🔥Fires
NSW Rural Fire service will provide updated fire predictions for Friday and Saturday and instructions for the Eurobodalla community around lunchtime today.
Eurobodalla residents living outside the main town centres of Narooma, Moruya, Tuross and Batemans Bay are asked to standby for today’s update, and be ready to relocate if asked. This includes residents living near bush on the outer fringes of main towns. Residents living in the main towns can stay in place. When RFS says main towns, they mean the town centres of Batemans Bay, Narooma and Moruya, not outlying villages.
The first and best option is to stay with friends or family in a main town. Otherwise, be ready to attend your nearest evacuation centre in Narooma, Moruya or Batemans Bay.
Unless you are physically and mentally prepared to defend your property – and NSW RFS Incident Controller Angus Barnes says if you need to ask yourself the question you aren’t prepared – then you should be ready to move towards a main town.
✅Batemans Bay evacuation centre Hanging Rock Function Centre, Hanging Rock Place ✅Moruya evacuation centre Moruya Basketball stadium, in the showgrounds, Albert Street ✅Narooma evacuation centre Leisure Centre, Bluewater Drive
✅Tuross Head residents who live away from bush are advised to stay in place. Tuross Head Country Club will again be open for residents who would like to take refuge.
😷People with medical conditions
People with medical conditions should be on standby to move to an official evacuation centre (Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma) depending on today’s RFS advice. Please take your required medication and copies of prescriptions. Do not present to the hospital unless you require immediate medical attention. The evacuation centres offer food, water, safety, company and St John’s Ambulance personnel.
🎒What to take to the evacuation centre If asked to move, please take a bag with medications, prescriptions, important documents, precious items, wallet, phone and charger, clothing for all seasons and toiletries for a few days. If you can, bring your own bedding and towels, and your own food if possible.
People with babies and young children, please bring nappies, formula, baby food, toys and activities.
Small pets are welcome. Please bring pet food and bowls. Large animals can be accommodated under owner-care at Moruya Showground. Local Land Services reps are onsite to assist with animal welfare.
People with camping equipment may camp on the grounds of each evacuation centre. Pack up tents and store them in cars before the firefront arrives - embers will burn tents and make it unsafe for others.
🏡Returning to Moruya west
Residents of Deua, Pollwombra and Larry’s Mountain Road areas west of Moruya may not return home for now while NSW RFS continues to monitor fire activity in that area.
👮NSW Police
NSW Police has deployed additional personnel to Eurobodalla to assist in the emergency response. Fire impacted areas or areas that have evacuated are patrolled regularly to protect property.
🚗Travel For travel within Eurobodalla: • Broulee Road and Araluen Road remain closed • Avoid travelling west of the Princes Highway into areas of burnt ground or approaching fires, including areas such as Nerrigundah and Belowra.
✅The Princes Highway is open north and south. Continue to monitor Live Traffic. Drive cautiously, do not cross road blocks and obey traffic control.
💧Water
NEW The boil water notice for residents in Moruya and south to Tilba has been lifted. Sampling has confirmed the drinking water supply was not compromised and it is no longer necessary to boil drinking water.
All Eurobodalla residents should be conservative with water use until further notice to ensure we have enough water for drinking and firefighting. All reservoirs are now filled. Do not wet down buildings or grounds or leave sprinklers and hoses running. This is only useful when properties are under threat of fire or ember attack. An ember is a hot glowing coal – cold and blackened leaves are not embers.
If you are staying to defend your property according to your bushfire survival plan, filling your bins with water can be helpful for firefighting. Please empty them after and resume their normal use.
If you notice neighbours misusing water, you might feel comfortable having a chat to explain why it’s important to conserve our water for firefighting and community use, or you can call 1800 755 760 to report.
🗑Rubbish collection
Eurobodalla’s kerbside collection is now on track and up to date. Please continue your good bin habits – red for waste, yellow for recycling, green for green waste.
If filling bins with water to assist firefighting efforts, please don’t leave those filled bins on the kerb now that kerbside collection has recommenced.
