It's estimated 35 homes were destroyed and more than $25 million worth of crops were damaged in January's massive floods, according to Hepburn Shire Council, with fears the impact could continue for years.
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About 150 homes were damaged in the storms and flooding on January 6, council said, with another $10 million worth of council infrastructure was also damaged or destroyed across Creswick, Clunes, and Dean.
"That's only the ones we know about," Hepburn Shire Council mayor Tim Drylie said in a statement.
"Our teams have conducted 370 secondary impact assessments, where they visit individual properties to understand the damage and share information with householders about available support.
"We encourage people to get in touch with our Storm Recovery Team on (03) 4373 7373 so the damage can be registered, which may assist with ongoing support."
Some residents reported up to 240mm of rain in a few hours, along with significant amounts of hail - more rain then fell in subsequent storms the following week.
Free green and general waste disposal will continue for residents at the Creswick Transfer Station until next Monday, while Creswick residents can also leave "storm-related" waste on the side of the road for hard rubbish collection.
To support impacted residents Council has created a Recovery Centre at the Creswick Town Hall on Albert Street, which is open weekdays.
In a media release, council confirmed it's collaborating with Moorabool Council and City of Ballarat to support impacted farmers in the Dean area.
"Council has met with state and federal government representatives to lobby for ongoing support and has been advised that funding will be available through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements," it states.
Council will also be investigating how the storm could have caused such severe flooding within townships, particularly after upgrades following floods in 2011.
This will involve "working with the community and stakeholder groups to gather information about the causes and nature of the damage", which may "inform climate change adaptation strategies".
IN THE NEWS
Road crews are also still inspecting kilometres of storm-impacted roads and tracks - a massive sinkhole opened during the flooding on Melbourne Road/Bungaree-Creswick Road, with detours still in place before repair work can begin.
Amid speculation on the impact of a potential potato shortage across the country, McCain was approached for comment, with nothing received by deadline.
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