A Catastrophic Fire Danger rating has been declared for Moira Shire tomorrow, Friday 9 January, as well as an Extreme Heatwave warning and a Total Fire Ban.
This highest-possible fire rating has triggered a number of closures of public facilities.
Thompsons Beach in Cobram (including the boat ramp and the cafe), Chinaman's Island Reserve in Yarrawonga and Kinnairds Wetland in Numurkah will be closed for public use from 6am on Friday 9 January until 6am on Saturday 10 January.
The reopening is subject to the fire danger threat easing, and will be reviewed on Friday.
These closures are in line with Parks Victoria, which will close its parks and managed beaches on Friday.
The YMCA, which manages the public swimming pools in Moira Shire, is unable to operate the pools on Friday 9 January because of its Catastrophic Fire Danger policy.
This means the Cobram, Nathalia, Numurkah, Strathmerton and Yarrawonga outdoor pools will be closed on Friday.
Also closing will be the Maternal Child Health Centres in Cobram and Yarrawonga; clients will be contacted directly to reschedule appointments or change them to telehealth.
All Resource Recovery Centres and the Cobram Landfill will be closed on Thursday (which is also a day of Total Fire Ban) and Friday. New bin deliveries or missed bin collections will not take place on Friday. Affected residents have been contacted.
Thanks to GV Libraries, the following libraries will be open on Friday and providing cool refuge for those who require it:
- Cobram: 14 Punt Rd, 10am to 6pm.
- Nathalia: 75 Blake St, 10am to 12.30pm.
- Numurkah: 18 McCaskill St, 10am to 5.30pm.
- Yarrawonga: 26 Belmore St, 10am to 5.30pm.
And in Tungamah, the Tungamah Community Centre will be open between 12pm and 5pm on Thursday and Friday if anyone would like to get out of the heat.
Moira Shire Council CEO Matthew Morgan said safety was paramount for the community during this extreme heatwave and Catastrophic Fire Danger.
"We urge all our residents to find refuge from the heat, take care of neighbours and vulnerable people, and be ready to enact your fire action plan," Mr Morgan said.
"Please follow official health advice and monitor the VicEmergency website and app for fire updates."
Check Moira Shire's Facebook page and website for updates as they become available.
Useful resources:
For fire danger ratings, go to: www.cfa.vic.gov.au
The VicEmergency app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play, and the website is at: emergency.vic.gov.au
