Victoria Announces $15M Extra Bushfire Clean-Up Aid for Uninsured Homes

Premier Jacinta Allan said at a press conference in the central Victorian town of Alexandra that $10 million of the new funding package will go to a new bushfire clean-up programme to help landowners deal with the wreckage of over 500 structures that have been destroyed across the state, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"This is particularly focused on uninsured and underinsured households who have lost their primary place of residence to be able to get underway with the clean-up," she said.

The remaining $5 million will be spent on waiving fees at landfills in affected areas to ensure that bushfire waste can be disposed of free of charge.

Twelve active fires were continuing to burn across Victoria as of Tuesday, down from 27 on Monday, and Allan said the situation has de-escalated.

Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner, Tim Wiebusch, said that six of those fires were still a concern to firefighting crews and that conditions are expected to become more severe in late January.

He said that the number of structures confirmed to have been destroyed by fires now exceeds 500, including 90 homes that were destroyed in the town of Longwood near Alexandra.

Wiebusch said that detectives from Victoria Police's arson squad are investigating the cause of the Longwood fire, which has burned through 144,000 hectares of land and has a perimeter of 400 km.

Earlier on Sunday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Allan announced an (Australian) $19.5 million (US$ 13 million) emergency funding package to provide immediate support to communities across the state affected by the fires.

The funding includes $10 million to supply fodder to farmers who have been affected by significant livestock losses, $1.5 million in emergency accommodation support for thousands of people who have been ordered to evacuate their homes, and $1 million for mental health support.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Allan and emergency services personnel in the central Victorian city of Bendigo, Albanese said on Sunday that the federal government would support Victorians through the crisis and the recovery period.

"We've got your back," he said.

"We'll work cooperatively with the state government to make sure we deliver what is necessary so that people and communities can get back on their feet after what has been a very difficult period."

- IANS