GLENELG Shire Council will receive $420,000 under a national program to reduce the risk and minimise the impact to communities of large-scale natural disasters like floods and bushfires.

Wannon MP, Dan Tehan said the allocation from the Federal Government was part of the Preparing Australian Communities Program, which would assign $600 million over six years to build the nation’s resilience to natural disasters.

“We know communities are best placed to understand their unique needs and how they can best improve their resilience and reduce their level of risk to natural disasters that’s why these projects have been assessed to be so important to the Wannon region,” he said.

Across the Wannon electorate, $1.8 million is allocated for five projects, including the funding for Glenelg Shire, which will be used to prepare a flood study for the townships of Dartmoor and Nelson.

Both towns were identified as a priority action for by the Regional Floodplain Management Strategy 2017.

This includes introducing the recommendations from that study into the Glenelg Planning Scheme by way of a planning scheme amendment to include Floodway and Land Subject to Inundation Overlays, where relevant.

In Southern Grampians Shire, $287,500 will go towards flood studies and flood mitigation planning, and will be undertaken on key catchments, specifically for the townships of Coleraine and Dunkeld, to contribute to the protection of these communities, infrastructure, and the natural environment.

These plans would also include the development of communication resources for the communities specifically in relation to flood behaviour.

The planning will facilitate informed decisions on future flooding mitigation management with consideration to the future economic investment in development and infrastructure within these floodplains which will be referred through a planning scheme amendment.

Another $80,000 will go to Moyne Shire Council to address storm sea surges, with a further two projects address bushfire management and mitigation for Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation across the traditional lands of Boandik Country and in Forrest in the Otways, at a cost of $958,900 and $62,000 respectively.

“Disasters currently cost Australian taxpayers $18.2 billion per year and this has been forecast to rise to $39 billion per year by 2050, even without increased frequency and intensity of weather events due to climate change,” Mr Tehan said.

“In delivering this program, the Australian Government is not only increasing disaster preparedness and resilience, but also reducing the cost in time and money of recovery following future disasters.”

There are three streams of the Preparing Australia Program, with the first two (Preparing Australian Communities Program)

dealing with public risk reduction for projects of local significance and national significance.

The third program, Preparing Australian Homes, will focus on private risk reduction.