Council’s submission set out 15 practical, evidence-based recommendations to strengthen preparedness, response and long-term recovery.
Murrindindi Shire Mayor Damien Gallagher said a misalignment between impact and funding was central to the submission.
“Front line in the disaster, back of the queue in recovery — that’s the reality for Murrindindi,” Cr Gallagher said.
“By any measure, Murrindindi sustained close to half of the state’s impact, yet received a fraction of the recovery funding.
“Equal funding did not result in equal outcomes for our communities.”
Almost one third of Murrindindi was affected by the summer bushfires, and nearly half of the state’s structural losses occurred in the shire, including 216 homes, more than 520 outbuildings, and widespread destruction of farming infrastructure and fencing.
Impact assessments compiled by Emergency Management Victoria indicate that Murrindindi experienced about 48 per cent of the state’s losses.
Council has confirmed it received about eight per cent of recovery funding, including the same $750,000 Council Support Fund allocation as most of the other 18 impacted councils.
“When funding does not reflect impact, it affects the pace of recovery, the visibility of services and, ultimately, confidence in the system,” Cr Gallagher said.
Council’s inquiry submission argued that a one-size-fits-all approach created visible gaps in recovery, particularly in rural municipalities managing large-scale damage.
Murrindindi Shire Council chief executive Livia Bonazzi told the inquiry that, while recovery was under way, new requests for assistance continued to come through months after the fires.
“The defining issue before this inquiry is not only the scale of the fire, but how recovery has unfolded,” Ms Bonazzi said.
“The recovery system assumed impact was evenly distributed. The evidence shows it was not.”
Ms Bonazzi said the consequences of this mismatch were now shaping recovery on the ground.
“Recovery is the point at which we either restore communities or quietly lose them,” she said.
“Under-funded recovery does not just delay rebuilding, it compounds trauma.”
Council’s submission highlighted broader challenges exposed by the fires, including telecommunications and power failures that left communities isolated and the absence of fit-for-purpose local relief infrastructure.
It also drew attention to the increasing pressure on volunteers and local government capacity, gaps in co-ordination, data sharing and recovery delivery, and the cumulative impact of repeated disasters.
“There is clear scope for this inquiry to deliver meaningful recommendations for reform, particularly in addressing recovery funding inequity,” Cr Gallagher said.
“What matters now is that those recommendations are adopted and implemented by government, not left sitting on a shelf.
“The hearings may have concluded, but the story of recovery is still being written.
“We encourage our community to continue telling their story because every voice contributed to the change needed to build a fairer, stronger recovery system.”
To read council’s full submission, visit tinyurl.com/4fby2azj
