TRANSCRIPT:
My question is for the Minister for Emergency Services in the other place, and I ask: will the government provide financial assistance for recovery and repair to farmers and residents impacted by the 2023–24 flood event?
Our farmers are frustrated, having rebuilt fences only for them to be flattened again less than 16 months later.
Initial grants were completely inadequate in recovering from the impact of the October 2022 floods, and now they are having to deal with the same issue all over again this year.
There are people like Stuart and Julie in Benalla, Chloe of Somerset Farms in Seymour, Celia in Heathcote and Melinda in Broken Creek, all of whom have been left with no help as they start cleaning up yet another flood.
On top of the grants not being enough and no longer being available, our residents and farmers are finding it impossible to get insurance, leaving them considerably out of pocket.
Our regional producers and residents cannot be left to tread water as the persistent threat of floods remains. More financial support is essential to get them back on their feet.