Community Newsletter Advice for the Upper Murray Community

Thursday, 2nd January 2020

Information about the Fire Situation LEAVING NOW IS THE SAFEST OPTION.

This fire was ignited by lightning in steep forested terrain in Given the expected bad weather for Friday and Saturday, for NSW on Sunday 29 December in the Green Valley area. your safety we recommend you leave the area NOW. We The current fire area is estimated to be approx. 110,000 ha recommend that you leave now before the weather changes. with 20 going fires and growing with spotting up to 7km’s and After today there will be limited opportunity to safely leave numerous properties affected. The bushfire is currently the area. travelling in a south-easterly direction on a large front towards Tom Groggin Station. It is a dynamic fire situation. There will be escorted convoys leaving from the A number of new fires have been identified within the Gibb Relief Centre, on the Murray Valley Hwy towards Range, Mt Sassafras and Mt Pinnibar areas due to dry at designated times, whilst conditions allow. lightning, over the past 48 hours. There is the likelihood more fires will be identified throughout the coming days. Current Messages There are over 500 fire crew and support staff working on this fire. The situation is very dynamic, with assessments Watch and Act issued for: being continually updated: Bucheen Creek, , Bungil, • At least 6 fire ignitions from dry lightning were identified Burrowye, Cravensville, Darbyshire, Dartmouth, Georges on 31/12/2019, with fires currently impacting Shelley Creek, , Henlow, , Lucyvale, Mitta Mitta, Pine Plantation Shelley, Tallangatta East, Tallangatta South, Tallangatta • Telephone infrastructure issues mainly outside the Valley, The Cascade, Thologolong, Wyeebo Corryong area. Trying to re-establish telephone communication with Corryong. Satellite phones are Advice Message issued for: being considered by the region to be made available to Benambra, Bindi, Brumby, Dartmouth, Glen Valley, Mitta Corryong for Emergency Calls. Mitta, Nariel Valley, Omeo, Tallangatta Valley, The Brothers, • Significant property and stock losses within the Upper Uplands. Murray area. Watch and Act issued for: There are also fires just across the border in NSW which are Beetoomba, Benambra, , highly active and dynamic. There is a chance these fires will , Bringenbrong, Bungil, Burrowye, Cobberas, re-enter . Should the fire escalate on Friday / Colac Colac, Corryong, Crawford Crossing, Cudgewa, Saturday, there will be limited resources available for Fire Cudgewa North, Dartmouth, Greg Greg, Guys Forest, Suppression in your community. Hodgson Crossing, , Koetong, Lucyvale, McNamara Crossing, Mount Alfred, Mount Alfred Gap, Nariel Power outages are affecting many areas inside and outside Creek, Nariel Gap, Nariel Valley, Pine Mountain, the fire area. Many sections of road surfaces have been Shelley, Staceys Bridge, Suggan Buggan, The damaged by the fire and require a safety assessment, Lightwood, Thologolong, Thowgla, Thowgla Upper, Thowgla including for Hazardous trees. Valley, , Tom Groggin, Towong, , Walwa, Willow Crossing Door Knocks will be conducted, TODAY Thursday, 2nd January within the following areas: ➢ Nariel Valley Water in Corryong township ➢ Shelley Current water levels are CRITICAL and should be used for ➢ Lucyvale ESSENTIAL NEEDS ONLY. More water is currently being drawn ➢ Berringama from the system than is being created at this point. A NE ➢ Koetong Water crew will be deployed to examine infrastructure and ➢ Upper Towong ascertain any damage but can only do so when the fire has ➢ Bunroy passed and when it is safe to do so. ➢ Biggara ➢ Cudgewa North ➢ Tintaldra ➢ Walwa ➢ Tom Groggin

These door knocks will be conducted only if conditions allow and are for the purpose to check on welfare and disseminate information to local residents.

Water Contamination Relief Information If your area is affected by bushfires, your water source could become contaminated from debris, ash or small dead Relief centres have been established at animals. • Corryong High School You should not source water from a creek that has been • Tallangatta Memorial Hall affected by bushfire as the water may be contaminated. • and for community members that are able to be self- Water drawn from deep bores or wells should still be safe to sufficient the Showgrounds is also available. use. If you suspect contamination, use an alternative water supply for drinking and food preparation. What We Don’t Know

There have been property and stock losses in the areas Resources: impacted by fires, but it is too early to be specific. The focus • Bushfires and private drinking water supplies is on the going fires and protecting the community. Rapid https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliv Impact Assessment teams have arrived in the area. ing/bushfires-and-water-tanks Assessments will be undertaken on the ground over the • Bushfire and Public Health : coming days. https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/public- We understand that it is stressful to not know what is health/environmental-health/climate-weather-and- happening. We are absolutely prioritising people returning to public-health/bushfires-and-public-health their properties once the threat of fire has passed and it is safe to do so. Infrastructure and Essential Services

