Council
11 February, 2026
MPs acknowledge fire victims, CFA volunteers
MEMBERS of Victoria’s Parliament have moved a condolence motion last week, expressing sympathies for those impacted by recent bushfires and praising the work of Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers.
Members for Western Victoria Bev McArthur, Gayle Tierney, Jacinta Ermacora and Joe McCracken, as well as Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan, spoke in Parliament on Tuesday on the impacts from the Streatham/Skipton, Otways and Larralea fires.
Mr Riordan called January “the most extraordinary January I have had in my 10 years here”.
“Many people in my community I know would say that if you did not laugh, you would be crying, because it has been an exhausting time,” he said.
“Volunteers and community members from one end of it to the other are there at the forefront, and they are exhausted.
“They are exhausted after an unrelenting January where it went from one thing to another and from just the sheer concept of a large fire sitting within five or six kilometres of a major population centre that, like a volcano, sat rumbling and has continued to rumble for the last three weeks.
“It is tiring, and what the community understands and appreciates at the country level but may not be necessarily as well understood amongst many city folks is that these people that are at the coalface actually have other jobs to do as well.
“There are literally hundreds of families across my electorate that have foregone rest and relaxation.”
Mr Riordan acknowledged the work of the Corangamite, Surf Coast and Colac Otway shires in the days following the fires.
“Their mayors, their CEOs and their emergency management staff were first class,” he said.
“They really have a well-oiled machine that kicks in and really knows how to set up somewhere safe for people to go and how to look after them and work with them.
“That comes on top of the flood of state government fire and forest management people and others that have come in and set up camp.
“So, all in all, it was a fantastic effort from the people of Polwarth – a community that knows how to come together, work together and keep not only themselves safe but also literally tens of thousands of visitors, who they still managed to provide a wonderful holiday in a wonderful part of the world at what was a very tricky time for so many.”
Ms Tierney said many communities across the state, including Carlisle River, Kennedys Creek, Gellibrand, Skipton, Lismore and Larralea would be impacted for a significant period of time.
“Damage right across Victoria is still being assessed, and that will take time,” she said.
“There are still areas that are on fire. The fires have been classified as contained, but there is still fire under the ground.
“We know that, particularly with Western Victoria, because of the peat that is in our soil sometimes fires go for many months, and we have had occasions when that has happened reasonably recently.
“The other thing that I just want to mention is the fact that while we talk about land being impacted and homes being impacted, the impact on mental health is incredibly significant.
“It is not just the property loss and the monetary loss. It is those things that you have gone through in a fire that will be with you for a long, long time.”
A number of organisations have been supporting fire-affected communities in recent weeks, including the Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation launching the January 2026 Bushfire Appeal.
Mrs Tierney said the shared work between both State and Federal Government, as well as government departments and agencies, showed a commitment to ensure no community faces recovery alone.
“It is pleasing to note that the Albanese and Allan governments are standing with communities that have been impacted by the bushfires, recently delivering a further $160 million in support, building on more than $210 million that has already been announced,” she said.
“That includes relief drinking water for those who rely on tanks, emergency recovery support, accommodation assistance, support for fire affected businesses, funding to rebuild critical local facilities, repairs to public land and waterways, prolonged power outage payments and up to $1500 in water tank-cleaning rebates along with mental health and wellbeing support.
“The Victorian Farmers Federation, in partnership with Agriculture Victoria and water corporations, has enacted an emergency fodder support program to ensure surviving livestock can also be fed.
“I equally want to express my profound gratitude to the organic volunteers, some of whom have never volunteered before but just wanted to be involved and help other people in their community; the charitable and community organisations who stepped up without hesitation – it was absolutely amazing to see.
“I also want to acknowledge the generosity of Victorians who donated goods, money, time and expertise and who have shown deep concern and care for people who they have never met.”
Ms Ermacora said the impacts of the fires were being felt by farmers, with many day-to-day farm tasks delayed either due to evacuation or farmers volunteering with their CFA brigades.
“Many urban-based members of the Victorian community see farming landscapes but do not often see the daily work that goes into managing those farming enterprises and therefore they could not possibly know the extent of the cost and the impact that volunteering and being absent from your business, sometimes for up to six weeks on and off, can have,” she said.
“Many routine tasks like water infrastructure being checked are perhaps not done while farmers are away, fences are not fixed, bills are not paid and fodder is not distributed.
“Crop-sowing timelines are often delayed. Animal health treatments like drenching are delayed. Application of fertiliser and other soil management actions are delayed.
“All of these tasks, plus many others, would have been completed on these properties had there not been fires, so I want to acknowledge and say thank you to volunteers who give up so much of their time and their energy and to acknowledge not only the risks they take but also the impact on their businesses and the cost of being involved in volunteering for their communities.
“They are out fighting fires, not knowing if their own homes will still be there when they return.”
Mrs McArthur said many residents impacted by the fires would likely have their own family history with bushfires.
“These fires are the latest in a long and painful history but nonetheless devastating for that,” she said.
“There is no doubt of the shocking scale of the fires.
“These figures will continue to grow, sadly.
“One estimate places livestock losses alone at around $20 million, but even that does not capture the real damage.”
Mrs McArthur said livestock loss estimates across all fires in Victoria exceeded 41,000 animals, with over 110,000 burned and many crops, plantations, fences, pastures, machinery and sheds all lost in the fires.
She said there had been many conversations at community recovery meetings about practical answers to support the communities affected.
“In particular the topics that mattered most were clean drinking water for their families and for livestock, insurance issues, fencing, livestock care, mental health, power, roads and what support would still be there in six months’ time,” Mrs McArthur said.
“Those meetings were a real reminder that when the flames go out the real work for recovery is only just beginning.
“Communities are grateful for immediate help, but they are particularly asking for support that lasts.
“Cash flow was a constant concern. Stories on insurance payouts were mixed.”
Mr McCracken, like other MPs, paid tribute to the first responders and volunteers during the fire events and in the recovery stages.
“Many of them have been faced with incredibly difficult situations and confronted with situations I would have found incredibly difficult to deal with, but they have responded efficiently, quickly and with great care and compassion,” he said.
“To those who have suffered loss, know that you are not standing alone. We stand with you.
“Do not be afraid to reach out if there is ever any need that you find that you might have.
“Country people always stand together – we always have and we always will.
“When you think about all the challenges that our farmers have been through recently, to give back when you do not have much in the tank to give is truly remarkable.”
Read More: local