General News
9 March, 2024
Government admits simpler process hope
THE State Government wants a federal review of the Disaster Recovery Funding Agreement to simplify payment processes. A spokesperson said the Government had listened to complaints from Victorian councils. “We’ve listened to Victorian councillors...
THE State Government wants a federal review of the Disaster Recovery Funding Agreement to simplify payment processes.
A spokesperson said the Government had listened to complaints from Victorian councils.
“We’ve listened to Victorian councillors who have told us that the biggest hurdle to getting recovery funding is overly bureaucratic ways to assess damages and submit claims under joint-funding arrangements,” they said.
“The Federal Government is currently reviewing the DRFA and we hope this review leads to a simpler process that gets support to communities when they need it most.”
The spokesperson said more than $2 billion in flood recovery funding had been issued in partnership with the Commonwealth.
But more than a year on from the October 2022 flood emergency, the spokesperson said: “We know recovery from a significant weather event like these floods doesn’t happen overnight. We’re continuing to work closely with communities to support them in their recovery.”
It is believed “a pragmatic approach will be applied for timelines relating to reconstruction of essential asset projects” by the State Government.
The Government says claim assessment timelines “are impacted by factors including the scale and number of disaster events, and whether claims meet the DRFA guidelines.
“Delays can occur where claims are submitted after the end of the financial year or when assessors are required to seek additional information to maximise the return for councils”.