Working together throughout South Gippsland

Like all residents and emergency service personnel, South Gippsland Shire Council staff have faced a challenging time after Tuesday’s storm with such widespread damage and many people having no means of communication.

Teams were sent to different towns seeing what is open, clearing roads and establishing community needs, including conducting welfare checks and offering assistance.

A presence was maintained in the worst affected area, Mirboo North.

Council has opened a two-week green waste amnesty period for South Gippslanders to dispose of vegetation and spoiled food.

The Mirboo North Transfer Station will be open daily, including weekends, from 9am until 4pm.

Other waste stations will be open according to their regular operating hours.

Additionally, skip bins/dumpsters will be in place from Thursday February 15, for spoiled food items only, located opposite Mirboo North Hall (toilet block car park), in Meeniyan (behind the shops) and in Venus Bay.

People are urged not to take any risks with perishable foods and to be aware of the danger zone between 5 and 60 degrees Celsius.

As of Thursday morning, Mirboo North, Korumburra and Leongatha were all still without power. 

Some people in Korumburra and Leongatha received SMS notification from Ausnet that power may not be restored until 6pm on Saturday 17 February “due to the unprecedented damage caused by the extreme weather on 13 February”.

Council stated in its storm update on Wednesday that while the impacts of the storm were felt everywhere, the towns in the northern end of the shire, Mirboo North, Korumburra, Leongatha and Poowong were hit particularly hard.

Many trees also came down in Meeniyan.

“Emergency services, council crews and community members have rallied together and we would like to thank anyone who has helped in any way,” council stated.

Council CEO Kerryn Ellis expressed her appreciation of the response from community members.

“A lot of community members have supported each other; some people have had their neighbours staying with them because their house is damaged, or they’ve had help clearing trees and that sort of thing,” Kerryn said.

People are encouraged to keep checking on each other, whether friends, family or strangers.

Kerryn said Mirboo North resembled a warzone with trees down, roads blocked, extensive damage to houses and a lot of damage to the pool.

“Aside from damage to the infrastructure around it, the pool itself is full of dirt,” she said.