A message from the mayor - August 7, 2020

Published on 07 August 2020

Here we are back again in familiar territory. On Wednesday night, West Wimmera Shire, along with the rest of regional Victoria, entered stage 3 – Stay at Home restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are now only four reasons to leave your house – to shop for food and essential goods or services; to provide care or to seek medical treatment; for exercise; or for work and study. Now, it is as important as ever to do the right thing and look out for each other.

Programs that encouraged social connections, such as playgroups and men’s sheds, have unfortunately had to close under stage 3 restrictions. Students have also returned to remote learning. During these times, it is important to still reach out to others. Stay in touch with fellow community members via the phone or the internet as much as possible.

For those needing extra support, there are a number of services available. Uniting Wimmera has set up a dedicated hotline for the region to provide help wherever people need it. Examples of services they can help with include mental health support and food and housing assistance. The number is 1800 195 114.  West Wimmera residents can also call the Council offices directly and speak to our intake team for assistance.  The Rural Outreach Program is another great service in our region for those needing mental health support. We are very fortunate to have workers from this program residing here in our shire.

Council staff are continuing to check on vulnerable and isolated members of our community who might be struggling. Staff are also contacting businesses to see how they are going and what support they might need. Many businesses have unfortunately had to close, or partially close, as a result of these new restrictions. I encourage all businesses to look into what financial support packages are available from the state and federal governments.

Council has received a number of reusable face masks from the state government for vulnerable residents. Our home carers and community support teams will distribute these to people in our shire, who might not otherwise have access to masks.

Please continue to be kind to one another. Everyone has different coping mechanisms and will handle stressful situations differently. I would like to thank all West Wimmera Shire residents for continuing to do the right thing and looking after one another. Don’t forget to keep washing your hands and wear a face covering when out in public. 

Bruce Meyer

Mayor – West Wimmera Shire Council