Indigo Shire businesses felt "forgotten" during the summer bushfires as they watched those in regions either side of them get financial assistance, while being left out.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Bushfires did not go directly through the municipality like they did in neighbouring Towong and Alpine shires, but the tourism industry suffered the same.
In a submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements published this week, Indigo chief executive Trevor Ierino outlined how the shire was affected when the key message to all travellers was "get out of the North East".
"The recent bushfire event has decimated Indigo Shire's business capacity and confidence and the current pandemic environment has compounded the impact. Many small businesses, have experienced significant reduction in income and are in need of support to manage their cash commitments in the short term and in many cases prevent insolvency," he said.
"There is deep concern and frustration that the critical short term needs of Indigo's small businesses are not being supported and that the bushfires and its effect on them have now been forgotten."
RELATED:
The federal government this month announced Indigo and Wangaratta would be included in a joint federal and Victorian scheme to provide businesses with $10,000 grants, which had been available in other areas from March.
Indigo Shire is also facing long-term problems of being in a bushfire area.
Mr Ierino said the idea of people moving for a "tree change" is being replaced with warning images of "trees on fire".
"We no longer use the term 'summer' or 'holiday' season - December to February and beyond is now referred to as the 'bushfire season'," he said.
"We face the increasing prospect of climate change refugees and the possibility of rural inland communities losing confidence in their ability to live in regional areas.
"This has a flow-on effect to the ability to attract city dwellers to relocate to the regions."
There are 10 official "neighbourhood places of last resort" in Indigo Shire, but Mr Ierino described the idea as a "misnomer".
"Many residents believed there was a 'safer place' to go and that in the event of an approaching fire, they would be directed to such place. Despite exhaustive messaging we couldn't break this thinking," he said.
"The safest place to be is somewhere else where there is no fire."
