measures to avoid outbreaks.

Charlton Hospital         

$2.1 million for Charlton Hospital for staff transition arrangements, additional ambulance services and resources from other health services, as well as planning of replacement hospital facilities, including potential land acquisition to avoid risk for future flood inundation.

Emergency flood management plan for the Wimmera River flood plain

$150 million for a detailed flood investigation at Natimuk and an emergency flood management plan for the Wimmera River flood plain.

Seymour flood resilience

$730,000 for the design and construction of a flood levee bank at Seymour to protect the community from future flood events.

Individuals

Interim Accommodation      

$2.23 million for a range of temporary accommodation options for eligible people displaced by the floods and for repairs to damaged public housing.

Financial support for individuals - major grants

Up to $8650 per household, per grant for
•    Temporary Living Expenses        
•    Structural Repairs to Households       
•    Replacement of Essential Household Items       

Victorian Floods Disaster Relief Fund (Red Cross Appeal)   

Payment of $1000 per household to assist with immediate costs facing households with significant damage to their place of residence.  A further payment available as a contribution to assist in the replacement of household contents. The Coalition Government provided an initial $1 million contribution to establish this fund.

Rural Financial Counsellors

$3.41 million for ongoing rural financial counselling over two years, for people affected by the floods.

Flood Response and recovery assistance for farmers

$3.6 million for the Department of Primary Industries to deliver flood recovery assistance information and support to farmers.

Catchment Management Authority Flood Employment program

$6.15 million to employ people affected by the floods to repair and protect natural assets and infrastructure damaged by the floods.

Assistance to early childhood education providers, schools and families

$320,000 for a range of measures to support flood-affected schools, universities and students.

Psychosocial Flood Recovery and Coordination

$4.98 million to deliver a Psychosocial Support Package, including the allocation of additional staff, to deliver counselling, case work support and community forums.

Sustainable Farm Families

The Sustainable Farm Families program addresses farmer health, wellbeing and safety through health awareness and education workshops. An additional $790,000 has been committed to deliver additional the program to farmers in flood-affected communities.

Business

Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Relief Fund

$1.5 million to assist businesses indirectly affected by the floods in 2010 and 2011 through loss of trade.

Business Flood Recovery Fund

$10 million over two years to support regional companies with strong growth prospects or investment potential in areas impacted by the floods.

Flood business recovery program

$500,000 to deliver business mentoring to affected businesses in regional Victoria.

Tourism fund

$1 million to support marketing for businesses heavily dependent on tourism in flood-affected areas.

Regional Tourism Long-Term Flood Recovery Package

$1.5 million to assist the flood-affected regional tourism industry for marketing activities.

Flood Apprenticeship Retention Bonus

Eligible primary producers can apply to receive a grant of $1500 for each apprentice they retain from 1 January 2011 to 3 December 2011.

Lower Loddon Irrigation Recovery Package

A $21 million assistance package for flood affected irrigators in Lower Loddon.

Rural Finance Corporation - Clean up and Restoration Grants

Clean up and restoration grants of up to $25,000 to primary producers, small businesses and not-for-profit organisations that suffered direct damage as a result of the floods between August 2010 and February 2011, or damage caused by hail during November 2010, in Victoria.

Rural Finance Corporation - Exceptional Disaster Assistance   

$37 million to provide low-interest loans of up to $650,000 available to small and medium businesses and primary producers over six financial years.

Rural Finance Corporation - Concessional loans       

$1.5 million for concessional loans to primary producers and small businesses whose properties suffered direct damage as a result of floods between August 2010 and February 2011, or damage caused by hail during November 2010, in Victoria.