Inquiry into the 2022 flood event

THE Inquiry into the 2022 Flood event in Victoria was tabled in Parliament on July 30 by the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee.

The report made 90 findings regarding the standard of emergency preparedness in Victoria prior to the October 2022 floods and 73 recommendations to the Victorian Government aimed at improving community readiness in the event of disasters and to respond more effectively in the future.

The government has six months to respond to the inquiry report and during that time they plan to consider all the evidence, findings and recommendations when developing a new Victorian Floodplain Management Strategy.

Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said,“The Victorian Government must now respond meaningfully to the findings and recommendations of the report and ensure that warning systems are enhanced, residents are educated for disaster preparedness and response, local governments are resourced to maintain updated flood plans, and emergency services get the training and support they need to deal with future natural disasters.”

Nationals Member for Ovens Valley and Shadow Minister for Water, Tim McCurdy commented that “The government needs to go away and have a good hard look at their policy failures of the last decade… It has failed Victorians before, during, and after the flood event, and is still failing Victorians now in their time of need.”

The Inquiry

The 2022 flood event affected 63 local government areas and one alpine resort, a total of 81 per cent of all local government areas across Victoria.

This significant event required an inquiry to recommend ways to improve for the future regarding preparation, response and recovering from floods.

Affected communities contributed to the inquiry, evidence was received from emergency responders, local authorities, climate scientists, hydrologists and urban planners. In Murrindindi Shire, 36 submissions were made to the inquiry.

The inquiry states, “For government, one of the most critical roles going forward is accurately and honestly informing communities about risk. New flood modelling is being undertaken across all Melbourne catchments, and flood studies across the state should be regularly undertaken.

Communities need to be properly supported through this process and community leaders need to show compassion, offer support, and avoid exploiting genuine fear and uncertainty. Preparedness for the next disaster is another essential component of what comes from this latest experience.”

It’s also noted how climate change plays a part in future flood events. “As our climate changes,  weather events become more intense and more severe, and as development changes the built environment around floodplains, the frequency and severity of flood events will only intensify. As a result, those living and working near watercourses are facing…