Murrindindi Shire Council, which will receive a $920,000 cut of the share, has warned that significant recovery needs remained across the shire seven months after the January 2026 fires.
“This funding is welcome and will help ensure recovery support continues in our communities for longer,” Murrindindi Shire Mayor Damien Gallagher said.
“Many residents, farmers, businesses and community members are still dealing with the consequences of the January fires, and recovery will continue for years, not months.”
The funding will support council’s community recovery officer and recovery hub programs to be delivered until June 2028.
These programs set out to maintain local recovery services and co-ordination for impacted communities.
Cr Gallagher said the announcement was a positive step, but it did not change the scale of the recovery task facing Murrindindi.
“We appreciate this additional investment, but it does not close the gap between the scale of disaster and the recovery funding received,” he said.
“Murrindindi experienced around 48 per cent of Victoria’s structural losses from the January bushfires. Even with this latest grant, our share of recovery funding allocated to councils for the January fires increases from around 8.3 per cent to 10.6 per cent.
“This is progress, but it highlights that there is still a long way to go before our recovery funding more closely reflects the impact experienced by our community.”
Cr Gallagher said council would continue advocating for long-term recovery funding commensurate with the scale and complexity of the recovery effort in Murrindindi.
Council has previously advocated for $6 million to support the operation of recovery hubs and locally led recovery over the next couple of years.
More than $3 million is required to meet that identified need.
“Our recovery hubs and officers working directly with affected communities are not a short-term response. They need to be there as people rebuild their homes and businesses, restore their farms and work through the social and economic impacts of this disaster,” Cr Gallagher said.
“We are grateful for this funding and for the support provided by both levels of government.
“However, the reality is that hundreds of residents are still rebuilding, businesses continue to face challenges, community recovery remains an active task and council is managing the long-term impacts of one of the most significant disasters in our shire’s history.
“I have invited Premier Carroll to visit Murrindindi Shire to experience firsthand the impact of the Longwood fire, the stoicism and resolve of our community to rebuild and support one another, but also the scale of the challenge that remains.”
