🛑Eurobodalla Emergency Operations Centre bushfire update
Wednesday 8 January, 6pm 🛑
🔥Fires
A significant amount of uncontained fire continues to burn between Batemans Bay and the Victorian border, and NSW RFS predict high fire danger this Friday.
Eurobodalla residents living outside the main town centres of Narooma, Moruya, Tuross and Batemans Bay are asked to standby for tomorrow’s updated Rural Fire Service forecast for Friday, and be ready to relocate. This includes residents living near bush on the outer fringes of main towns. Residents living in the main towns can stay in place.
NSW Rural Fire Service will provide clear instructions to the community tomorrow, based on their forecast for Friday. If asked, you should start to move to a main town centre. The first and best option is to stay with friends or family. 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 tomorrow’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.
👮IMPORTANT: NSW Police have deployed extra personnel to Eurobodalla. Fire impacted areas 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. 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 Council is aware that rubbish is piling up. Residents should put all three bins out and wait for the kerbside collection. It started on Monday 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 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.
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 is seven days per week.
NEW Residents whose bins have been destroyed by fire, please contact Council’s waste services on 4474 1024 to organise delivery of replacements.
💡NEW Power
Customers without power in Eurobodalla’s fire-affected areas are reminded of the extensive damage to the electricity network. Essential Energy says while restoration work will be completed as quickly as safety allows, some customers will unfortunately have to expect to be without power until later this week or even longer. Once crews are able to safely access firegrounds, estimated times to restore the damage will be provided.
The Surf Beach and Sunshine Bay electricity network has suffered extensive damage. An estimate time for power restoration is yet to be confirmed.
A small number of customers who had power restored, including customers in the Nelligen area, are unfortunately experiencing an additional unplanned outage as further bushfire damage to the electricity network has been identified.
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.
Essential Energy appreciates this is a difficult time for many customers but they should be assured that significant resources are in place to restore power.
💵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.
🐮NEW Fire affected land managers – stock and infrastructure assistance
Fire affected land managers can report stock losses and infrastructure damage, or request animal assessment, or 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 please call 1800 814 647 to register and only present to a fodder distribution point when advised to.
🍎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 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 tomorrow, 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 maybe 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.
📻NEW 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.
