Unless you’ve lived in a rural community, it can be hard to fully grasp what a week like this really means.
For many families, these past days have been incredibly hard. And what they are dealing with goes far beyond visible damage.
It is loss. Loss of homes. Loss of stock. Loss of sheds, fences, crops and land that families have worked for generations to build and care for.
These are not just houses that can be easily rebuilt. Many are generational properties. They are livelihoods and businesses, shaped by decades of hard work, resilience and pride.
On top of that comes the strain of having to leave your home, often at short notice. Being separated from neighbours, from stock, from land, at the very moment you want nothing more than to be there, doing what you can.
I want to say a genuine thank you to those who listened to the warnings and made the difficult decision to leave. I know how hard that choice was. By doing so, you didn’t just protect your own lives, you also helped ensure our firefighters and emergency service workers were not placed in even greater danger.
As we move into recovery, I want you to know that help is available. Immediate assistance is already in place, including emergency relief payments, temporary accommodation, fodder support for livestock, and mental health services for those who need them.
Support can be accessed through local relief centres or by calling the Emergency Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760. This is just the beginning, and more services will continue to roll out as communities need them.
Recovery will take time. But no one will face it alone. And I can promise you this: your government will be there with you, every step of the way.
– Jacinta Allan
Premier of Victoria
17°C