By Mitchell Clarke
Federal Monash MP Russell Broadbent has said he will ensure Bunyip fire victims receive the same entitlements as those affected in the East Gippsland fires.
In an address to parliament in early February, Mr Broadbent issued a condolence message to everyone that had been touched by bushfire.
“There are people out there affected by previous bushfires whose memories are being torn back to the tragedy that they faced all those years ago – or, perhaps in my case, in February and March last year with the Bunyip North bushfire,” he said.
“These people are really hurting today. Their trauma is deep. It is extremely hard for them to handle.
“We cannot even try to identify their pain, their trauma and their shock because we didn’t stand in their shoes, we haven’t stood in their boots and we haven’t been there in their thongs—if that’s all they’ve got left.”
Victims of the Bunyip fires aren’t eligible to receive the same entitlements as those affected in recent East Gippsland, New South Wales and Queensland fires.
“I say to the people of the Bunyip North fire, we’re here with you for the long haul too, even though your fire was in February,” Mr Broadbent added.
“I will make sure that you get every benefit that every other person on the fire grounds is getting.
“When there are other opportunities given to people around the country, you need to make sure your own people are given the same equality.”
The Gazette called Mr Broadbent on Tuesday 25 February to ask for an update on where the funding promise was currently at.
“We’re working through the process with (Narracan MP) Gary Blackwood’s office to find out where the gaps are,” he said.
“When we can establish this, we will then take that forward and see where the differences are.”
Asked how confident he was on securing the funding, he said: “We’ve been pretty successful in the past”.
In mid-February, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told a press conference at Officer that a $2 billion rebuild plan was in place for fire affected communities.
As he left the press conference, the Gazette put the question to the PM, as to whether Bunyip fire victims would receive a share of that funding however the question was ignored.
