Truckloads of old burnt wire and fences are still stacked up on bushfire-affected properties in the North East after this summer, as property owners wait for the slow clean-up process to continue.
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Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh has told Parliament he had been talking to Benambra MP Bill Tilley about the issues still being faced months after the fires.
"A lot of people are very frustrated that the clean-up is going far too slowly," he said.
"There are farmers in the North East - the member for Benambra has put some information through to me - where they have got literally truckloads and truckloads of old burnt wire and fences stacked up on their property.
"They put the new fences up, because you have to to control your livestock, but they have got truckloads and truckloads of old wire and old burnt fencing material that no one is coming to pick up at this stage.
"So there is a lot of work to do on the clean-up."
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Part of the bill passed in Victorian Parliament last week puts into place bushfire assistance previously announced by the government including a reduced payroll tax rate and stamp duty concessions.
Premier Daniel Andrews said assistance for bushfire-affected communities had not been forgotten during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I want to send a very clear message to every bushfire-affected community, whether it be families who lost everything or businesses who have lost every single customer and everybody in between: we are dealing with a global pandemic at the moment, but we have not forgotten you," he said.
"Already work is well advanced in terms of planning for the next fire season, because despite the challenges we face, of COVID-19, the next fire season will be on us very, very, very quickly."
Mr Walsh said he wanted to see service organisations like the Lions Club compensated for the financial help provided during the bushfire emergency, and customer service improved so there was less confusion about where to go for financial assistance.
"I would encourage the government to make sure they actually get back and get focused on delivering on the things that they actually promised they would deliver on, rather than just ignoring it and hoping it will all go away," he said.
