East gippsland volunteer Groups Face insurance Costs on Crown โLand
Bairnsdale,VIC – Volunteer committees managingโข Crown land in East Gippsland are facing โขincreased financial strain as they โare now largely responsible for โinsuring assets,including buildings,a situation councils say is โthe result of aโ cost โshift from the Victorian State Government.While the Departmentโข of โขenergy, Environment adn Sustainable Advancement (DEECA) provides โคpublic liability insurance, it does not coverโ assets, leaving committees and, potentially, local councils to foot the bill.
The Municipal Association ofโค Victoria (MAV) reports councils are being forced to make challenging decisions dueโฃ to growing โฃfinancial โขpressures and increasing โstate โคgovernment โexpectations. MAV president Jennifer Andersonโ stated, “Regrettably there are increasing costs to council dueโ to the things that the state governmentโ is asking councils to doโฆThere’sโค only ever so much money to go around, โso they have to prioritise and look at what they can afford and what they โขcan’t afford on behalf of their community.”
Examplesโ cited include maternal โคchild health and school โcrossing supervisors, where councils are contributing โฃmore than the state government.
The council has pledged โขcontinued support โto committees through grants and maintenance. A DEECA spokesperson said the department โis “committed to having ongoing discussions on this issue” and isโ working to support the committees.
Former council chief executive Chris Eddy questioned why ratepayers should insure assets they do not own, such as roads, adding, “Councils are saying, ‘Hey, that’s โฃenough of this โคcost shift – we just can’t affordโฃ toโ wear it anyโ longer.'”
The issue highlights a growing tension between state and local governmentsโ regarding financial responsibility for infrastructure and services on Crown landโ managed by volunteer groups.