THE state government have appointed Renée Enbom KC to lead the inquiry into the cause of the landslide that occurred in McCrae on 14 January. Enbom has appeared in several inquiries in Victoria over the last decade, including the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants and the Yoorrook Justice Commission, as well as several recent Commonwealth Royal Commissions.
A statement from the government said the board of inquiry would be asked to “get to the bottom of what happened and to identify measures to prevent similar incidences occurring in the future”. “Once established, the inquiry will develop a process for locals to engage with its work, with details on how people can submit their stories to be released in the coming weeks.”
A government gazette, published on 18 March, established the objectives of the board of inquiry are to:
– Determine the cause of the landslide
– Determine the adequacy of measures taken to prevent and minimise landslides and landslips in the McCrae area including reviewing responses to previous landslides and landslips.
– Identify measures to be undertaken to prevent or mitigate the risk of similar events to the McCrae landslide occurring in the future in the McCrae area.
Placed outside the scope of the board of inquiry are the response, with “actions taken since the McCrae landslide” generally excluded. This would put beyond the scope of the inquiry the response by the Mornington Peninsula Shire, the emergency response, relief and recovery activities. Also outside the scope of the inquiry will be insurance arrangements of affected parties.
The gazette detailed that the board of inquiry must provide any findings and recommendations to the Governor “as soon as possible, and not later than 18 June 2025”. To facilitate the findings, the board of inquiry is “authorised to incur expenses and financial obligations… up to $3.13m”. The inquiry’s findings and recommendations will identify any measures to prevent or mitigate risk of similar events occurring in the future in McCrae.
“We know that residents in McCrae have been let down and too many questions remain unanswered, that’s why we’re establishing a board of inquiry to get to the bottom of what happened,” said Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos. “This new independent inquiry will ensure local residents’ voices are heard and help us do everything we can to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh added “We have been meeting with residents and listening to their concerns as many remain without access to their homes”. “This inquiry will investigate how and why this happened, and what steps need to be taken to prevent future landslides.”
Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh told The News he was generally pleased with the board of inquiry and would be happy to partake or have the Mornington Peninsula Shire as an organisation respond. “I just hope this inquiry is genuinely aimed at uncovering the real causes and isn’t merely a witch-hunt,” Marsh said.
“When Nick Staikos asserts that ‘residents in McCrae have been let down,’ we require clarity on who is accountable, especially since the cause of the landslide remains unidentified. The inquiry must steer clear of any predetermined outcomes.” “It is vital for the board of inquiry to find the right balance, especially given the tight timeframe of less than three months to present their findings. They need to thoroughly uncover the facts without unnecessarily impeding ongoing recovery efforts.”
“What I mean is that we can’t afford to divert shire resources from critical tasks and ongoing investigations to focus on compiling responses for the inquiry.” “Additionally, we still have not received any reply from the Minister for Emergency Services and Natural Disaster Recovery regarding our urgent request for technical and financial assistance, sent on January 21 – just one week after the landslide.” “The $3.14 million allocated for the board of inquiry is substantial, especially when affected residents remain displaced, continue to experience financial hardship, and have yet to receive any direct financial assistance from the state government.”
First published in the Mornington News – 25 March 2025
