01 May 2026
Cleeland calls out “systemic failure” at bushfire inquiry in Alexandra
The Nationals Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland MP, has used the bushfire inquiry open mic session in Alexandra on Friday 24th April to deliver a strong account of what she described as “systemic failure” in both the response to and recovery from the Longwood bushfire.
Speaking on behalf of communities across Longwood, Upton Hill, Ruffy, Creighton’s Creek and Gooram, Ms Cleeland also shared her family’s direct experience, with her own property and those of her parents and sister destroyed in the fire.
“What we lived through was not just a bushfire,” Ms Cleeland said.
“It was a failure of leadership, systems and recovery.”
Ms Cleeland outlined serious concerns about fireground coordination, including breakdowns in communication, unclear radio channels, and changing plans that were not relayed to volunteers on the ground.
She said volunteers were left operating without clear direction or senior command at critical points in the fire.
“There was a catastrophic breakdown in communication and command continuity,” she said.
Ms Cleeland also raised concerns about leadership arrangements during the fire, stating that the Acting Chief Fire Officer left the fireground at a critical time, leaving volunteers to manage escalating conditions.
“The fact that more people did not die is nothing short of a miracle,” she said, pointing to vehicles trapped on the Hume Freeway, including a fuel tanker surrounded by fire.
She said exhausted volunteers were pushed beyond safe limits, while many who lost homes and livelihoods were also excluded from basic emergency relief support.
“We have built a system that punishes people for doing the right thing,” she said.
Ms Cleeland also criticised broader emergency management structures, arguing that centralised decision-making has reduced operational clarity and weakened accountability on the fireground.
She said repeated recommendations from past inquiries, particularly around fuel reduction, had not been properly implemented.
Turning to recovery, Ms Cleeland described the current approach as inequitable and slow, with ongoing delays to clean-up, rebuilding and housing support.
“Nearly four months on, parts of our region still look like a warzone. That is not recovery,” she said.
She called for a universal clean-up program, faster rebuilding approvals, improved housing options, and three years of rate exemptions rather than deferrals, warning families face long-term financial strain under current arrangements.
Ms Cleeland also highlighted the strength of community-led recovery efforts, saying local farmers, volunteers and organisations delivered faster and more effective support than government systems.
“Our communities stepped up when the system failed,” she said.
She noted that neither the Premier nor Prime Minister had visited the region despite the scale of impact.
“This inquiry has the chance to fix the system and ensure communities are never left behind again,” Ms Cleeland said.