Extreme fire danger: Surf Coast Shire announces service closures and changes

THE Country Fire Authority (CFA) has declared an extreme fire danger rating for Victoria’s south-west on Monday (January 27), as temperatures are expected to rise above 40 degrees.

In response, the Surf Coast Shire has announced changes to a number of services, as well as the closure of several facilities on Monday, to ensure the safety of both the community and employees.

Bin collection

Residential kerbside bin collection in Lorne and Deans Marsh will start at 5am and finish by 10am. Residents are advised to place their bins out for collection on Sunday (January 26) evening.

Public street bin collection in high-risk areas outside Torquay and Winchelsea will take place before 10am. A second bin collection service may take place after 6pm, if the expected cool change arrives in the afternoon.

The public street bin collection service in Torquay and Winchelsea will continue as planned.

Rubbish disposal

The Anglesea landfill will be open between 5am and 10am, while the Anglesea Transfer Station will open between 9am and 10am.

However, the Anglesea Re-sale Shed, and the Lorne and Winchelsea Transfer Stations will remain closed.

Visitor information centres

Both the Lorne and Anglesea visitor information centres will be closed on Monday, however services will be accessible from the Torquay visitor information centre in Beach Road.

Public toilet cleaning

The cleaning of public toilets in Winchelsea and Torquay will continue as scheduled, but the public toilets in other townships across the shire will only be cleaned until 10am.

If the cool change arrives, a later cleaning service may be performed in these high-risk areas after 6pm.

The shire’s general manger of community life Damian Waight said the council was preparing for the possibility of dangerous fires.

“The safety of the community and our employees is our absolute highest priority, and the expert CFA advice is to avoid high risk areas on extreme or catastrophic fire dangers days,” he said.

“We urge everyone to be prepared for Monday’s extreme fire danger day by downloading the VicEmergency app, having a fire plan and knowing when to leave, and following the CFA’s advice.”

A total fire ban has not been declared on Monday at this stage, however, community members are encouraged to keep an eye on further announcements from the CFA.

The Surf Coast Shire will also post updates as they become available on their Facebook and Instagram pages, and the council website will provide an up-to-date list of service changes.

This list can be accessed via surfcoast.vic.gov.au/servicechanges

Based on the forecast, all services are expected to return to standard operation on Tuesday, January 28.

For more information about fire danger ratings, head to the CFA website.