Update on Council spaces and services as lockdown eases

A statement from Brimbank City Council Mayor, Cr Georgina Papafotiou

While the Victorian Government has extended Stage four lockdown for metropolitan Melbourne, some restrictions are set to ease slightly from 11.59pm on Sunday 13 September under the State’s ‘roadmap for reopening’ for Melbourne.

This means Brimbank Council will be able to reopen some select Council spaces and services.

Our outdoor playgrounds, off leash dog parks and outdoor exercise equipment will re-open for use, with physical distancing and group number limits in place.

Our libraries will bring back the Click and Collect service for library members, and the Home Library Service and the Library to Your Door services will also be available. Library return chutes will also be open so that borrowed library materials can be returned.

In line with Victorian Government public health requirements, there will be physical distancing requirements, and other measures to protect the health of anyone involved in providing or receiving these services.

As we have done during lockdown, essential services, such as household waste collection, immunisation, meals delivery, personal care, roads and cleansing, parks maintenance, health and building inspections will continue as normal. Council’s customer service centres can also be contacted by phone or online.

Council staff who can work from home will continue to work from home.

As always, the health and safety of our community and staff is our top priority. I ask that people continue to do the right thing despite how hard it may seem, and follow whatever restrictions are in place.

In anticipation of the future easing of restrictions later this month, we are also carefully planning for the re-opening of the Sunshine Leisure Centre outdoor pool to ensure the safety of visitors and staff. Of course this can only be when outdoor pools are allowed to reopen, under the State’s roadmap for reopening.

Our community and local businesses have been severely impacted by the ongoing lockdown and this will continue even as restrictions start to ease slowly in the next few months.

We understand the frustrations and concerns of businesses and industry in trying to survive the consequences of restrictions as part of our collective efforts to keep our own community safe.

Council has been calling on the State and Federal governments to step up support for Council’s COVID-19 community recovery plan in the light of the extended restrictions that have been taking place.

We are also looking at how we can best support local businesses, and we are engaging with local traders groups to see what more we can do.

/Public Release. View in full here.