Water approaches a Shepparton home during the 2022 floods.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
A new report by the Victorian Council of Social Service has found much of the state is not prepared for future floods.
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“Victorian homes remain unprepared for the next major flood event, and it will come,” VCOSS director of policy and research Jonathon Gurry said.
“We need to learn how to live with it.”
The new report warned disadvantaged communities faced greater barriers to disaster resilience.
“The report really does underscore that link between disadvantage and disasters,” he said.
VCOSS found south-east Shepparton was among the areas where disadvantage could make it harder for residents to prepare for future disasters, with 43 per cent of residents experiencing economic disadvantage.
Mr Gurry said many households could not afford the changes needed to make their homes more resilient, creating a growing divide between those who could prepare and those who could not.
“There’s a growing adaptation gap between those who can adapt and those who can’t,” he said.
The aftermath of the 2022 floods on Creek St in Kialla.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“Some people will be able to move or improve their homes, and some won’t and will be stuck in these areas with absolutely no support.”
Mr Gurry said governments needed to support households to retrofit and strengthen their homes, rather than leaving people to bear the costs themselves.
VCOSS is calling for Victoria to establish a resilient homes program, drawing on similar programs operating in Queensland and NSW.
Mr Gurry said investing in resilience now would ultimately cost less than responding to future disasters.
“The cost of inaction always outweighs the cost of acting,” he said.
“The economically responsible thing to do here is to invest now so you don't pay more later.”
Mr Gurry said the financial impact of the 2022 floods cost Victoria $1.6 billion in the first eight months of the recovery period.
He added that greater investment in resilience could also help address the insurance challenges residents had increasingly faced since 2022.
“We see this especially in Shepparton, which has been ranked by independent analysis as one of the most at-risk places in the country for homes becoming effectively uninsurable,” he said.
“If the government de-risks an area, you know, it makes it more attractive for insurers to actually go in.”
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