An upper house motion to establish the inquiry passed unopposed on Wednesday morning after the coalition and Greens teamed up to expand its scope.
The parliamentary inquiry will have a statewide focus.
The Avoca, Barwon, Broken, Campaspe, Goulburn, Loddon, Maribyrnong and Murray rivers will be among the catchments and floodplains assessed.
Other areas to be put under the microscope include causes and contributors to the flood event, the effectiveness of early warning systems, and resourcing of the State Emergency Service and adequacy of its response.
In addition, the opposition agreed to pass Greens’ amendments to specifically examine the government’s approval of the controversial Flemington Racecourse flood wall and planning decisions.
Shadow Minister for Water Tim McCurdy said the Victorian Government’s original flood inquiry was nothing more than a positive PR exercise that didn’t deliver answers for Victorians.
“When the terms of reference of the government’s own review fail Victorians, the Liberals and Nationals are left to take up the slack,” Mr McCurdy said.
“This inquiry will shine a light on the shortcomings of Victoria’s current preparedness for devastating floods, as well as a review into the October 2022 floods.
“Victorians want answers, and the Liberals and Nationals are ensuring they will have their voices heard and questions answered.”
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Georgie Crozier said those impacted by the devastating floods deserved an independent inquiry.
“I am pleased the Liberals and Nationals’ motion for a parliamentary inquiry into the state’s preparedness for the recent devastating floods has passed,” Ms Crozier said.
“Thousands of Victorians have been impacted by this natural disaster. This independent inquiry will go a long way in determining whether we could be better prepared to respond to similar events in the future.”
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