COMMUNITIES affected by the October 2022 floods, waiting for relief from the State Government, have had to wait extended periods of time for reimbursement of the cost of relief and recovery activities following a natural disaster.
The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office released its report Relief and Recovery Funding for the 2022 Floods last week, which revealed that the State Government took an average of 214 days to approve flood-related claims, and at one stage the average processing time hit a peak of 429 days.
Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has slammed the State Government for causing lengthy delays in approving flood recovery funding claims for local councils, and called on the government to speed up the approval process for all outstanding claims.
“The Auditor-General’s report shows that the Allan Labor Government has dragged its feet on approving flood-related funding claims, making the recovery take longer for local councils who are trying to rebuild their communities,” said Ms Lovell.
Ms Lovell spoke in parliament on the day of the report’s release to say it was deeply troubling that more than three years after the start of the floods in October 2022, there are 44 flood-related claims still in progress and there are 33 certified estimates still waiting to be approved, preventing the work from even starting.
“Rural and regional councils face tight budget constraints, and desperately need prompt payment. The state government must speed up the processing and approval of outstanding flood recovery funding claims and certified estimates,” said Ms Lovell.
