Community Newsletter Advice for the Upper Murray Community

Saturday, 4th January 2020 – TOTAL FIRE BAN

A day of TOTAL FIRE BAN has been declared in the Mallee, Water in Affected Communities – Reticulated Supplies Northern Country, North Central, North East, East Gippsland We ask residents to be mindful of their water usage and and West and South Gippsland for today. only use what is necessary. Current supplies are adequate No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open but may be compromised in the coming days, due to expected air between 12:01 AM on Saturday, 4 January 2020 and bad weather and depending on the situation. 11:59 PM, Saturday, 4 January 2020. A North East Water crew has been deployed and examined infrastructure to ascertain damage to the system and advised Information about the Fire Situation town water supplies are safe to drink. North East Water supply in , Cudgewa and Cudgewa North has been restored. This fire was ignited by lightning in steep forested terrain in NSW on Sunday 29 December in the Green Valley area. Water Contamination The current fire area is estimated to be approx. 124,098 ha If your area is affected by bushfires, your water source could and numerous properties affected. The bushfire is currently become contaminated from debris, ash or small dead travelling in a south-easterly direction on a large front towards animals. Tom Groggin Station. You should not source water from a creek that has been There are two large fires across the border in NSW. There is affected by bushfire as the water may be contaminated. a chance these fires will join with the fires burning in the Water drawn from deep bores or wells should still be safe to Upper Murray area of Victoria. Extreme fire danger is use. If you suspect contamination, use an alternative water forecast for Saturday 4th January. A south-westerly wind supply for drinking and food preparation. change will impact these fires Saturday afternoon and evening. These conditions will make fire behaviour erratic Resources: and very dangerous, causing communities to be impacted by • Bushfires and private drinking water supplies spot fires and ember attacks. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliv ing/bushfires-and-water-tanks There are over 600 fire crew and support staff working on • Bushfire and Public Health : this fire. If fire conditions become worse with Saturday’s https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/public- predicted weather fire crews focus will shift to asset health/environmental-health/climate-weather-and- protection. Assessment teams are moving through the public-health/bushfires-and-public-health affected areas to gather more information on property and stock losses. Information will be updated when available. Infrastructure and Essential Services

AgVic is dealing with extensive critical animal health issues Power outages are affecting many areas inside and outside with stock injured / losses recorded so far being approx. the fire area. 13,000 cattle and 5,000 sheep. AUS Net – Corryong Residents – interim power reconnected BUT only for essential services – turn off appliances not Many roads require safety assessment after surface fire required. This incudes appliances on stand-by i.e. TVs, damage and for Hazardous trees before residents can return stereos, chargers etc. safely to their properties. If your fridge or freezer is empty or not being used turn it off; this is to stop drawing unnecessary power from the grid. Air You should MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS at all Conditioners can be used but it is advised not to keep them times. The fire situation has been changing rapidly and this is on all night. expected to continue. For residents in other impacted areas it is not known at this Current Messages stage when power will be reconnected. Residents in fire EMERGENCY WARNING messages issued for: impacted areas should be considering alternative power , , Towong, , Walwa, arrangements. Further power disruptions are expected in the Burrowye, , Lucyvale, Nariel Valley, Shelley, coming days. and surrounding communities. The AusNet Facebook page provides regular updates. There are also Watch and Act messages for surrounding Check AusNet Website for outages: communities. https://www.ausnetservices.com.au/Outages/Electricity- Regularly check for updates to warnings and immediately Outages follow the advice in the warning. What to do during power outages: www.energy.vic.gov.au For further information - Go to: http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/ and listen to local ABC There have been significant impacts by the fires on Radio, the National Emergency Broadcaster. communications towers and other infrastructure.

Fibre-optic cable has been reinstated to Corryong. NBN and

Telstra services are now available. Please be aware that

services may be interrupted again due to fire activity in the For information on forest access and roads coming days. visit www.parks.vic.gov.au

Information on NBN outages can be found at Road Closures https://downdetector.com.au/status/nbnco/map/ A mobile communication system is currently being planned – Road closures have been activated on sections of the: no further details are available at this stage • Guys Forrest Road From: Murray River Road, Burrowye To: Shelley-Walwa Road, Guys Forest • Shelley-Walwa Road (C547) From: Murray Valley Animal Welfare Highway, Shelley To: Church Street, Walwa

• Burrowye Road From: Guys Forrest Road, Burrowye For urgent animal welfare and needs for pets, horses and To: , Koetong livestock including food and water contact Ph 1800 226 226 or visit http://agriculture.vic.gov.au for more information. • Murray Valley Highway (B400) From: Road, To: Upper Murray Road, Towong Upper Yesterday a number of hay deliveries were made within the • Cudgewa Valley Road (C548) From: Murray Valley fire area and more deliveries are planned. Highway, Cudgewa To: Murray River Road, Tintaldra • Murray River Road (C546, C542) From: Granya Landholders needing emergency fodder for livestock should Road, Granya To: Murray River Road, Tintaldra contact the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) on Ph 1300 • Benambra-Corryong Road (C545) From: Benambra 882 833 between 9am and 5pm or email [email protected] To: Colac Colac

