Port Franklin shares in $7.2 million coastal program

Port Franklin is set to receive new and upgraded coastal protection infrastructure to reduce coastal flooding risks through a $7.2 million program funded under the latest round of the Disaster Ready Fund.

Elwood will also benefit, with the Coastal Risk Reduction and Resilience Program to deliver works at both locations to improve resilience to storms and rising sea levels.

But the announcement does not detail how much of the program’s funding will go to Port Franklin or what infrastructure the town will receive.

The coastal program is just one part of more than $36.8 million that’s being invested across Victoria, with 11 projects receiving support through Round Four of the federal government’s $1 billion fund.

The federal government will contribute more than $17.7 million towards the Victorian projects, while the Victorian Government and other project partners will provide a further $19.1 million.

Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said the funding would help communities prepare before disasters strike.

“Round Four of the Disaster Ready Fund is helping communities across Victoria better prepare for the natural hazards they face, while delivering practical projects that reduce risk and strengthen local resilience,” Ms McBain said.

The funding also supports levees and bushfire resilience initiatives.

A $12.3 million project will deliver levees along Racecourse Creek in Epsom to reduce flood risk to more than 500 homes and 60 businesses while improving emergency access.

Another $3.7 million will fund a flood protection levee for Rochester and Elmore District Health Service, where flooding forced the hospital’s evacuation in 2022.

Nearly $3.9 million will support community projects in Mansfield and Ruffy to strengthen emergency preparedness and improve the capacity of local facilities to support residents around emergencies.

Victorian Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke said the investment would help protect communities from future disasters.

“We're working with the Commonwealth to deliver practical projects that help protect lives, homes and communities from future disasters,” Mr Edbrooke said.

“These projects will help communities across Victoria better prepare for emergencies, reduce the damage they cause and recover faster when disaster strikes.”

The federal government established the Disaster Ready Fund to reduce risk and build resilience in communities across Australia.