I'm really proud to stand here today to inform the House that last week our government announced just under $10 million will go towards three projects in my electorate to help against flood mitigation through round 4 of the disaster recovery funding. I have championed these projects since local communities approached me, councils approached me and the health service approached me to say we need to do more to protect our communities, our businesses, our health facilities and our sporting infrastructure from the possibility of future flood events.

I was proud to stand in Epsom and announce $6 million from our government will go towards the Racecourse Creek flood levee project, a network of levees on Racecourse Creek in Epsom that will contain one per cent of the AEP flood flows, preventing overflowing of the banks caused by the limited channel capacity and railway constraints. The good news about this project is it will protect more than 500 homes and 60 businesses, improve emergency access, and ensure that these areas have peace of mind if and when the next flood event happens.

I'm also really proud to stand here today to say that announced on that day was that $1.7 million of federal government disaster ready funding will go towards the Rochester hospital levee project. All in this place and throughout Australia remember the devastation that the October 2022 floods did to the community of Rochester, including flooding the hospital. The hospital was closed for two years and had to be rebuilt, costing just under $40 million. It's the second time it's flooded in as many years. That's why I'm pleased to stand here today to say that we have supported their proposal to build a levee around the hospital. Part of the design will allow the community to plant gardens to make sure that it isn't like a giant wall around the hospital. I made the announcement with the Rochester and Elmore District Health Service team alongside their CEO, Mary, and I want to recognise Mary for her advocacy and the consistent way in which she engaged on this project.

These two projects, plus the other that we'll announce in the community next week, are a demonstration that our government really understands the impact of natural disaster and that we work with communities long after the disaster recovery process has ended. We're committed to doing the build back better piece. Our government is acting to protect infrastructure like we have seen in Rochester and in Epsom.