High fire risk days to force facility closures

SURF Coast residents can expect short-term facilities to close and services to be disrupted during the highest risk fire days.

Under Surf Coast Shire policy, days rated by the CFA as having an extreme or catastrophic fire danger will result in shire employees and contractors unable to work or travel in fire danger zones at the highest risk times.

As a result, facilities in high bushfire risk areas and high grassfire areas will be impacted on extreme fire risk days.

On catastrophic days, facility closures and impacts will extend to outdoor facilities in Torquay and lower risk urban areas.

General manager of community life Damian Waight said they are ready to enact the safety policy when required.

“We understand that service disruptions and facility closures are inconvenient, but we will always put the safety of the community and our staff first.

“The expert CFA advice is clear: people should avoid high-risk areas on extreme or catastrophic fire danger days. These are the days you should be enacting your fire safety plan.”

As part of the policy and depending on the fire danger rating some facilities may experience unscheduled short-term closures, including:

Waste transfer stations

Lorne and Anglesea Visitor Information services

Sport facilities and recreation reserves

Community facilities, including men’s sheds, community gardens and community houses

Health and aquatic facilities.

Kerbside bin collections and emptying of public bins may also be impacted and council-run events and events on council land may be cancelled or re-scheduled.

“We will notify the community as soon as we can when closures or service disruptions need to happen, including contacting users directly when possible,” Waight said.

“Sometimes these decisions may need to be made at short notice as weather conditions change.

“We encourage everyone to follow our social media pages for updates as soon as they’re available.”

For more information, head to surfcoast.vic.gov.au/servicechanges