January 2026 Bushfire Advocacy Priorities

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Murrindindi was the hardest‑hit community in Victoria in the January 2026 fires. Our residents, businesses and landscapes have absorbed the greatest impact.

More than 144,000 hectares burned across the Longwood fire and more than 190 homes were destroyed within Murrindindi Shire alone in 2026 - on top of past disasters (2009 fires, 2022 floods).

Consequences span people, economy and infrastructure: 450 km of roads and dozens of bridges/culverts impacted, major tourism assets lost, and significant agricultural and wildlife harm.

While Council is working closely with communities and partner agencies to support recovery and strengthen long-term resilience, the scale, complexity and cumulative nature of these impacts exceed local capacity.

Strong, coordinated and sustained partnerships with State and Federal Governments are essential to meet immediate recovery needs and to build long-term protection against increasing climate-driven risks.

Council's advocacy outlines

  • key community needs,
  • recovery pathways and policy reforms required to restore critical infrastructure,
  • support local economies,
  • improve emergency management, and
  • secure a resilient future.

Council's Advocacy Asks

 

Item

Estimated Cost

1

Alexandra Relief & Community Centre (new facility)

$22 million

2

Community Recovery Hubs (Alexandra & Yea + outreach to small communities for 2–3 years)

$6 million

3

Planning and Rebuilding Support (planners, planning consultant services, assessors, building fees waiver)

$4.5 million

4

Primary Producer Recovery Package (fencing, pasture, livestock welfare)

$20 million

5

Business & Tourism Recovery Grants + Local Spend Voucher Program

$5 million

6

Rebuild Community & Tourism Assets (incl. Great Victorian Rail Trail sections)

$8 million

7

Critical Infrastructure Betterment (bridges, roads, culverts)

$30 million

8

Environmental Restoration and land rehabilitation (habitat repair, wildlife care, weed & erosion management)

$5 million

9

Council costs (staffing, lost revenue)

$4.5 million

10

Power & Telecommunications Resilience (redundancy, 4G blackspots, ICC backup)

$10 million

 

Further details are in Council's Advocacy Report.(PDF, 2MB)

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