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Black Saturday victims to get payout eight years after disaster

More than 10,000 individual claims were registered as part of the class action.

More than 10,000 individual claims were registered as part of the class action. Photo: AAP.

Nearly eight years on from the Black Saturday disaster, the distribution of $700 million to thousands of victims has been approved by the Supreme Court of Victoria, bringing an end to Australia’s largest class action.

People who were injured or left dependent as a result of the 2009 bushfires that devastated the Kilmore East, Kinglake, Murrundindi and Marysville areas are expected to received their share before Christmas.

Next year, thousands of business and individuals who lost money or suffered property damage will receive their settlements.

More than 10,000 individual claims were registered as part of the class action against power distributor SP AusNet, asset manager Utility Services Group and the State of Victoria, which was first launched in 2012.

The Black Saturday bushfires led to the deaths of 173 people across Victoria.

‘Proof the class action process works’: Judge

In the Kilmore East-Kinglake fires, 119 people died, more than 1000 were injured and more than 1770 homes and properties were destroyed or seriously damaged.

The class action settled after a 16-month trial in 2014.

The action over the Murrindindi fire, which almost completely destroyed the township of Marysville and killed 40 people, settled ahead of trial, without admission of liability in 2015.

In a statement, Justice Jack Forrest said the two class actions had been highly complex.

“This demonstrates that the class action process works,” Justice Forrest said.

“It shows that when it is properly managed, many substantially disadvantaged and affected people can recover compensation.”

Justice Forrest also said that if these two major class actions had not settled, the court would have needed to hear and determine thousands of claims — a process that may have lasted years.

– ABC

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