Call to redirect bushfire funds
Two years after Baw Baw Shire was impacted by bushfire, money allocated for recovery remains unspent because of conditions attached to its distribution, according to Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath.
Baw Baw Shire received $350,000 for bushfire recovery to help the recovery communities of Walhalla, Bunyip and Labertouche in November 2019.
Ms Bath said conditions of the funding stipulated council could only use the funds to develop an indigenous community recovery plan, financial counselling for affected farmers, provide funding for trauma counselling and for a community conversation.
But, Ms Bath has called on the state government to redirect funding to other projects.
Ms Bath said tourism was significantly impacted by the 2019 bushfire after the area was closed to visitors during the peak visitor season and now following COVID-19, there is a real need to encourage people back to the area.
Local project suggestions from Walhalla and Mountain Rivers Tourism Association include sealing the carpark in Walhalla around the helipad and building a link between the Australian Alps Walking Track and the Walhalla Railway Station.
Council confirmed it has spent $131,000 to date.
Chief executive officer Mark Dupe has requested a variation to the existing activities but has not requested to redirect funds to projects outside the funding criteria.
The proposed activities include broadening participation and access for the community to information sessions/activities for communities to enhance mental health and wellbeing; improving emergency preparedness for more vulnerable community members; strengthening media and social media resources to support tourism; improved visitor signage; and, provision of small business and farming resources/information to strengthen economic resilience.
However, Ms Bath said council was struggling to spend the money on the activities prescribed by the state government.
“Two years on from the event and locals say there is now little or no need for trauma counselling.
“What the community need is for the Minister for Emergency Services Lisa Neville to redirect the unspent funds on needed tangible infrastructure projects.
“The Walhalla, Bunyip and Labertouche community don’t want to see the balance of the funding to be spent on programs that are no longer valid, when there are other worthwhile projects,” she said.
“It makes perfect sense to redirect the funds to more tangible uses to support tourism in the Baw Baw Shire and importantly enhance the town amenities for residents,” Ms Bath said.