Hundreds of survivors of the Black Saturday bushfire that destroyed Marysville will share in a $300 million settlement, bringing an end to all lawsuits over the devastating disaster.
The Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday signed off on the proposed settlement between survivors of the 2009 bushfire, power company AusNet Services and the state government – a deal which was announced in February, on the morning of a planned trial.
Justice Karin Emerton said there was considerable benefit to settling the case: it would save victims the trauma of the potential trial and appeals, which could drag on for years.
“I am satisfied that the settlement is fair and reasonable and in the interests of group members as a whole,” she told the court.
In her judgment, she also threw out an application by plantation company HVP to adjust the settlement scheme to better reflect its own losses.
“I’m not prepared to do that,” she said.
The Murrindindi-Marysville bushfire killed 40 people and razed at least 500 properties in February 2009, and was blamed on a faulty powerline.
The class action lawsuit was brought against AusNet; its maintenance contractor; the Country Fire Authority; the Department of Environment and Primary Industries; and the state government, for alleged failures in powerline inspections, maintenance, community warnings, and planned burning.
Law firm Maurice Blackburn, which brought the class action, and the lead plaintiff in the case Dr Katherine Rowe, are expected to speak about the settlement later on Wednesday.
It was the last pending court case over the Black Saturday fires.
