Victoria launches bushfire recovery taskforce

John Thwaites, Victoria’s Acting Premier has announced that a high-level Bracks Government taskforce will drive initiatives to support families and help local economies and communities recover from this summer’s bushfires. 

Mr Thwaites said the Treasurer and Regional and Rural Development Minister, John Brumby, would chair the Bushfire Recovery Ministerial Taskforce which will develop a multi-million-dollar package to help communities recover and rebuild after this summer’s fires, adding, “Victoria is still in the grip of extreme fire conditions, with the bushfire threat far from over and our brave and hardworking firefighters are focussed on protecting assets and battling new and growing fires”.

“But a responsible Government must also look to the future and the Bracks Government is determined to have the appropriate bushfire-recovery initiatives in place to help communities recover”.

“This summer’s bushfires started much earlier than usual and it is only appropriate that Government begin the recovery process now.”

Mr Thwaites said more than one million hectares had been lost to fires, with major damage to forests and farmland across the State, adding, “Local industries, particularly tourism, have felt the impact of the fires”.

“The Bracks Government will work with local communities to assess the full impact of this summer’s fires and work towards practical measures to help rural and regional communities get back on their feet.”

Members of the Bushfire Recovery Ministerial Taskforce are Mr Brumby, Mr Thwaites, Agriculture Minister Joe Helper, Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron, Tourism Minister Tim Holding, Community Services Minister Gavin Jennings and Local Government Minister Richard Wynne.

The Ministerial Taskforce will:

Assess the impact of the fires on local economies, environments, infrastructure and communities in country Victoria;

Develop a tourism recovery action plan, with local operators and Tourism Victoria;

Fast-track appropriate Government programs to boost confidence in affected regions;

Assess the need for any extra immediate short-term programs to help communities and individuals recover from the fires;

Recommend to Cabinet a range of medium and longer term recovery initiatives; and

Work with business, local government and media to focus recovery efforts in the region.

The Bracks Government’s 2003 Bushfire Recovery Taskforce delivered key initiatives including, protection of water assets, restoring assets in parks, forests and alpine resorts; rebuilding roads, bridges and signs; and tourism programs.

Mr Thwaites today announced the Bracks Government would provide up to $150,000 to support the running of the Mansfield Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre.

Consideration will be given to supporting other MECC’s operating for extensive periods.

“This one-off allocation of funds recognises that these councils have had to run their coordination centres for such a long time, given how early the fires started in those areas,” he said.

“The coordination centres are critical to the smooth emergency response by all government agencies and departments involved in bushfires.

“MECCs have typically not been funded by the State Government, but this payment recognises that this particular MECC has had to run for an extraordinary duration.”

Mr Thwaites also announced the Bracks Government would deliver a regional tourism marketing plan to encourage Victorians back to bushfire-affected regions.

“The Bracks Government understands the importance of tourism to local economies and we will work with local communities to ensure tourism recovery is sustainable and long-term,” he said.

The Government has already announced $110,000 for event marketing and administration support for fire affected regions this summer, and run a media campaign to encourage visitors to return to Gippsland and the North East.

The Government will work closely with the tourism recovery groups in developing local tourism campaigns.

Report by The Mole