Special emergency funding

Baw Baw Shire Council will receive more than $70,000 in funding to prepare for emergencies.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said Baw Baw Shire Council and Latrobe City Council would each receive $73,200 to make sure communities were as well-prepared and resilient as they could be should the worst happen.

The funding comes from the state government’s Municipal Emergency Resourcing Program.

“It’s great the government is supporting Baw Baw Shire Council and Latrobe City Council to keep communities in at-risk areas safe in an emergency. This funding helps to make sure we have the skills and resources they need for their vital role,” Ms Shing said.

“Last summer really brought home how important councils are when the worst happens. It’s really encouraging and reassuring to know that local councils have this vital support from the state government.”

Ms Shing said program funding could be used for a wide variety of different emergency planning work, ranging from education for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in at-risk areas, to fire suppression.

Councils often use the funding to appoint an emergency management position, with some councils collaborating with their neighbours to fund a shared specialist position.

In 2021, it can also be used for planning recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and emergency work in a COVIDSafe environment.

“Councils can and do make a huge difference to community resilience and recovery in the face of an emergency,” Minister for Local Government Shaun Leane added. “The Municipal Emergency Resourcing Program is one of the best ways we can support that work.”