Ms Cleeland suggested that the $12 million represented emergency relief payments — one-off payments of $680 per adult and $340 per child impacted by the January bushfires.
She said they had been distributed to about 10,200 Victorians.
“Communities were told hundreds of millions of dollars would help them recover,” Ms Cleeland said.
“But the reality is that only about $12 million has reached Victorians directly, while farmers and families are still waiting for meaningful support.”
She added that less than a quarter of the $40 million set aside for primary producer recovery grants had been distributed.
“For farmers who have lost fencing, livestock, infrastructure and future income, delays in support make an already devastating situation even harder,” Ms Cleeland said.
“In many cases, families are dipping into savings or taking on debt just to keep their farms running while they wait for government programs to move.”
A Victorian Government spokesperson said Ms Cleeland’s claims were false.
“This is deliberate misinformation and fearmongering. The money we announced for bushfire recovery is being spent on supporting affected Victorians as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.
“There are no quick fixes and these recovery programs are designed to support people for the long haul.”
The Victorian Government encourages Victorians impacted by the recent bushfires to call the Emergency Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760.
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