How resilient are we? Eastern suburbs residents demand action on climate preparedness

Communities across the eastern suburbs have appeared at a state government inquiry to have their say on how they have been impacted by climate-related impacts.

The impacts of storm and other climate-influenced events are something communities across the Dandenong Ranges are no stranger to, with a June 2021 storm event damaging 112 homes and leaving 81 uninhabitable.

Kalorama Mount Dandenong Volunteer Fire Brigade captain Bill Robinson said the communities needed to be better prepared as extreme weather events became more and more prevalent.

“We were told back in June 2021 that it was a one-in-100-year storm, but we’ve had three major storms since then,” he said.

“Things have got worse storm-wise in the Hills.”

Robinson has been one of many eastern suburbs local representatives to present to the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee’s Inquiry into Climate Resilience.

The committee was formed to look into the main risks facing Victoria's built environment and infrastructure from climate change — and the impact these will have on the people of Victoria.

The inquiry aims to analyse how the state government is preparing for these impacts, the barriers in upgrading infrastructure to become more resilient to the impacts, and the preparedness for future climate disaster events. So far it has received 274 written submissions and 273 video submissions.

Monbulk Emergency Management Group member Peter Edyvane said the main concern was less about having access to power, as a number of businesses and individuals had access to generators, but instead how to stay connected to telecommunications services.

“We lose the ability to call Triple-0, we lose the ability to call our friends and family to tell them what’s going on… and basically, it comes down to us driving from house to house during storms to try to get the message through,” he said.

Emerald Village Association planning, tourism and environment committee chair Trevor Budge said the focus should be placed on moving power and telecommunications lines underground along the key emergency routes.

“I think what distinguishes the towns in the Hills is that most of them rely on one single road which runs through the town,” he said.

“If the main street is clogged, if there’s a tree fallen over the main street, the town ceases to function.

“People can’t get access to food, they can’t get access to fuel for their cars.”

Robinson said communities in the Hills just needed a little bit of help to become more resilient.

“The community are very resilient,” he said.

“The communities just need that little bit of help and they need that little bit of guidance.

“Once you give them that, the community will help themselves.”

The committee is due to report to the parliament by June 30 2025.

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