Winds hit hard

By Melissa Meehan
FAMILIES in Millgrove were among the hardest hit in the aftermath of the storm earlier this month.
As the clean-up continues, the bill from the storm is expected to cost Victorians in excess of $80 million.
Coordinator of River Valley Care Works Mel Knoll said that of the 550 houses in the Millgrove area, more than 200 households had power cut by the winds, some for as long as seven days.
“One of the biggest problems faced by many residents was that the food in freezers was going off,” Ms Knoll said.
“That caused great difficulties for most and affected the family budget as many often buy food when they have the money and put it in the freezer for when they are short on money.”
Pastor Luke Whiteside from the Millgrove Baptist Church said a number of residents in Millgrove were affected by the storms.
He said that high unemployment in the area meant that the storms affected many family budgets.
“Many families lost a few hundred dollars on food, whether that meant buying take away during the black outs or the loss of frozen goods,” Pastor Whiteside said.
“In many cases, the amount of money lost on food was more than household total income.”
Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato commended those who worked tirelessly to restore power to homes after the storms.
“My office was inundated with telephone calls from people who were experiencing power outages.
“The long periods without power certainly caused particular difficulties for some people, especially those caring for the sick, elderly and young children,” Ms Lobato said.
“I was able to assist residents by ensuring that those in urgent need got the help they required.
“At times of emergency, people need to know what is happening so communicating the latest information from government departments and the power companies was where my office was able to play a key role.”
She said emergency assistance was still available to those who needed food and accommodation and she was pleased to have been able to facilitate the attendance of Department of Human Services (DHS) staff at outreach locations.
“Getting DHS staff out to where people needed assistance is really important to me as areas of my electorate are some distances from DHS offices and without power residents had no means of communicating with DHS at all,” Ms Lobato said.
“In Millgrove, for example, DHS assisted people both on Saturday through to Tuesday, providing emergency funds to enable people to buy food to feed their families.”
Ms Lobato also commended the work of Red Cross volunteers and members of the River Valley Church who spent much of the weekend doorknocking to check whether people were in need of help.
This was in addition to the emergency restoration work by SES volunteers, members of Victoria Police and others who participated in recovery activities.
Ms Lobato said that some residents may also be eligible for compensation for damages incurred through the loss of power.
“Anyone wanting to lodge a claim form can contact my office for further details or to request a form be posted to them,” Ms Lobato said.