June 2021 floods and storms

Impact

In June 2021 Victoria experienced a severe weather event that included heavy rainfall and destructive winds. Throughout this 48-hour period, parts of Victoria recorded more than 280mm of rain and experienced wind gusts of more than 100km per hour.

The severe weather resulted in major flooding, landslips, debris, and fallen trees and powerlines. This caused extensive damage to residences and critical energy and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as blocking roads and tracks.

Recovery

The June 2021 Flood and Storm had a serious impact on communities, and we know that recovery will take time.

Emergency Recovery Victoria is supporting the clean-up and recovery work for communities impacted by the storms.

Our essential purpose is to facilitate effective, efficient and appropriate community recovery outcomes.

Clean-up

The Residential Flood and Storm Clean-up program was established to help property owners restore their land after the 2021 storms.

The program focused on residential properties with structures that were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Structures were cleared and removed along with any hazards cleared to access a structure.

How the clean-up program works

There were 4 phases to the clean–up program:

• Initial assessment of properties to identify hazards, understanding the scope and type of work required, confirming the cause of the damage and assign a priority categorisation.
• Making properties safe by removing hazards to eligible sites, particularly hazardous trees and materials.
• Demolition and removal of structures and/or hazards to access a structure.
• Remediation works, including post site clearance and rectification works. Every property was different and was managed on a case-by-case basis. During this stage, ERV contacts registered property owners and worked with them to ensure the clean-up process was explained, and that works were done as safely and efficiently as possible.

For information about this program during the October 2022 Victorian floods, read our Clean-up program page.

Statement of Victorian Government Recovery Actions

The Statement of Victorian Government Recovery Actions is a document that sets out the:

• initial identified impacts of this event
• agreed short term State-level recovery initiatives, and
• supporting governance and reporting arrangements.

It covers the period from 9 June 2021 to 29 August 2022.