Rebuilding Whittlesea, Humevale and Kinglake West

The Communities

Whittlesea is a rural town located approximately an hour's drive north of Melbourne. The township is located at the edge of the Great Dividing Range and due to its central location, people travel from other municipalities to use the local facilities, including health services, education, retail, fuel, banking, sporting facilities, and to maintain important social connections.

Whittlesea Township is primarily a residential settlement with the characteristics of a country town, servicing a rural hinterland.  Parts of Kinglake West also sit within the municipality of the City of Whittlesea.

Humevale is a rural locality situated between Whittlesea and Kinglake West, about 40 kms north-east of Melbourne, within the City of Whittlesea.

The Bushfires

Other than road infrastructure and public land, community facilities in Humevale and Whittlesea weren't damaged by the February 2009 bushfires. However the fires had a devastating effect in the areas of Humevale, Whittlesea and significant parts of Kinglake West all of which fall within the municipality.

Twelve people from the Whittlesea municipality died from the fires. Many more were injured and others narrowly escaped with their lives.

In total, 167 properties in the municipality (81 properties in Humevale, 47 properties in Kinglake West and 39 in Whittlesea), were damaged or destroyed in the fires including 76 houses which were completely destroyed.

One bridge was extensively damaged and closed for several months while repairs were undertaken. A range of other public infrastructure including roads, signposts and guideposts were also destroyed or damaged.

Whittlesea was the main evacuation point for people coming off the mountain directly after the emergency. More than 2,700 people registered with the Red Cross at the Whittlesea Community Activity Centre in the days after the fires.

Whittlesea was used as a base by the Country Fire Authority to fight the bushfires around Kinglake in February 2009 and by the Australian Army in the aftermath of the fires. The Whittlesea Showground, Community Activity Centre and sporting facilities at the Walker Reserve were also used for emergency relief and management of donated goods for several months after the fires.

Although willingly offered, the use of community facilities and buildings for post-fire recovery has had a significant impact on the community and its ongoing recovery as people endeavour to get some sense of normality and social connection back into their lives.

Despite surviving the February bushfires, the Whittlesea Golf Club house was burnt down three months afterwards. This building not only supported the operation of the Golf Club but it served as the community facility for Humevale residents - an area which suffered severe impact from the fires.

The Bushfire Relief Centre operated from the Community Activity Centre in Whittlesea until the Whittlesea Community Services Hub was built and opened in June 2009.

Recovery Plan

Since the 2009 bushfires Community Recovery Committees and the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (the Authority) have worked in partnership with the community, other government departments and authorities, the philanthropic sector and private donors to deliver outcomes for the vast majority of recovery projects proposed in the 33 Community Recovery Plans across the state. The plans have been pivotal in driving and directing the community rebuilding and recovery effort, through a focus on the needs and priorities of each individual community.

With around 1,100 projects and ideas identified in plans across Victoria, the Authority estimates that around 800 of these have been addressed in varying ways. Hundreds more projects identified outside this process have been delivered across affected communities.

The attachments below include the Community Recovery Plan and the response and funding status for all of the projects originally identified: