Campaspe seeks Federal Disaster Ready Fund allocation

Published on 22 February 2023

Campaspe Shire Council has endorsed an allocation of approximately $357,000 in the 2023-2024 Budget process to support its recent application to Emergency Management Victoria seeking $1.088 million in funding through the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund.

The federal government is providing up to one billion over the next five years to protect communities from natural disasters. Council lodged an application for Round One funding which closed on 16 February.

Mayor of Campaspe Shire, Cr Rob Amos said Council’s application aims to increase both the Council’s and community’s capacity to prepare for, and respond to, future flood-related disasters.

“The October 2022 flood event left widespread devastation across Campaspe communities and the emotional, social and economic upheaval will be felt for years to come,” Cr Amos said.

“If we are successful with our Disaster Ready Fund application, the funds will enable us to enhance Council’s ability to prepare and respond to flood-related disasters.

“We’ll also be able to increase the resilience of our communities by ensuring they are better prepared to understand and manage flood risks.”

Council’s application to the Disaster Ready Fund outlined three projects the funding would deliver:

Updating and extending the draft Echuca Moama Torrumbarry Flood Study to incorporate data from the October 2022 flood event. This will also involve community and stakeholder engagement to collect additional data, verify the modelling accuracy, and generate community knowledge and understanding of flooding affects.

Preparation of a Flood Risk Management Plan to identify, evaluate and recommend options for mitigation works and investigate recommendations to determine their overall feasibility and requirements.

Purchase of demountable levee panels, along with design and construction of site works to enable installation, operation, and preparation as well as operating procedures for inclusion in the Flood Emergency Management Plans. The demountable barriers will protect key community facilities in Rochester rendered inoperable by the 2022 flood. They will also maintain road access in Echuca in areas that were completely cut-off in the 2022 flood, isolating essential services and the community.