Victorian Nationals: Emma Kealy MP – Quantong, Vectis and Arapiles communities finally eligible for bushfire…

Residents cruelly cut off from receiving a Disaster Relief Payment after their properties were impacted by the Grass Flat fire have finally been recognised.

More than a week after the Allan Labor Government announced that applications for support were open to fire-affected residents, the application portal continued to deem Quantong, Vectis and Arapiles communities ineligible.

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, has been advocating to the government to urgently resolve the gross oversight, which has left many without access to vital support in the wake of the devastating fire on January 9.

The government has finally addressed its mistake, and residents in these areas can now apply for the payment.

Ms Kealy said it beggared belief that a fire could ravage multiple townships, and yet a government would deem only one town eligible for support.

“Premier Jacinta Allan even posted a photo of the fire’s impact on Quantong on social media, yet a week later the government application portal was still telling people with properties in that photo that a Disaster Recovery Payment was not suitable for them,” she said.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable. It’s hard enough for residents trying to come to terms with the loss of their home to find out they cannot access financial support, but harder still when a government system is coldly telling them that the reason they don’t qualify is because they haven’t been impacted.

“This negligence and disrespect has added further distress during an already harrowing time, and it’s far from how any government should engage with communities in their time of need.”

Ms Kealy said residents in the above areas could visit servicesaustralia.gov.au/vic-bushfires-jan-2026-agdrp to submit an application for a Disaster Recovery Payment.

She encouraged communities to continue to support affected residents in any way possible, whether through practical support on the ground, or by making a donation through the Wimmera Fires GIVIT page, which will go towards essential goods and services.

“We need to continue to look after each other and ensure those impacted are supported today, tomorrow, and for the many months of recovery ahead,” she said.