Eurobodalla Emergency Operations Centre bushfire update
Tuesday 7 January, 6pm
Fires
NSW RFS advise: All fires impacting Eurobodalla are at advice level. There are no concerns for properties at this time. High fire danger is forecast for Friday. In this window of opportunity, NSW Rural Fire Service are doing what they can to contain the fires. The rain has made little impact on the fires.
Returning home
Emergency services advise that Eurobodalla residents may return to their homes, except for those living in the Deua, Pollwombra and Larry’s Mountain Road areas west of Moruya, where NSW RFS continues to monitor fire activity in that area.
IMPORTANT: NSW Police are maintaining patrols to properties in fire-impacted areas.
Travel
For travel within Eurobodalla:
· Princes Highway between Moruya and Mogo is open.
· 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 between Boydtown and Sydney north. Brilliant work by Transport for NSW and all the supporting agencies. Continue to monitor Live Traffic. Drive cautiously, do not cross road blocks and obey traffic control.
Water
IMPORTANT: Residents in Moruya and south to Tilba should continue to boil their drinking water until further notice. Following the weekend’s firefighting activities, reservoirs in the south of the shire were filled with water straight from the river without the usual treatment process. Health authorities recommend you bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
All Eurobodalla residents should be conservative with water use until further notice. There is no need to water down your house or yard unless fire or embers are visible. NEW 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
Council is aware that rubbish is piling up. Residents should put all three bins out and wait for the kerbside collection. It started yesterday and won’t necessarily follow the usual schedule for now – trucks will collect as much as they can, when they can. Good progress is being made on red-lid bins. Please continue your good bin habits – red for waste, yellow for recycling, green for green waste. More trucks will arrive to help as soon as possible.
NEW Residents who filled their bins with water to help firefighters should now empty them onto the grass or garden, and use their bins for waste, recycling or green waste. Please don’t leave bins filled with water on the kerb now that kerbside collection has recommenced.
NEW Surf Beach tip is closed due to fire impacts, Moruya Transfer Station is now open two extra days per week, Monday to Friday, and Brou tip opened today, seven days per week.
NEW Residents whose bins have been destroyed by fire, please contact Council’s waste services on 4474 1024 before 12pm Wednesday 8 January to ensure your replacement bin can be delivered in time for next kerbside collection.
Power
Power has been restored to most of Eurobodalla, apart from 3,298 fire-impacted properties in parts of Batemans Bay, parts of Catalina, Durras, North Durras, Surf Beach, Malua Bay, Mogo, parts of Broulee, Mogendoura, Nerrigundah, and Eurobodalla.
Huge thanks to Essential Energy, who pulled out all stops as part of the emergency response team to restore power to the community, including the deployment of 320 personnel to the South Coast and Riverina to support the bushfire response.
Food and fuel
Food and fuel trucks are coming into Eurobodalla under escort where necessary through fire affected areas.
Asbestos awareness
IMPORTANT: 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 Avoid swimming for now
Bushfires may have impacted Eurobodalla’s waterways and beaches. Smoke, ash, debris, potential runoff from burnt areas and sewer surcharges have impacted our waterways. As a precaution residents are advised to avoid swimming in waterways and beaches.
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 and community associations, posted on Eurobodalla Council’s Facebook page, as well as printed for community noticeboards. Other announcements are made as required via local media and social media.
Warren Sharpe, OAM
Local Emergency Management Officer
Emergency Operations Centre, Eurobodalla
Tuesday 7 January 2020, 6pm
