The Liberal and Nationals Government has invested $2,039,000 to upgrade the Wangaratta Parklands Emergency Relief centre. Funding will deliver electricity and water services to the site, meaning that when the community has to evacuate, they have essential services, us more resilient in the face of future disasters.
Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Senator the Hon. Bridget McKenzie said overall program funding was boosted to $390 million to further support communities around Australia to recover from the 2019-20 bushfires.
“As part of the $2.1 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund, the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program is backing projects which the affected communities have said will best support their ongoing recovery,” Senator McKenzie said.
“It was important that we funded projects based on need and merit and which offered a lasting and tangible impact, tailored to local needs and conditions.
“The quality of the Wangaratta Parklands project shows that our ‘locally led’ approach works.
“We understand that recovery from bushfires takes time, and we will continue to support impacted communities through their recovery from the devastating Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020.”
The Nationals Candidate for Indi, Liz Fisher said, “Providing communities with appropriate and fit-for-purpose emergency facilities is important for when natural disasters strike.
“I have heard that during the Black Summer Bushfires, people who used this facility needed suitable amenities for basic needs and this project will deliver those,” Mrs Fisher said.
Details of the funded projects are available on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency website at: https://recovery.gov.au/programs/black-summer grants
Media contact:
Minister McKenzie: Chris Williams 0448 901 016