October newsletter
We hope this finds you well in what has been a tough month for many in the Shire.
This edition brings you updates on this month's flood events in the Pyrenees Shire, along with news from this month's Council meeting.
Take care of yourselves, and each other!
Dates for your diary
October 23: Landsborough Public Hall Centenary Capsule opening
October 29: Spring Plant Fair, Trawalla
October Council meeting
At Tuesday’s meeting, Council:
adopted the 2021-22 Annual Report
endorsed site 3 on the eastern corner of Havelock and Livingston Streets as the preferred site for the restored Krupp Gun
received a report on the progress of the delivery of aged care in the Shire
endorsed closures for the Christmas period
endorsed the 2022-23 Community Funding Program
You can download the agenda and minutes from the Council meeting on our website to read all Council's decisions. You can watch a recording of the livestream of the Council meeting on our website.
Pyrenees Shire flood update
We know so many of you have been directly impacted by the recent floods, whether your home, business or roads in and out of your towns have been affected, there is widespread damage across the Shire. The communities primarily affected are Avoca, Amphitheatre, Beaufort, Lexton and Natte Yallock. Council staff are out in the community gathering information and making contact with affected residents. Early estimates for the damage is in the multi-millions and we are talking to the Victorian Government about funding available for recovery. Our Relief and Recovery Centres are open in Avoca, Beaufort and Lexton for practical assistance and advice on the support available to you from Commonwealth and State Government funding programs You can drop into the Beaufort Community Resource Centre or the Avoca Information and Community Centre during business hours, or the Lexton Community Center from 11am - 2pm. If you can’t make it to a Centre, call Council on 1300 797 363. Visit Council's flood update page for a comprehensive list of all the financial assistance on offer. We’ve had reports of residents failing to access support in the previous week. We urge those residents to seek to apply support again, as the Pyrenees Shire is now an eligible LGA (as of 2pm Thursday 20 October). There are still a number of roads closed as they are unsafe to drive on. Visit Council’s website for more information on local road closures and VicTraffic for VicRoads roads that are closed. Our roads crews have been out clearing debris, repairing where they can and re-opening roads. It’s a big job, and there’s a lot more work to be done. Hard-waste collection is being conducted for residents who need to dispose of flood-damaged goods. If you need items collected, call Council on 1300 797 363. There has been some interruption to waste collection services due to the flood. Services have now recommenced and your bins should be picked-up according to the normal schedule, as long as road conditions are safe. Please see Council's website for regular updates on the flood situation.
2022/23 Community Funding Program
Council is offering grants of up to $5000 to help revitalize shopfronts in the shire as part of its 2022/23 Community Funding Program. The Shop Façade Improvement program is designed to encourage investment in our local shopping precincts and breathe new life into our beautiful streetscapes, boosting your business and delivering a better experience for your customers and visitors to our region. Visit our website to learn more about Council's Community Funding Program.
Have your say on Home-based Care in the Pyrenees
Commonwealth Government changes to the aged care sector mean that the Pyrenees Shire Council, like many other councils in Victoria, needs to decide whether it can continue to directly provide home-based care services.
We are seeking your feedback to help us make that decision. Have your say online at our Engagement Hub, or at any of Council's front counters in Beaufort and Avoca, or you can speak to us directly. Submissions close on Friday 4 November.
Pyrenees welcomes new Australian citizens
Some much-needed sunshine broke through in Beaufort earlier this week as four of Australia’s newest citizens were sworn in by Mayor Ron Eason. Tom Ostrom, Aimee Whelan, Nga Vo and Lillyosa Mapombere were awarded Australian citizenship in front of a proud group of family and friends gathered at the Beeripmo Development Centre on Tuesday. Councillors David Clark, Tanya Kehoe, Robert Vance and Damian Ferrari, along with Pyrenees Shire CEO Jim Nolan and directors Kathy Bramwell and Douglas Gowans, also attended the ceremony. We wish our new citizens all the best!
Beaufort Town Market EOIs
We are seeking EOIs from an incorporated not-for-profit community group or organisation in the Pyrenees Shire to run the Beaufort Town Market. The ideal candidate will continue to grow the market, enhancing social connectivity and bringing economic benefit to our community groups and business community. Ideally, the market will deliver a well-curated range of stalls with a focus on local and handmade merchandise. This could include fresh produce, baked goods, plants, handmade arts, crafts, tools, furniture, jewellery, and local wine tasting. For guidelines and an application form, please visit our website. EOIs close at 5pm on Monday 24 October.
Cambridge Street Avoca outdoor project
The Cambridge Street outdoor activation project in Avoca is almost complete.
Local contractors are waiting for the rain to ease so slabs can be poured and new seating installed. Festoon lighting is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.
We look forward to working with the Avoca and surrounding community to see this space used in activities such as markets and live performances.Tourism has launched a new app! Download from the App Store or Google Play
COVID-19 vaccinations
You can book a vaccination with your GP, or with a state clinic. To book with a state clinic, call 1800 675 398 or book online via www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au.
Beaufort and Skipton Health Service is administering COVID-19 vaccinations, including for the 5-11 year age group. Please contact BSHS on 5349 1600 (Beaufort) or 5340 1100 (Skipton).
Some members of the community are now eligible for a fourth dose. These include:
adults aged 50 years and older for whom the fourth dose is recommended
residents of aged care or disability care facilities
people aged 16 years and older who are severely immunocompromised
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and older.
Adults aged 30-49 can get the fourth dose if they choose. Fourth doses can be given three months after the third dose.
If you have any symptoms, please get tested using a rapid antigen test. If you test positive with the test, you do not need to check the result with a PCR test, and you should register your positive result with the Victorian Health Department. See Getting tested on Coronavirus Victoria's website for more information.
Public notices
See our latest public notices on our website. These weekly notices are published in the Pyrenees Advocate and the Maryborough Advertiser on a Friday. We also publish them to our website and Facebook page. The quarterly newsletter is sent out in March, June, September and December. You can read the newsletter online.5 Lawrence Street, Beaufort VIC 3373
T 1300 797 363
F 03 5349 2068
E pyrenees@pyrenees.vic.gov.au
pyrenees.vic.gov.auWe acknowledge the people past and present of the Wadawurung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Eastern Maar, and Wotjobaluk tribes whose land forms the Pyrenees Shire. We pay our respect to the customs, traditions and stewardship of the land by the elders and people of these tribes on whose land we meet today. Copyright © 2022 Pyrenees Shire Council, All rights reserved.