After fires devastated communities along the Victorian surf coast over the Christmas period, local councils are spearheading relief efforts and encouraging residents to stay vigilant of further risk.
Residents and holiday homeowners are slowly being allowed back into fire-damaged areas to begin clean up efforts, although some areas are still deemed unsafe to visit.
Colac Otway Shire Council has announced the Apollo Bay pool will remain closed for the foreseeable future, to make way for the Emergency Relief Centre operating on the same site.
Chief Executive Officer Sue Wilkinson said the pool shared the same toilet and change facilities as the relief centre and this situation was not appropriate.
“People at our Emergency Relief Centre are going through a gamut of emotions. Some have lost their homes, others are waiting out the conditions with no idea whether they’ll have a home to return to.
“Increasingly the Emergency Relief Centre is being used as a hub for a range of community services for people who have been affected by the fires.
“The Apollo Bay community has been amazingly supportive of people using our relief centre. We’ve made the decision to prioritise the needs of people displaced by the fires, and we look forward to receiving Apollo Bay’s support on this matter.”
The Victorian State government has provided funding support for two Recovery Community Support workers to be based out of Apollo Bay.
Colac Otway Shire Mayor Cr Frank Buchanan said the workers would be responsible for creating strong connections between the Council and the community to ensure service needs were promptly identified and acted on.
The State Government has also announced that property owners will be exempt from the landfill levy while they clean up their properties.
“We are very grateful for the support we have received so far from the State Government. They have been there for the Shire and the community since this crisis began,” Cr Buchanan said.
“These Recovery Community Support workers will be crucial to ensure we are responding to the community in the way that they need and that we identify the services that are going to help the most.”
“We are already working to put the frameworks in place to ensure the re-building process is streamlined and people can get on with their lives as quickly as possible.”
In an effort to prevent any further damage in the area, Surf Coast Shire Council is waiving green waste disposal fees for Surf Coast Shire residents at transfer stations in Lorne, Winchelsea and Anglesea throughout January.
Surf Coast Shire CEO, Keith Baillie, said this would assist residents to clean up their properties and reduce fuel loads in recognition of the elevated fire risk this summer.
“We all know fire management is a shared responsibility between agencies and the community.
“We encourage all residents and visitors to make sure they stay fire ready over summer.”
For further information on the recovery effort visit the councils’ Facebook pages.
