The state government has announced it will establish a board of inquiry into the landslide that occurred in McCrae on 14 January, despite a letter from the shire mayor requesting “urgent technical and financial support” going unanswered.
The announcement stated the government is “listening to McCrae residents impacted by landslide” with the inquiry tasked to “get to the bottom of what happened and to prevent similar incidences occurring in the future”.
Once established, the inquiry will develop a process for locals to engage with its work, with details on how people can submit their stories to be released in the coming weeks.
The inquiry will be asked to deliver its final report later this year, including recommendations to government.
“We need to get to the bottom of what has happened here because too many people have been let down and too many questions remain unanswered,” said state premier Jacinta Allen.
But Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh said the premier “made a number of misleading statements about council’s response to the incident and that it is important for our community to know the truth”.
“Council is wholly focussed on the needs of our residents,” said Marsh.
“We have held two community meetings to keep residents informed and allow them to ask questions. We are communicating daily with all those affected, and each resident has a direct contact at council who they can talk to at any time.
“We have also written directly to the surrounding community and set up a community recovery committee with community representatives. Our website is updated regularly to keep the broader community informed.
“Everything that needs to happen is already happening”.
Marsh confirmed it could be weeks if not months before homeowners returned to their properties as the site was yet to be deemed safe, adding it “remains a complex and evolving issue” and the “risk of further landslides is unknown”.
He said the shire is working closely with the State Emergency Service and other agencies, noting an exclusion zone remained in place while “extensive testing continues”.
On 21 January the shire formally wrote to the Minister for Emergency Services and Natural Disaster Recovery requesting “urgent technical and financial support”.
While no technical or financial support was offered in today’s inquiry announcement, Marsh said “the shire is ready to engage with the inquiry and I would welcome a conversation with the state government on what technical and financial resources it can offer to help us support our community”.
