Nearly six months after the devastating January bushfires, the Allan Labor Government has finally introduced stamp duty relief for affected homeowners, following months of relentless advocacy by The Nationals Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland.
The concession, which quietly appeared as an update on the State Revenue Office website rather than being announced by the Premier or responsible Minister, will provide eligible bushfire victims with up to $55,000 in stamp duty relief when purchasing a replacement home or vacant land.
Ms Cleeland said the announcement was long overdue and should have formed part of the government’s recovery response months ago.
“This is a measure I have been calling for since the earliest days of the recovery effort, and while it is an important step forward, it should never have taken nearly six months to happen,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Families who lost their homes have spent months carrying enormous financial pressure while trying to navigate a recovery process that has been plagued by delays, bureaucracy and government mismanagement.”
“The fact this concession has quietly appeared on a government website, without so much as an announcement from the Premier, tells you everything you need to know about Labor’s handling of this recovery.”
“If the government was proud of its bushfire response, it would be standing up and talking about it. Instead, this has been slipped out without fanfare because they know the recovery has been one failure after another.”
Ms Cleeland said the concession represented a hard-fought win for fire-affected communities, but much more remained to be done.
“This happened because residents refused to stop fighting, because communities kept speaking up, and because we kept the pressure on Labor every single day,” she said.
“But nobody should mistake this for mission accomplished.
“Most people affected by these fires never wanted to buy another home elsewhere. They wanted to rebuild where they live.
“Had the Labor delivered a faster clean-up, quicker approvals and meaningful recovery support from the outset, many families would have been in a much stronger position to do exactly that.”
Under the concession, eligible homeowners whose principal place of residence was destroyed or substantially damaged by the January bushfires may receive up to $55,000 in stamp duty relief when purchasing a replacement home or vacant land on which to rebuild.
Eligible applicants may receive:
• Up to $55,000 in stamp duty relief.
• Full relief for eligible replacement properties valued up to $1 million.
• Relief capped at $55,000 for higher-value purchases.
Ms Cleeland encouraged anyone affected by the bushfires to investigate whether they may be eligible and to seek assistance if needed.
“My office is here to help people navigate the process and ensure they receive every support available to them,” she said.
“In the past week alone, my team has helped residents access Primary Producer Support Payments, navigate temporary housing arrangements and work through a range of complex recovery challenges.
“For many people, dealing with government systems while trying to recover from a disaster can be overwhelming.
“I don’t want government bureaucracy becoming another obstacle standing between families and rebuilding their lives.
“If you are struggling with grants, permits, temporary housing, insurance issues or any aspect of the recovery process, please contact my office.
“My commitment is simple. I will keep fighting for you, and I will walk this recovery journey with you until the job is done.”
Ms Cleeland said the announcement was only one step in a much longer recovery journey.
“While this is an important win for bushfire-affected families, there is still a long way to go,” she said.
“We will not stop until every family has the support they need to rebuild their lives and remain in the communities they call home.
“I will not stop until we secure three years of council rate relief and exemptions from the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy for fire-affected properties.”
“I will not stop until dedicated permit and planning teams are mobilised across affected local government areas to fast-track rebuilding approvals and cut through unnecessary bureaucracy.
“And I will not stop until there is long-term mental health support for affected residents, alongside dedicated business recovery and tourism activation programs to help our communities recover economically as well as physically.”
“Recovery is not measured by government announcements. It is measured by whether families are back in their homes, whether local businesses are thriving again, and whether communities have the confidence to look to the future.
“That is the standard I will continue holding this government to, and I will keep fighting until the job is done.”
