The Australian Government is reducing the risk and minimising the impact to communities of large-scale natural disasters like floods and bushfires in Wannon by directly investing over $1.8 million into five projects across Wannon.
Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan welcomed the announcement of funding for these five important projects.
The Preparing Australian Communities Program – Local stream is the first tranche of the Preparing Australia Program, an investment by the Australian Government of $600 million over six years to build the nation’s resilience to natural disasters.
“We know communities are best placed to understand their unique needs and how they can best improve their resilience and reduce their level of risk to natural disasters that’s why these projects have been assessed to be so important to the Wannon region, said Mr Tehan.
| Recipient | Project Description | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation (Delivered in Glenelg LGA) | This project will enable Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation to facilitate bushfire management activities across the traditional lands of Boandik Country in Southeast South Australia and Western Victoria. Activities will include Two-way learning workshops, Facilitated bushfire planning, First Nations community training to establish Burrandies Lartara-Wirkeri Industry Fire Brigade and purchase of equipment to implement bushfire abatement trials. | $958,900 |
| Forrest Public Reserves Committee Incorporated | The project is part of a long running community initiative to develop bushfire and climate resilient communities in Forrest and district, in Victoria’s Otway Ranges. Working with residents, community groups, visitors and businesses, a series of bushfire risk reduction, response and resilience activities within the Forrest and district communities will be designed. This includes establishing a cross-sector local committee to coordinate local efforts; expanding on and formalising long-term partnerships with state and local emergency management agencies; undertaking scenario-based planning and developing a Community Bushfire Plan for the township. | $62,000 |
| Southern Grampians Shire Council | Flood studies and flood mitigation planning will be undertaken on key catchments in the Southern Grampians Shire, specifically for the townships of Coleraine and Dunkeld, to contribute to the protection of these communities, infrastructure, and the natural environment. These plans would also include the development of communication resources for the communities specifically in relation to flood behaviour. This planning will facilitate informed decisions on future flooding mitigation management with consideration to the future economic investment in development and infrastructure within these floodplains which will be referred through a planning scheme amendment. | $287,500 |
| Moyne Shire Council | Engage a coastal engineering company to undertake a foreshore coastal protection options analysis and detailed design to mitigate wave runup into houses and public infrastructure during storm sea surges | $80,000 |
| Glenelg Shire Council | Prepare a flood study for the townships of Dartmoor and Nelson identified as a priority action for GSC l by the Regional Floodplain Management Strategy 2017. This includes introducing the recommendations from that study into the Glenelg Planning Scheme by way of a planning scheme amendment to include Floodway and Land Subject to Inundation Overlays where relevant. | $420,000 |
“Disasters currently cost Australian taxpayers $18.2 billion per year and this has been forecast to rise to $39 billion per year by 2050, even without increased frequency and intensity of weather events due to climate change,” Mr Tehan said.
In delivering this program, the Australian Government is not only increasing disaster preparedness and resilience, but also reducing the cost in time and money of recovery following future disasters.
There are three streams of the Preparing Australia Program:
For more information and a full list of projects funded under Round One of the Preparing Australian Communities Program – Local stream visit: https://recovery.gov.au/disaster-risk-reduction/preparing-australia-program.
158 projects across the country shared in $150 million dollars from the Commonwealth Government.
