21st of May 2024, 8:16am
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Legalise Cannabis and Greens MPs are calling on the Victorian government to work with the other parties to extend an inquiry looking into the October 2022 floods, in light of Melbourne Water reclassifying a section of a Kensington housing estate as ‘at risk of flooding’.
Legalise Cannabis MP David Ettershank is on the parliamentary committee investigating the floods and lives in Kensington.
Quotes attributable to Mr Ettershank, Legalise Cannabis MP and Kensington resident
“This committee was set up to expressly investigate Victoria’s preparedness for and response to Victoria’s major flooding event of 2022, and I’d say rezoning 900 houses as a result of the floods definitely falls under the banner of ‘response’.
“Melbourne Water is owned by the Victorian government and these 900 homes are to be rezoned largely at Melbourne Waters direction.
“2022 was a one in 50-year event, what happens when a one in 100-year event strikes? We know that climate change is only just ramping up and we’ve been told to expect more extreme weather events.
“The inquiry should not close without endeavouring to find answers to these questions. I’m not prepared to leave a job half done.
“The terms of reference asked us to look at what caused or contributed to the flood event, flood mitigation strategies, the Flemington Racecourse flood wall and the Victorian planning framework.”
Quotes attributable to Ellen Sandell, Leader of the Greens and resident of Kensington Banks
“These families bought their houses in good faith, informed that they were constructed on elevated land and above flood levels. We are talking about people with mortgages who invested their life savings into these homes, they deserve answers and action from the State Government.
“The parliamentary inquiry must be extended to ask these important questions, namely why has the flood map changed so radically over Kensington Banks, and the State Government must act to support these residents who have been so severely affected by this single decision.
“The Racecourse flood wall must also be torn down. We have been told that the wall built around the Flemington Racetrack increased water levels by 6cm in Kensington – so why won’t the State Labor Government remove the wall? Horse racing and gambling should not be more important than people’s homes and lives.
“Our parliamentary inquiry held hearings in April this year with residents hard-hit by flooding, lawyers, insurers and local councils.
“We’ve already put out an interim report and our final report was due out soon, but now we must investigate the full impact this ‘at risk of flooding’ rezoning will have and why it’s happened.”
Background
When the Maribyrnong River flooded on the night of October 13, 2022, it devastated more than 600 homes and businesses across the suburbs of Maribyrnong, Avondale Heights, Kensington and Ascot Vale, and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. It was the river’s third-worst flood on record.
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