Described as ‘woefully inadequate’, the response was slammed by Victorian Shadow Water Minister and State Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy and State Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad.
They said it was disrespectful to residents, and had left them feeling unheard.
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland it was “a slap in the face for regional Victorians who lost everything”.
Ms Broad, a member of the committee that conducted the inquiry, heard first-hand the stories of the flood affected residents.
“Their stories were heart-breaking and traumatic and there are still 200 residents in Rochester whose homes are uninhabitable,” she said.
The final report for the inquiry was released in July 2024. It made 73 recommendations.
The government has released its formal response, supporting six recommendations in full; 43 were supported in principle, six in part, six are under review and two are not supported.
“The inquiry was extensive, and we expected the government to take swift action on the committee’s recommendations,” Ms Broad said.
“Instead, the report reflects further delays. Regional communities devastated by floods have waited long enough and deserve action.”
Ms Broad said key areas of concern included the government’s failure to commit to repairing and upgrading levee banks, and the fact that the Victorian Government won’t pay to retrofit or raise houses in flood-prone areas.
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