AUS Net – All residents in prior impacted areas, don’t expect Road Closures power to be restored within next 2-3 days, possibly longer. Residents in fire impacted areas should be considering Road closures have been activated on sections of the: alternative power arrangements. The AusNet Facebook page • Guys Forrest Road From: Road, provides regular updates. Burrowye To: Shelley-Walwa Road, Guys Forest Check AusNet Website for outages: • Shelley-Walwa Road (C547) From: Murray Valley https://www.ausnetservices.com.au/Outages/Electricity- Highway, Shelley To: Church Street, Walwa Outages What to do during power outages: www.energy.vic.gov.au • Burrowye Road From: Guys Forrest Road, Burrowye To: , Koetong There is significant communications towers and • Murray Valley Highway (B400) From: Granya Road, other infrastructure that has been impacted. Bullioh To: Upper Murray Road, Towong Upper There are currently NBN outages in Corryong and via NBN • Cudgewa Valley Road (C548) From: Murray Valley Wireless. There are two faults that are being investigated. Highway, Cudgew To: Murray River Road, Tintaldra Telstra is working on reinstatement time TBC. Information • Murray River Road (C546, C542) From: Granya on NBN outages can be found at Road, Granya To: Murray River Road, Tintaldra https://downdetector.com.au/status/nbnco/map/ • Benambra-Corryong Road (C545) From: Benambra A mobile communication system is currently being planned – To: Colac Colac no further details are available at this stage

The fire is now impacting the Shelley Plantation which will

put further pressure on the Murray Valley Fire. Assessment Animal Welfare teams are currently examining the River Road and will open

as soon as they can when safe to do so; the community will For urgent animal welfare and needs for pets, horses and be notified when this occurs. livestock including food and water contact Ph 1800 226 226 Information on updated road closures is available via or visit http://agriculture.vic.gov.au for more information. 13 11 70 or the Vic Traffic website:

traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au Landholders needing emergency fodder for livestock should contact the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) on Ph 1300

882 833 between 9am and 5pm or email [email protected] Current Park Closures Livestock after an Emergency and Farm Recovery As a result of the fire the following campsites and parks on Resources: the Murray River are closed to members of the public until http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/emergencies/rec further notice: overy/livestock-after-an-emergency • Burrowye Bend Reserve • Bullock Flat Reserve Community Meetings • Gadd’s Bend Reserve Thursday, 2nd January 2020: • Pebble Beach Reserve 12pm at Tallangatta Valley Hall, Tallangatta Creek Rd, • Neil’s Bend Reserve Tallangatta Valley. • Clarke Lagoon Wildlife Reserve 3pm at Tallangatta Memorial Hall, Towong St, Tallangatta. • Lighthouse Crossing Reserve

• Indi Bridge Reserve

• Bunroy Creek Reserve

• Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park • Mount Mittamatite Regional Park (also known as Mount Stay informed Mitta Mitta Regional Park). • www.emergency.vic.gov.au. For information on forest access and roads • VicEmergency Hotline - freecall 1800 226 226. visit www.parks.vic.gov.au • VicEmergency app. • Facebook or Twitter (#vicHAZARD). • Local radio Protect Your Health To access this information in other languages, call the Heat Health Alert for Friday, 3rd January 2020 Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (freecall) The forecast conditions may cause an increase in heat and ask them to call VicEmergency Hotline. related illnesses in the community. Extreme heat can affect anyone. Pregnant women, people with a pre- If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a existing medical condition, people aged over 65 and speech/communication impairment contact National Relay children and babies are most at risk. Service on 1800 555 677 and ask them to call the People with existing heart or lung conditions, including VicEmergency Hotline. asthma, should follow the treatment plan from their doctor.

Corryong Health Services on Ph 02 6076 3290 are also Weather Outlook available for health related concerns. Nurse-on-Call on 1300 60 60 24 (this is a phone service that Today, Thursday - 2 January 2020 allows you to discuss any health related issue with a Sunny. Winds west southwest 10km gusting to 15km. registered nurse, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the cost Overnight temperatures falling between 11 and 14 with of a local call from anywhere in Victoria). daytime temperatures reaching 29 to 36.

Mental Health Friday - 3 January 2020 Hot and sunny. Light winds. Overnight temperatures falling to It is normal to have strong emotional or physical reactions between 11 and 15 with daytime temperatures reaching 33 following a distressing event. There is always help available to 40. through: Your doctor and Local mental health professionals Saturday – 4 January 2020 Very Hot. Mostly sunny day. Slight (20%) chance of a Lifeline - 131 114 shower in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a Beyond Blue - 1300 224 636 thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds MensLine - 1300 789 978 becoming northwest to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during Kid’s Help Line - 1800 55 1800 the morning then tending southeast to southwesterly during Parent Line - 13 22 89 the afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to between 17 and 21 with daytime temperatures reaching 34 to 43.

Family Violence Sunday – 5 January 2020 Cloudy. Medium (60%) chance of showers, most likely in the There is an increased risk of family violence after an morning and afternoon. Chance of Thunderstorms in the emergency. Help is available. Visit north in the morning and afternoon. Winds south to www.vic.gov.au/familyviolence or call 1800 737 732 southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light during the (1800RESPECT). afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to between 10 and 17 with daytime temperatures reaching between 16 and 26.

Useful information

People in affected areas are encouraged to register with the Red Cross at: Register.Find.Reunite https://register.redcross.org.au/ or by calling 1800 277 077. Use Register to let people know you are safe. Use Find to look for people you know may be affected by an emergency.

Contact VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226) to speak to someone about recovery. They can connect you with people who can help.

More information is provided on your local council’s website and social media channels https://knowyourcouncil.vic.gov.au/