Whilst as adults we process and overcome anxiety, loss and post-traumatic stresses through speaking to friends and family, children don’t often have the same ability to express and process the experience.

An event like the October Maribyrnong Flood has a profound and long-lasting impact on children and adolescents and it is rare, if ever, that it receives media attention.

Our toddler had just started to walk and enjoy the beautiful parks and gardens along the Maribyrnong prior to the flood, 6 months on and there are still closed playgrounds, squishy mud holes in lawns and caked silt on play infrastructure. How the local children engage with our beautiful cul-de-sac has changed forever.

Think about:

• Did your children miss school?
• Did they lose access to their garden and outdoor gear (i.e., bikes, sports equipment)
• What sentimental things did you lose that you kept from when your children were younger?
• How has your teenager's behaviour changed from being displaced from their home and familiar surroundings?
• Did you need to give your children more screen-time whilst the clean-up ensued?
• Did your child consume more junk food than normal because you didn’t have a kitchen or were busy with clean-up/insurance etc?
• How long did you lose access to the internet whilst infrastructure was damaged?
• Has your child experienced physical symptoms from the polluted water, mold, and dust?
• Does your child cry and become anxious when it rains?

It will be important that the voices of the most vulnerable are heard by the people who will be making recommendations to the government that will determine if there will be investment in mitigation for Maribyrnong.

Help the parliamentary committee hear children’s voices by making their own submissions

A resident has consulted both experts and the office of the Parliamentary Committee to confirm children, adolescents and young adults can make their own submission. In fact the Parliamentary Committee really wants to hear from children and young adults . A template with some guidance and instructions has been uploaded to our website, here: https://maribyrnongfloods.com/inquiry, please take a moment to download it and share it with your children for a family discussion.

Submissions close Monday, 5th June 2023: https://new.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/inquiries/floodinquiry/submissions

... “nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.