Under the state government’s $175 million recovery package, only uninsured or under-insured properties qualify for the co-ordinated clean-up, while insured residents must fund debris removal from their own payouts before they can rebuild.
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said the decision had created a two-tier recovery and marked the first time in more than a decade Victoria had not applied a universal clean-up following a major disaster.
“People who did the responsible thing and insured their homes are being left behind,” Ms Cleeland said.
“For over 10 years, after fires and floods, clean-up was treated as a safety issue and handled universally. This is the first time the government has walked away from that approach.”
Ms Cleeland said residents had reported quotes of tens of thousands of dollars to remove sheds and debris, leading some to attempt clean-ups themselves.
“That is dangerous for families and an environmental risk when hazardous material is handled piecemeal. The physical scars stay in the landscape longer and recovery stalls,” she said.
“You are effectively punished for being insured. That is not how emergency recovery should work.
“A single program is faster, safer and gets people rebuilding sooner. Recovery should bring communities together, not divide them.”
Ms Cleeland is calling on the state government to restore a universal, co-ordinated clean-up for all fire-affected properties.
The Telegraph has contacted the Victorian Government for comment.
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