Community Information Update Summary: Wednesday 19 October 2022
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Please note: While efforts were made to answer as many questions as possible, it not feasable to provide answers for the many specific, individual locations which may have been asked about.
We have provided general information below that covers the majority of locations.
The Flood Recovery Hotline is a single, state-wide number that Victorians impacted by the October 2022 floods can call for help with:
Navigating available support Clean-up Temporary accommodation Mental health and wellbeing supportThe Flood Recovery Hotline is open from 7.30am to 7.30pm every day.
The water is receeding in the Greater Shepparton LGA. A number of emergency warnings have been dropped. Please refer to the VICSES website and VicEmergency app for your location.
VICSES will be conducting door knocking on impacted areas and assess needs of the community.
The Shepparton-Mooroopna Causeway: Water is off the causeway. There is still a lot of water around Mooroopna. The Causeway is a traffic hazard and is limited to 40 km/h. Please observe traffic control in place.
As roads slowly re-open, please refrain from sightseeing. Roads are in damaged conditions. Please be patient on roads. Don’t access areas you don’t need to go into and allow access for essential services and residents.
Stay up to date on road closures on Council's website or the VicEmergency App
Water has started to clear off the road. Due to the damage of the road it is still hazardous to drive over. With the surrounding water still in the Mooroopna area, traffic is limited to limited to 40 km/h. The road is being monitored.
Some public transport has started to return. V-line are operating rail replacement bus services between Shepparton and Melbourne. Stay up to date, visit vline.com.au or Council's website.
By Rural Roads Victoria's assessment of the highway, there are more than 700 significant pot holes on the Hume Highway. Please take time and be careful; there are pot holes, water on the roads and further damage.
These will be fixed in time, they are not quick fixes. Please drive with care.
If you have to pull over the side of the road for repairs, please be patient and don’t put others at risk while driving.
Floods present many potential health hazards. Never walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Keep children and pets away from flood impacted areas until the clean-up is completed.
Flood water is not clean so may have bacteria and viruses that can cause diarrhoea and vomiting. Avoid contact with flood water as much as possible and wash your hands frequently.
When cleaning up after a flood, wear protective clothing, such as sturdy footwear, loose long-sleeved shirts and trousers and heavy-duty work gloves.
Flooding can cause sewage to overflow inside your home, or gas or electricity supplies may be damaged. The structural integrity may also be affected.
Flooding can cause hazardous mould growth which must be cleaned up before moving back into your home.
If you have lost power for more than one hour, it is important to consider food safety. Once cold or frozen food is no longer cold to touch, it can be kept and eaten for up to four hours and then it must be thrown away.
If it is raw meat, it should be cooked and then eaten.
Spring flooding can mean more mosquitos biting and breeding, including ones that can carry diseases that make you sick. We expect an increase in numbers from about two weeks after flooding.
Avoid mosquito bites. Cover up by wearing long, loose-fitting clothing and use mosquito repellents containing picardin or DEET on all exposed skin. Empty stagnant water around your property as soon as you can.
It’s normal to experience a range of emotions following emergencies like the recent flooding happening throughout Victoria. Look after yourself and reach out to your loved ones and neighbours.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or concerned about your wellbeing, you can call Mental Health & Wellbeing Hubs for free support on 1300 375 330.
All treated tap water supplied by Goulburn Valley Water remains safe to drink. While water in some areas may have a slight taste, drinking water supplies have remained safe in all towns within Greater Shepparton. The preparation on the water treatment plant has held up and there is no issue with the treatment or quality coming from the facility.
Sewer systems: During the height of the flooding, there were slight issues. The sewers were slow to drain, and the river had inundated the system.
All sewer pump stations, with the exemption of one are operational. There’s a lot of water to move. It will move, but it will take some time.
Collection of your household kerbside bins will recommence for areas that are safe for drivers to access.
Your regular collection day will remain the same. If your bin is missed please leave it out for an additional day. If your bin is still not collected, bring it in to your property and put it out the following week. Your yellow lid and green lid bins will alternate as per the regular schedule. Resource Recovery CentresAs of Friday 21 October, Resource Recovery Centres will be open with extended hours to assist community members with disposing of flood waste.
Shepparton RRC: Open Monday to Saturday 8am to 4.15pm and Sunday 9.00am to 4.15pm Ardmona RRC: Friday 8.00am to 4.15pm, Saturday 8.00am to 4.15pm, Sunday 9am to 4.15pm Murchison RRC: closed. Murchison skip bins have been placed around for residents to dispose of their hard rubbish. Located Murchison Recreation Reserve, Jaycee Park, Grain Corp entrance opposite Murchison East Pub, near the public toilets at the Historical Society.Check Council's Rubbish Disposal Update page for the latest information.
Disposing of SandbagsIf impacted to water, sandbags become contaminated and must be disposed of like hard rubbish.
If they have not been impacted by water / gone hard, try to reuse what we can and store in a dry place.
We cannot currently predict the impact of expected rain on water levels. There are no new flood peaks expected at this moment.
Telstra is monitoring their phone towers which have disrupted services and are working to get them up and return to normal service as soon as possible.
We appreciate the offers of food for flood impacted residents. Council has arrangements in place for bulk food provision. The Emergency Relief Centres cannot accept prepared meals from the community for food safety reasons and potential food wastage.
Be aware of snakes in your yard as they will be seeking refuge in areas they wouldn’t normally be.
Remember, do not corner or kill snakes. If you require a snake to be relocated, please contact Kirsty on 0447 636 953 or Craig Bergman on 0428 300 210.
Please take care when you are near wildlife, particularly if they are injured or distressed. For support of injured wildlife away from flood water, report to a wildlife carer, rescue group or Wildlife Victoria on 03 8400 7300.