Community information for Great Ocean Road flood recovery
Published on 20 January 2026
Lorne is open for business and ready to welcome you!
Cafes, restaurants, retailers and accommodation were all heavily impacted by the extreme weather events during January 2026. The local community would appreciate your support by paying the town a visit.
UPDATED 11 March 2026
This page contains information about clean-up and recovery efforts in Lorne and surrounds following the Great Ocean Road floods of 15 January 2026.
Our thanks to the local community members and organisations that rallied to support the emergency relief effort, including Lorne Surf Life Saving Club, the Stribling Reserve Community Asset Committee, Lorne P-12 School, Lorne Op Shop, the Salvation Army, Feed Me Surf Coast, and many local home owners and accommodation providers.
Community newsletter
We've joined with Colac Otway Shire and the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority to produce a community newsletter with information and updates about the flood recovery.
Printed copies are available at the Lorne Visitor Information Centre, or you can download below:
Issue 4, 27 February 2026(PDF, 817KB)
Issue 3, 13 February 2026(PDF, 930KB)
Issue 2, 30 January 2026(PDF, 836KB)
Issue 1, 23 January 2026(PDF, 940KB)
Economic impacts in Lorne
Businesses in Lorne are reporting serious economic impacts from the overlapping emergency events during January, with data showing a significant drop in expenditure.
The coastal township relies heavily on revenue from visitation during summer, with January traditionally its peak month of trade.
However, card transaction data shows a major drop-off this year – with an average daily spend in Lorne between 1 and 15 January of $386,000 dipping to $172,000 for the latter half of the month, following the Great Ocean Road flooding.
Our Economic Development team has surveyed 68 businesses in Lorne, with 31 per cent saying they had lost the equivalent of a month of income, and a further 47 per cent reporting loss of at least a week’s income.
Read more.
Health advice and guidance for flood recovery
The following websites contain information and resources to support your health and wellbeing in the aftermath of floods:
Victorian Government Department of Health
Victorian Government Better Health Channel
EPA Floodwater and your health webpage
Please remember to take care of your own mental health after caring for others or experiencing a disaster situation.
It’s natural for emotions to sneak up on us after a few days or weeks, and sometimes these experiences can impact how we feel and function.
If you need urgent mental health support, contact Barwon Health on 1300 763 254.
There are many local providers you can turn to if you need mental health support or would like someone to talk to:
- Barwon Health Mental Health - Colac: Ph 1300 763 254 (business hours) or 1300 094 187 (after hours)
- Colac Area Health Counselling Services: Ph 5232 5100
- Step Thru Care Geelong Otway: Ph 8691 5480
- Medicare Mental Health: Ph 1800 595 212
- headspace Colac: Ph 5232 5520; 15-17 Hart Street, Colac; open Mon, Wed-Fri 9am-5pm, Tues 9am-7pm
- Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative: Ph 5277 004
Infrastructure repair and public space clean-up
Our fortnightly community newsletter will continue to provide updates about clean-up efforts and repairs to damaged infrastructure.