The Hon. Wendy Lovell, Liberal Member for Northern Victoria, Media Release, 18 May 2026

Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has slammed the Allan Labor Government for the unacceptable delay in providing housing support for people affected by the 2025-26 summer bushfires.

Ms Lovell spoke in parliament last week to demand that the Minister for Natural Disaster Recovery take immediate action to provide proper housing support to those affected by the fires.

Ms Lovell noted that after the Black Saturday fires and the October 2022 floods there was a rapid and concerted effort to ensure that people in immediate need were given housing.

In this summer’s fires over 425 homes lost were in Ms Lovell’s electorate of Northern Victoria Region, taking in the Longwood, Harcourt, Walwa, Yarroweyah, Goomalibee and Markwood fires.

Almost 500 homes were destroyed or damaged across the state, and the Victorian Government has acknowledged that many residents could be displaced for “potentially several years”.¹

Over the past few weeks Ms Lovell has been extremely disappointed to hear from residents in the Longwood and Harcourt fire zones that the government has failed to provide an adequate housing response for people who lost their homes.

Many are still living in caravans without adequate heating as cold winter weather arrives, and there are children who have not yet returned to their local school. Others who are still relying on the hospitality of family or friends continue to seek alternative long-term accommodation while attempting to rebuild their homes and lives.

Five months after the fires, and two days after Ms Lovell’s speech in parliament calling out Labor for its totally inadequate response, the Victorian Government has finally announced it will provide 100 temporary modular homes for people without adequate insurance whose home was significantly damaged or destroyed.

Comments attributable to Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell:

“It is vital that after a disaster housing is provided that allows families to remain present and connected in their communities as they recover, and enables children to stay in their local schools.”

“The Allan Labor Government has let these communities down, and taken far too long to provide adequate housing support to those who lost their homes in the fires. I am pleased to hear that the government has finally committed to providing 100 modular homes, but this is clearly not enough, and has arrived far too late as the cold winter weather has already set in.”

1. Page 63 of the Victorian Government submission to the bushfire inquiry.