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Publish date: 2 September 2025
Buloke Shire Council Mayor, Cr Alan Getley, has responded to recent comments made in Parliament by the Member for Mildura, Jade Benham MP, regarding the long-overdue flood recovery funding promised to the Buloke community following the devastating 2022–23 floods.
“Delays cost money and the delays in receiving this critical funding mean our staff have had to continually rescope and redevelop projects according to ever-changing goalposts," said the Mayor.
“The Disaster Recovery Funding process keeps shifting and our community is left paying the price as frustration over crumbling roads grows.
"We’ve buffered complaints with explanations and reassurances, but enough is enough.These are not minor inconveniences—they are serious safety risks.”
Council is managing a backlog of recovery works, yet only a fraction of the promised support has been received.
As a small rural shire with a limited ratepayer base and vast geography, the Council has reiterated it simply cannot carry these costs alone.
“We appreciate Ms Benham’s advocacy and echo her call for the government to honour their commitments," the Mayor continued.
“We’ve done our part. Now it’s time for them to do theirs.”
The Mayor also acknowledged the growing frustration across rural communities, particularly in light of recent reports of multi-billion-dollar cost blowouts in metropolitan infrastructure projects.
“When rural communities read about $11 billion overruns in the city, that kind of money could renovate most of our infrastructure many times over," he added.
"We’ve had a gutful of being overlooked. Our communities deserve better.”
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For further information contact 1300 520 520 or media@buloke.vic.gov.au.