Changes to council services for tomorrow’s Extreme fire danger day

SEVERAL facilities across the Surf Coast Shire and council services will close or run under modified hours tomorrow (Thursday, February 13) as a result of the CFA’s forecast “Extreme” Fire Danger Rating (FDR) for the South West district.

In a statement issued earlier today (Wednesday, February 12), the shire said its employees would not work or travel in fire risk zones at the highest risk times on “Extreme” FDR days.

The main changes include:

– The closure of Lorne Kindergarten, Anglesea Kindergarten and Jan Juc Pre-School

– Opening hours for the Anglesea Landfill and Transfer Station will be reduced. Landfill open 5am-10am, Transfer Station open 9am-10am (other waste facilities will operate to standard Thursday hours)

– All scheduled kerbside bin collections in high fire risk areas will be completed before 10am. Residents are asked to put their bins out tonight

– Public litter bins and public toilets in high bushfire risk areas will only be serviced before 10am, and potentially in the evening should conditions ease

– Shire-managed reserves and facilities in bushfire risk areas will be closed; and

– Lorne, Anglesea and Winchelsea Visitor Information Centres will be closed. A remote service will be available from Torquay.

Tomorrow is also a day Total Fire Ban across all of Victoria.

“We understand there will be inconvenience for some people as a result of these changes, but we are clear that the safety of the community and our staff is always our number one priority,” the shire’s general manager of community life Damian Waight said.

“We thank the community for understanding.”

The shire says its Facebook and Instagram pages will have further updates as they become available.

Based on the CFA’s forecast, it is expected all services will return to standard operation on Friday, February 14.

For more information about FDRs and Total Fire Bans, head to cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/fire-bans-ratings-and-restrictions/total-fire-bans-fire-danger-ratings