Flood and fire recovery in East Gippsland
The Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 heavily impacted parks and reserves across East Gippsland.
The scale of damage was enormous with fires burning more than 1.5 million hectares of public and private land. This included 1.39 million hectares of forests and parks, plantations and native timber assets, critical animal habitats and water catchments.
Several major floods have also affected parks in the region over the past three years, which have added to the scope and complexity of recovery works.
In addition to the environmental challenges of fire, storms and floods, rebuilding infrastructure on public land requires careful planning. This can take time – but it’s essential we build things in the right place, in the right way. This includes ensuring the protection of cultural heritage, habitat and landscapes, and safety underpin our projects.
Parks Victoria is committed to preserving the unique cultural heritage and environmental values of East Gippsland. We have, and will continue to, advocate strongly for impacted parks to ensure assets are safe and continue to play their part in supporting the local community and Gippsland tourism economy.
Who we’re working with
As we implement recovery works in East Gippsland, we’re working closely with Traditional Owners, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Regional Development Victoria (RDV), the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR), Heritage Victoria, East Gippsland Shire Council, East Gippsland Water, East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, Gippsland Ports, tourism organisations and the local community.