IN BRIEF – February 7, 2019

Free chemical drop-off day this Saturday
PEOPLE can safely dispose of a range of household chemicals at a free drop-off day on Saturday, February 9. The free chemical drop off day is run in partnership with Sustainability Victoria and is part of the City of Greater Geelong’s recycling program. The Corio Operations Centre at 299 Anakie Road, Lovely Banks, will accept items such as detergents, fertiliser, fire extinguishers, fuels, herbicides, pesticides, pool chemicals, rat poison, solvents and transmission fluid. The maximum acceptable weight of any single container is 20kg or 20 litres. Paint will not be accepted. To view the full list of items accepted, head to geelongaustralia.com.au/recycling.

Emergency app hits 1.12 million downloads
AS temperatures spike across the state, Victoria’s all-emergency app has reached 1.12 million downloads. The VicEmergency app provides Victorians with information about fires, floods, weather, other incidents, and associated warnings, and provides push notifications about Fire Danger Ratings, Total Fire Bans and more. The app uses data received from calls to Triple Zero and other sources, and the information supplied is shown on the VicEmergency website and app. The app relies on internet coverage to operate. For app support, instructional videos and frequently asked questions, head to https://vicemergency.zendesk.com.

Rural Health Conference seeks photos and poetry
IN conjunction with the 15th National Rural Health Conference, the National Rural Health Alliance is calling for entries in the 2019 Friends of the Alliance Photo and Poetry Competition in two categories: poetry and photographs. Entries depicting bright, vibrant rural communities are encouraged. The competition is free to enter and open to everyone, excluding professional photographers and poets. Entries close on February 15. Head to ruralhealth.org.au.