Greens Call For Parliamentary Inquiry Into Melbourne Floods

The Victorian Greens is calling for the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into last year’s Maribyrnong River Floods.

The investigation into October’s flood was already under scrutiny, and the Greens’ call comes as the review’s head, Nick Wimbush, stood aside on Tuesday.

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In a statement, the Greens said the inquiry would help close the gaps left open by the current Melbourne Water review, which they said was too narrow in scope and has left the affected communities deeply disappointed.

The proposed inquiry would investigate the flooding of the urban catchment of the Maribyrnong River, the effectiveness of Victoria’s planning system in respect to mitigating the impacts of climate change and how the state can better protect lives and homes during natural disasters.

Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell, said Melbourne Water’s limited review was convenient for the State Government which wanted to avoid blame or criticism, but that the community deserved a proper inquiry.

“Last year areas of Kensington and Maribyrnong were under metres of water while the Flemington Racecourse was kept dry by a flood wall, approved by a Labor Government at the expense of the community,” Ms Sandell said.

“The flood wall around the dry racecourse, while homes went under water, demonstrates very clearly who the government is willing to protect and who gets left behind when it comes to climate change. 

“We urgently need a broader-ranging inquiry into these floods to explore why the flood wall was built in the first place, why early warning systems didn’t work, and how we can better protect homes and lives during climate disasters, not just vested interests.”

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