Surf Beach tip is closed due to fire impacts. Moruya Transfer Station will now open seven days per week until Surf Beach re-opens, and Brou tip is open seven days per week.
Residents whose bins have been destroyed by fire, please contact Council’s waste services on 4474 1024 to organise delivery of replacements.
💡NEW Power
Essential Energy reports that 3,245 customers remain without power in Eurobodalla. The Surf Beach and Sunshine Bay electricity network, near Batemans Bay, has suffered extensive damage. Once crews are able to safely access firegrounds, estimated times to restore the damage and return power to customers will be provided.
A small number of customers who had power restored are unfortunately experiencing an additional unplanned outage as a result of further bushfire damage.
With the prediction of worsening fires on Friday and Saturday, Essential Energy reminds the community that for safety reasons the electricity network may need to be switched off, or it may be damaged, and this means that power will not be available for pumps and that customers should have an alternative plan for water if it is required.
💵NEW Donations
Eurobodalla has been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of people from around Australia donating items for our fire affected residents. NSW Disaster Welfare Recovery is now asking everyone to reconsider how they can best support those impacted. Money is the best way to help people buy the things they really need, empower them to make decisions about their future and support their local businesses by spending locally. Consider donations to Salvation Army 2019 November Bushfire Appeal, Red Cross Relief and Recovery, St Vincent de Paul Society Bushfire Appeal, Wildlife Rescue.
🐮Fire affected land managers – stock and infrastructure assistance
Fire affected land managers can report stock losses and infrastructure damage, request animal assessment, or request emergency fodder or water for stock, by calling the Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647. Fodder distribution points are now open across the South East. We ask that you call the hotline to register and only present to a fodder distribution point when advised to.
🍎Food and fuel
Food and fuel trucks are coming into Eurobodalla.
🚨Asbestos awareness
Do not sift through fire-damaged material until it has been inspected and verified to be asbestos-free. Licensed contractors from NSW Public Works Authority are progressively working through fire-affected areas, and started yesterday Monday 6 January.
🏊♂️NEW Swimming
Smoke, ash, debris, potential runoff from burnt areas and sewer surcharges may have impacted Eurobodalla’s waterways. As a precaution residents are advised to avoid swimming in waterways and beaches for now.
The good news is Eurobodalla’s three swimming centres in Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma will re-open from 1pm today, Thursday 9 January, much sooner than anticipated. Council’s website has opening hours and check with the pools for resumption of regular programming. Fire ash continues to be blown into Moruya and Batemans Bay centres and although this ash may be unsightly, the water remains suitable for swimming.
👨👩👧👧NEW Visitors
Eurobodalla’s Emergency Operations Centre reminds visitors to delay their travel plans to Eurobodalla for now. Local tourism businesses are urged to adhere to this advice. There is still active fire in most of Eurobodalla and south to the Victorian border. At this time it is in the best interests of visitors and our community to delay travel plans to Eurobodalla. Many local residents have lost their homes or can't return to them and these people require accommodation, resources and support. Until this Friday’s high fire danger has passed and NSW RFS reassess the forecast, visitors should stay away from the Eurobodalla.
🏘Evacuation centres
To those at evacuation centres, we thank you for your patience and goodwill in trying circumstances. The centres will remain open and providing support for as long as required. Please talk to centre staff about disaster welfare assistance. We understand online access to information about support services is limited, and printed information is now available at the centres.
🗣Community updates
Eurobodalla Emergency Operations Centre will continue to provide 10am and 6pm updates for the community. These are distributed to local media, community associations, evacuation centres, posted on Eurobodalla Council’s Facebook page and website, as well as printed and pinned to community noticeboards. Other announcements are made as required via local media and social media. Eurobodalla Council prepares and distributes the official communications as part of the multi-agency emergency response.
📻Communications can be difficult when power is out. Have a battery-powered radio on hand for company and information when this happens. Our local radio stations ABC Southeast and 2EC/PowerFM are providing continuous coverage and broadcasting the official community updates.
