Storm and Flood Recovery News

Yarra Ranges Council has welcomed the State Government's announcement of up to $650,000 in grant funding to support local communities affected by the June 2021 Storm.

As part of a regional partnership, $650,000 will be shared by Yarra Ranges Council and Cardinia Shire Council, to support volunteer clean-up groups, Habitat for Humanity Victoria and Treasuring Our Trees.

The funding will allow Cardinia Shire Council and Yarra Ranges Council to work with Habitat For Humanity and Treasuring our Trees and connect residents who require storm debris removal work with the volunteer groups.

The grants will also support equipment purchases and critical training opportunities.

If you still need assistance with property clean up support contact Sue Jack, Recovery Centre and Outreach coordinator on 0477 056 265. 

If you know someone who’d like to volunteer
There is still a great need for assistance in the community. If you or someone you know would like to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity please contact the Volunteer Supervisor Felicity Smith at fsmith@habitat.org.au or visit the Habitat for Humanity website to register interest. There are multiple roles available and volunteering is flexible. 

Yarra Ranges Council is providing a second Special Storm Event Tree Branch Collection for residents in the Dandenong Ranges to further assist with clean up following the severe storm in June 2021.

This collection will enable residents to remove bulky tree branches from their property that are up to 250mm by 3m in length – think of the width of a football, and no longer than what could fit in a standard trailer.

Residents requiring a collection will need to register for the collection before registrations close  on15 August 2022. Branch material will only be collected from the kerbside of properties that have registered for a collection.

Due to funding constraints, the second round of the Special Storm Event Tree Branch Collection is only available to residents living in suburbs that were severely impacted by the June 2021 storm. These suburbs include: Selby, Kallista, Tremont, Ferny Creek, Sassafras, Olinda, Monbulk, Silvan, Kalorama, Mount Dandenong, Wandin and Mount Evelyn.

If you have any questions, or have trouble registering, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 1300 368 333 or 9294 6905. Alternatively, you can email us at mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au

Since the June 2021 storm, Council has been working with and supporting impacted residents whose houses were destroyed following the storm.

You may have seen on the news recently that a family, whose home was lost in the storm, are having challenges with their planning application to rebuild due to their property being at moderate risk of landslip.

Because the family's property is covered by an Erosion Management Overlay, a geotechnical assessment must be undertaken to identify the risk of a potential landslip.

Council has to assess planning applications against the Victorian Planning Provisions and can only approve properties that are identified as having a ‘low’ or ‘very low’ risk.

The result of the recent assessment identifies the property as having a ‘moderate risk’ which means it does not comply with the planning scheme.

Council understands and feels deeply for these residents and has requested their consultant to explore if there are any ways to mitigate the landslip risk to a level where the residents can continue with their planning permit process.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by the 2021 storm and is in need of support, you can book in to see us Karwarra Community Hub. 

Our team can help provide information and connect you to relevant services to support your recovery.

Recently, Council invited highly impacted residents who lost their homes during the June storm to attend a Reimagining Your Rebuild event

During these events residents were provided with specific information to assist with their rebuild.

In this video, Engineering Geologist, Darren Paul, discusses landslide and landslip management in the Yarra Ranges and considerations residents should have around rebuilding in areas prone to erosion

Does your community group need funding support?

Community Led funding Recovery Grants unique to each region are now available for community groups and residents to apply.

Grant opening dates: 

• The Valley CRC Helping Communities Rebound grant is now open and applications can be made until 1 September. Apply for Valley CRC Grant
• The Upper Yarra CRC Community Led Recovery Grant is now open and applications can be made until 22 August. Apply for Upper Yarra CRC Grant
• The Urban CRC Community Led Recovery Grant round opens 25 July and applications can be made until 22 August. Community Information session on Tuesday 26 July at 7pm via Zoom
•  The Hills CRC opens 1 August and applications can be made until 29 August. Community Information session on Thursday 28 July at 6pm via Zoom

Storm affected community members will soon be able to test their homes for water leaks and high-energy use, following the success of Energy and Water Saver Kits at local libraries.

In January 2022, Yarra Ranges, Knox and Maroondah Councils made three kits available to community through Eastern Regional Libraries, where community members can test their homes for flaws and leaks. 

Now, due to the popularity of the kits, there are an additional two kits which will soon become available for anyone impacted by the June 2021 storm. 

Keep updated on when these kits become available by following the Recovery website at: https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/recovery/Home

Whether you're planning a rebuild, repairing part of your house or just wanting to remove some trees, how straightforward (or complicated) this process is will depend on where your property is located, the features of the land and surrounding areas, and the type of dwelling you wish to build.

Familiarising yourself with the planning application process, what overlays are in the Yarra Ranges and what impact they can have are important to know should you ever have to rebuild or repair your home. 

To equip you with the tools and that knowledge Council is organising an event for next month aimed at demystifying the building repair process, exploring what is possible, and sharing the support and services Council have ready to help you along the way.

This event is expected to take place in September or October, so be sure to check the  monthly recovery newsletter and website to keep informed: www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/recovery/Home

We're also interested in hearing what subjects you want to hear about so if there's a topic you think should be covered let us know by emailing us at: planning@yarraranges.vic.gov.au

We are really pleased to announce that our Healing in our Gardens launch event for our storm impacted community will be held on Saturday 3^rd September at Mist@Olinda in the beautiful Botanical Gardens at Olinda.  At this event you will be able to meet some of the wonderful community groups, nurseries, organisations and people helping us to bring Healing in our Gardens to you, and learn more about or register for the upcoming free events, activities and resources available, to help you and our other storm impacted residents, restore, reconnect with or rebuild your private gardens damaged or destroyed in the June 2021 storm or from subsequent clean-up works.
Our Healing in our Gardens project will have three main focuses.

• My Garden Sanctuary - where residents can come together and learn more about how to restore, reimagine and rebuild their own gardens
• Lending a Hand - where residents can connect with and support each other and their communities, by sharing their gardening knowledge, experience, or physical skills.
• Beyond my Fence - where residents can come together, learn more and be involved in supporting and caring for their local environment, biodiversity, sustainability, and place.

We’ll be sharing more details about our September 3^rd Healing in our Gardens Launch event with you and community groups in the coming weeks, via flyers, emails and across our Recovery Website and social media platforms. 
We know many still have a long recovery journey ahead, but do hope that Healing in our Gardens provides a positive, meaningful and practical step forward that helps you and our other storm impacted residents to continue your healing journey in and through your garden, home and the beautiful environment which we live within.

If you would like to register your interest to attend our Launch Event on 3^rd September, or receive more information about Healing in our Gardens, please contact Deb Sargentson – Community Recovery at D.Sargentson@yarraranges.vic.gov.au 

The cold, wet weather at the moment might not have you thinking about fires – but bushfire season will come around before we know it, and Bushfire Resilience Inc. is holding a free webinar series focusing on bushfire preparedness.

Hosted by not-for-profit Bushfire Resilience Inc (BRI), five webinars will be held from July through to September, providing thought-provoking, relevant, and practical information for families in rural areas and on the urban fringe.

Viewers can ask questions before or during the webinar, with a panel of experts prepared for each webinar to discuss the issues, strategies, and actions to get bushfire resilient.

Topics and dates below: 

• Horses and bushfire – 20 July
• Your vegetation - 10 August
• Your last resort options – 24 August
• Why get kids involved in the family bushfire plan – 7 September
• Understand your bushfire risk – 21 September

For more information and to register, click here.