Council Emergency Funding Programs

Local Government Victoria supports councils by administering specialist funding programs that enable councils to support their communities impacted by emergencies. LGV is currently administering the following programs for Victorian councils:

Municipal Emergency Resourcing Program

The Victorian Government provides $4.89 million each year for the Municipal Emergency Resourcing Program (MERP) to support rural, regional and outer-metropolitan councils to plan, prepare and deliver activities that will assist their communities in an emergency.  It supports councils to effectively deliver on emergency management responsibilities established in legislation, state plans and policies including the State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP) and the Vulnerable People in Emergencies Program.

Annual grants are shared between 64 eligible councils at four different levels ($40,000, $60,000, $120,000 or $240,000 per annum) based on each council’s relative emergency risk profile. Some councils receive their funding in partnership with other councils.

The program has three objectives:

• Effective delivery of emergency management responsibilities established in legislation, state plans and policies including the State Emergency Management Plan and the Vulnerable people in Emergencies Program
• Contributing to better prepared and more resilient communities
• Embedding emergency management as a core component of council business.

Council Support Fund

The Council Support Fund is co-funded by the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments. It provides upfront funding for councils to undertake clean-up activities and help restore local facilities and services that are the lifeblood of communities.

Activities supported through the fund include the restoration of community services, collection and removal of debris deposited in council parks, reserves and community assets, waste transportation costs, and staffing.

This support is in addition to existing Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, which are also available to councils.

Victorian floods and storms commencing 24 December 2023 (AGRN 1096)

The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments are providing $8 million to the 28 most significantly impacted councils to support their communities in their recovery. This program runs until June 2026.

2022 Victorian Floods (AGRN 1037)

The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments are providing $35 million to the councils most significantly impacted by this event. This program runs until June 2025.