I travelled to Mansfield in Victoria’s high country following tips that, once the bushfire spotlight fades, regional communities are once again left behind. What I found, alongside Mansfield Shire mayor Steve Rabie, was a confronting snapshot of what he describes as systemic neglect of rural Australia.

Our first stop was the local Ambulance Victoria branch — a completely inadequate facility that’s “supposed to be a station” but is, in reality, a converted two-bedroom flat built more than 60 years ago. Back then, Mansfield had a population of just 1,250. Today, around 30 paramedics service more than 11,000 residents across vast distances from the same cramped building.

Inside, staff described conditions that would be unthinkable in metropolitan Melbourne. “We don’t even have a training room,” one paramedic told me, explaining they’re forced to run sessions in a garage that is “freezing cold in winter and boiling hot in summer.” Sleeping arrangements are equally dire, with workers sometimes forced into makeshift spaces. “There’s often someone who has to sleep in the storeroom,” they said.

The most shocking discovery, however, was the state of the bathroom. Raw sewage had overflowed outside through a drain due to outdated plumbing. “That’s literally raw sewage toilet paper,” one worker said. “It’s horrendous.” Another added the plumber is called out “all the time” to deal with blockages.

Go Ad Free

Rabie revealed the council has already offered a solution, land for a brand-new emergency services hub for just $1. “They can have it,” he said. The proposed site would house ambulance services, SES, police, and a community resilience centre for bushfire emergencies. Yet, despite the offer, the project remains stalled. “The state government have not come back and given any indication whether they’ll support this or not,” Rabie said.

Frustration with the Victorian government ran deep. “Talk is cheap,” Rabie told me bluntly. “Don’t come up here with false promises because country people can smell bullshit from miles away.”

It’s not just ambulance services feeling the strain. Local firefighters raised concerns about new equipment ill-suited to Australian conditions. “The trucks that they’re buying… are European trucks,” Rabie said, explaining they can enter “limp mode” during fires, drastically reducing speed at critical moments.

Driving through the region, the neglect extends to infrastructure. Major roads are riddled with potholes, some so severe they could destroy a vehicle. “Jeroen Weimar, you’re full of shit because you’re not fixing any potholes, mate,” Rabie said, pointing to one that had remained unrepaired for three months.

For Rabie, the issue is simple: priorities. While governments promise support during crises, he believes rural communities are consistently overlooked when it comes to real investment.

As I left Mansfield, one thing was clear: for many in country Victoria, the sense of being forgotten isn’t just perception. It’s visible in the buildings, the roads, and the daily challenges faced by those on the frontline.