The Victorian Government has released its response to the findings from the Independent Board of Inquiry into the McCrae landslide on the Mornington Peninsula.
Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos said the government has accepted all twelve recommendations made to the government from the inquiry report.
The landslide in January this year destroyed one house, and damaged three others, and a Mornington Pensiula Shire Council officer was seriously injured.
19 properties were evacuated, with many residents unable to return to their homes for months.
The board of inquiry found that a burst water main was the primary cause of the landslide, and that despite residents raising alarms, both South East Water and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council failed to take effective action.
It found they were operating in silos and didn’t work together to address the problem, and that neither appreciated the seriousness of the issue.
The report also found the council failed to adequately respond to a 2012 geotechnical report classifying the escarpment as highly susceptible to landslides, and should have updated its erosion management overlays.
The board of inquiry made 30 recommendations, including the urgent application of erosion management overlays, and improved responses to water issues in landslide-prone areas.
A key outcome will be the appointment of an independent mediator to facilitate discussions between Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, South East Water, and affected residents. The mediation process, expected to last three months, aims to reach agreement on landslide mitigation and remediation works in the affected area.
Minister Staikos said, “The landslides have taken a significant toll on residents and I call on South East Water and the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to work with the McCrae community to achieve the best possible outcomes,” and allow displaced residents to return to their homes as soon as possible.
The full government response to the inquiry report is available on the Victorian Government’s website.