Local shire and Ag Vic are working together regarding the Current Information on road closures is available via disposal of livestock. 13 11 70 or the Vic Traffic website: Livestock after an Emergency and Farm Recovery traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au Resources: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/emergencies/rec overy/livestock-after-an-emergency Protect Your Health

Relief Information Heat Health Alert for TODAY Saturday, 4th January 2020 The forecast conditions may cause an increase in heat Relief centres have been established at related illnesses in the community. Extreme heat can • Corryong - High School, Towong St affect anyone. Pregnant women, people with a pre- • - Memorial Hall, Towong St existing medical condition, people aged over 65 and • - The Cube, 118 Hovell St children and babies are most at risk. • Wangaratta - Performing Arts Centre, 33 Ford St People with existing heart or lung conditions, including • For those with animals: Wangaratta Showgrounds asthma, should follow the treatment plan from their doctor. at Golf Link Lane, Wangaratta Corryong Health Services are available for health Financial Assistance related concerns on Ph 02 6076 3290.

Households in the Towong Shire can now access the Nurse-on-Call on 1300 60 60 24 (this is a phone service that following emergency payments to relieve personal hardship. allows you to discuss any health related issue with a • Emergency Relief Assistance Payments registered nurse, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the cost • Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment of a local call from anywhere in Victoria). • Disaster Recovery Allowance • Emergency Re-establishment Payments Mental Health

Information about financial counselling, insurance and It is normal to have strong emotional or physical reactions replacing documents and identification is also available. following a distressing event. There is always help available http://emergency.vic.gov.au/relief/ through your doctor and local mental health professionals Lifeline - 131 114 What We Don’t Know Beyond Blue - 1300 224 636 MensLine - 1300 789 978 There have been property and significant stock losses in the Kid’s Help Line - 1800 55 1800 areas impacted by fires, but it is too early to be specific. The Parent Line - 13 22 89 current focus is on the active fires and protecting the community. We understand that it is stressful not to know what is happening. Once the fire threat has passed, and it is safe to do so, the priority will be returning people to their properties. Family Violence

There is an increased risk of family violence after an Current Park Closures emergency. Help is available. Visit www.vic.gov.au/familyviolence or call 1800 737 732 As a result of the fire all Parks and State Forests are closed (1800RESPECT). to the public until further notice:

Useful information Weather Outlook

People in affected areas are encouraged to register with the TODAY: Saturday – 4 January 2020 Red Cross at: Very hot and mostly sunny. Areas of smoke haze. The Register.Find.Reunite https://register.redcross.org.au/ or by chance of a thunderstorm with little or no rainfall about the calling 1800 727 077 ranges in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming Use Register to let people know you are safe. northerly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning and west to Use Find to look for people you know may be affected by an northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h by early afternoon then shifting emergency. southeast to southwesterly in the late afternoon and evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 17 and 20 with Contact VicEmergency Hotline on Ph 1800 226 226 to speak daytime temperatures reaching 36 to 45. to someone about recovery. They can connect you with people who can help. Sunday – 5 January 2020 Cloudy. Areas of smoke haze. Medium (60%) chance of Households in the local government areas of East Gippsland showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. The and Towong can now access emergency payments to relieve chance of a thunderstorm in the north. Winds south to personal hardship. To find out more information visit: southeasterly 25 to 35 km/h decreasing to 15 to 20 km/h in http://emergency.vic.gov.au/relief/#financial_assistance the evening then becoming light in the late evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 9 and 16 with More information is provided on your local council’s website daytime temperatures reaching between 15 and 25 and social media channels https://knowyourcouncil.vic.gov.au/ Monday – 6th January 2020 Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers, most likely in the Stay informed morning and afternoon. Areas of smoke haze in the east. Light winds. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and • www.emergency.vic.gov.au. 13 with daytime temperatures reaching between 16 and 23. • VicEmergency Hotline - freecall 1800 226 226. • VicEmergency app. Tuesday – 7th January 2020 • Facebook or Twitter (#vicHAZARD). Partly cloudy. Slight (30%) chance of a shower in the east, • Local radio: ABC Radio is the National Emergency most likely in the morning and afternoon. Areas of smoke Broadcaster - make sure you have a battery-operated haze in the east. The chance of a thunderstorm in the radio available with a supply of batteries, to stay morning and afternoon. Light winds. Overnight temperatures informed should power be cut. falling to between 10 and 15 with daytime temperatures reaching 25 to 33. To access this information in other languages, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (freecall) and ask them to call VicEmergency Hotline.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech/communication impairment contact National Relay Service on 1800 555 677 and ask them to call the VicEmergency Hotline.