Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack is under fire from Indi MP Helen Haines about her electorate being snubbed from a $100 million funding package released by the National Party to assist areas still recovering from the triple whammy of drought, bushfires and COVID-19.
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The Upper Murray was one of the areas hardest hit by summer bushfires with the follow up coronavirus pandemic hitting the high country economy hard with the Man From Snowy River Bush Festival, being one of the casualties.
Nearby Gippsland and Snowy Mountains and areas in four other states were included in the Regional Recovery Partnerships.
A spokesperson for Mr McCormack said: "The data available has informed the identification of these locations.
"They have been selected because they are regions whose economies have experienced the brunt of natural events such as bushfires, or COVID-19, drought as well, or because they create an opportunity to work closely with other levels of government to make sure those regions are well-placed to contribute to national resilience and growth "
Dr Haines said she was "astonished and perplexed" by Indi's omission.
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"North-East Victoria has been borne the brunt of each of these rolling catastrophes for almost a year now," she said..
"The cost of the devastating summer fires that ripped through our high country and Upper Murray is in the billions.
"Before this year's welcome winter rains, three of our local government areas were officially drought declared.
"And yet the Deputy Prime Minister is not only silent on the challenges we are facing, but seemingly indifferent to them.
"Setting up a new fund for regions exactly like ours and then inexplicably cutting us off from it."
But Liberal Senator Jane Hume turned the heat back on Dr Haines.
"Helen Haines has today realised every single dollar that flows into the electorate of Indi is fought for by the Liberals," Senator Hume said.
"It is astonishing, for the first time in years, we have a member for Indi in Helen Haines that has spent 78 per-cent of her time in Canberra with the Labor Party.
"That has clearly spent more time peddling pet projects to please her Voices for Indi members in Beechworth than she has been fighting for funding for our communities.
"While Helen Haines focus has been on herself and buddying up to Labor in Canberra, it has been the Liberal Morrison Government fighting to truly represent Indi.
"This week alone, the Liberal Morrison Government announced we have locked-in $3 million for the restoration of Mount Buffalo Chalet and $1.4 million for reconstruction of the stock route around Corryong."
Indi is not the only electorate to miss out with Eden-Monaro also overlooked, according to Labor MP Kristy McBain.
"While I am happy to see the Snowy Mountains included, the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla and Snowy Valleys all appear to have missed out," she said.
"Residents in these hard-hit communities are shaking their head.
"It is extraordinary to think that towns like Batlow, Cobargo, Kiah, and Nerrigundah aren't eligible for this funding boost.
"This just feels like the government is picking favourites again."
