The East Gippsland region is desperate for concerted assistance from all levels of government. 

In his submission to the Victorian Fire Season Inquiry, Metung resident, Andrew Cruickshank, has outlined the plight of East Gippsland and its people, predicting a bleak future for the economy.

“The East Gippsland region has suffered from the effects of floods in 2008, drought since 2015, the bushfires in 2019/20 and now coronavirus,” he said.

Mr Cruickshank, who has been a visitor to, and resident of, the region for 50 years, fears the region will suffer a population decline, as young workers and families move to areas with better job prospects, leaving the East Gippsland region with a more disadvantaged population.

Mr Cruickshank recently completed a Master of Economics degree, which studied the East Gippsland regional economy.

He said using the East Gippsland Shire Council’s economic profile, East Gippsland is home to 45,000 people, with a workforce of 18,000 people.

The biggest industries are healthcare (2640 workers), retail (2000 workers), agriculture and forestry (1600 workers) and tourism (1500 workers).

Apart from healthcare, all other major employers were severely damaged by the drought and bushfire, but have now been devastated by coronavirus.

Phase one of the Inspector General for Emergency Management (IGEM) inquiry finished collecting information focusing on Victoria’s preparedness for and response to the 2019/20 fire season on April 30, to allow consideration in the first report.

There will be a second report that focuses on relief and recovery, and submissions on those topics will be considered until April, 2021.

Submissions relating to Phase 1 of the inquiry can still be provided, however, these will inform an addendum to the Phase 2 report.

See the IGEM website for details on how to provide a submission.

Mr Cruickshank owns the APN Property Group and is a current voluntary member of the East Gippsland Economic Development Board.

He also has degrees in town planning, property valuation and accounting and has previously been a member of the East Gippsland Marketing Board.

His submission highlights what he says is the lack of bushfire preparedness in East Gippsland and includes vegetation, calling the Princes Highway a “beautiful death trap in bushfire conditions”.

He also states the residents of East Gippsland deserve better communication infrastructure on equity and social welfare grounds alone, while tourists expect it.

“There are many communication dead spots in small communities, to say nothing of coverage along the key access roads in the region like the Princes Highway, Monaro Highway, Great Alpine Road and Bonang Road,” he said.

“Roadside vegetation needs to be managed, so that essential escape routes are always available.

“Natural disasters are a feature of our society but our disaster preparedness needs more planning and funding.”

He said the natural disasters compounded economic impacts resulting from the decision to stop forestry in old growth forests and to close the Gippsland Lakes commercial fishery.