The Federal and Victorian Governments are set to provide local communities and councils with a share of more than $9 million in funding to help them better prepare for future natural disasters.
Victorian Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes was joined today by the North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and Loddon Shire Council in Newbridge to announce the third round of grants under the National Partnership Agreement on Disaster Risk Reduction (NPA). Newbridge is located along the Loddon River and has experienced flooding in recent years.
The Risk and Resilience and the State and Regional Priority Projects grant programs will provide expert agencies with the resources to better prepare and respond to severe weather events.
Almost 50 projects across Victoria will be supported through the NPA between the Federal, State and Territory Governments to minimise the risk and impact of natural disasters on local communities in line with the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework.
Successful applicants receiving funding for their initiatives include:
- North Central CMA which will receive more than $448,000 in Risk and Resilience funding to support three projects, including:
- The FloodEye mapping tool that helps monitor flood information across five townships – Newbridge, Bridgewater, Clunes, Echuca and Quambatook
- The Loddon Flood Warning System Review to examine in detail the flood warning systems available to communities in the Loddon catchment
- The Traditional Owner and Floodplain Management in the Gannawarra Shire Project to better incorporate guidance from Traditional Owners in floodplain management and flood response activities
- Greater Shepparton City Council which will receive $125,000 to install a makeshift levee system to improve protection from floodwaters
- The Puffing Billy Railway Board which will receive more than $56,000 to support their project creating a Heat Refuge for volunteers working in extreme heat conditions
- The City of Greater Bendigo which will receive $235,000 to work with Indigenous and multicultural communities to build understanding about natural disasters and emergency risk
- Macedon Ranges City Council which will receive $65,000 to purchase a generator to provide power for essential services in surrounding towns during extreme weather events
Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt, said that the Federal Government is committed to working with the Victorian Government to make sure Victorians are more prepared for natural disasters, so communities can respond and recover quicker.
“A significant focus of the NPA is to help locally-led organisations address the risks that they have identified, with solutions that will help them better prepare and respond to increasingly frequent and intense severe weather events,” Minister Watt said.
“The projects that we’re supporting through these grant programs aim to achieve exactly that, and I commend these organisations for their initiative.”
Victorian Minister for Emergency Services, Jaclyn Symes, said that these programs highlight the incredible work local organisations are doing to reduce the risk of natural disasters and build resilience within their communities.”
“We’ll never be able to eradicate natural disasters – however we can ensure local communities are better prepared for when they occur. I look forward to following the success of these crucial projects,” Minister Symes said.
“The recipients of these grants are working incredibly hard to reduce risks and prepare Victorians for severe weather events.”
