Changes to Council services and facilities

In line with the latest advice from the Victorian Premier and Chief Health Officer, we are returning public access to many important recreation facilities. Council spaces and facilities to re-open to groups of 10 or less will include:

• Beaches

• Basketball courts

• Tennis courts

• Netball courts

• Winchelsea golf course

• Lawn bowls greens

• Equestrian arenas

• Sporting fields including ovals and pitches

• Bike parks

• Lookouts

• Toilets at recreation venues

• Community gardens.

Exercise is one of the five reasons people can justify leaving home but the bottom line message for Victoria remains if you can stay home, stay home.

Restrictions in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19 are that facilities will be available for use by groups of up to 10 people, provided users maintain 1.5m physical distancing and observe COVID-Safe hygiene measures.

Surf Coast beachgoers and park visitors to continue observing gathering and physical distancing regulations and heightened hygiene precautions.

Sporting clubs hoping to resume training should refer to official guidance being issued by state authorities for their sport.

As of the 26 May, 2020, we will also be opening public playgrounds, skateparks and outdoor communal gym equipment, with a maximum of 10 people allowed to use equipment at any one time.

Surf Coast Shire facilities that will remain closed include:

• Public barbecues

• Drinking fountains

• Indoor sports facilities

• Sports pavilions and change rooms

• Community halls and centres

• Winchelsea RV Park

The next Victorian Government review of these closures is due on 31 May, 2020.

From Tuesday 17 March Council’s main Torquay office, and planning and building services transitioned from over-the-counter to phone, email and internet-based services. People can phone 5261 0600, lodge a request for service via info@surfcoast.vic.gov.au or find information on this website.

People wishing to comment on a submission can email planningapps@surfcoast.vic.gov.au. 

The Council will continue to provide customer service over the phone and online, but services will not be offered over the counter until further notice.

Customer service contact details are:

Lodge a request for service online

Hours: 8.30 am - 5 pm (Monday to Friday)

Phone: (03) 5261 0600 or 1300 610 600

Fax: (03) 5261 0525

Postal Address: PO Box 350, Torquay, 3228

Email: info@surfcoast.vic.gov.au

Winchelsea and Lorne Transfer Station hours

From Saturday 28 March, Council is temporarily reducing days of operation at Winchelsea and Lorne transfer stations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hours of opening now are:

• Winchelsea 2pm to 4pm Thursdays and 9.30am to 12.30pm on Sundays.
• Lorne 9am to noon on Wednesdays and Fridays, and 2pm to 5pm on Sundays.

Hours at Anglesea Landfill and Transfer Station will remain unchanged.

Payment arrangements at Council waste facilities

All Council waste facilities will be cashless from Friday 20 March. This includes Anglesea, Lorne and Winchelsea transfer stations. Using debit and credit cards instead of cash and making use of online and self-serve transactions can help reduce the risk of infection and slow the spread of coronavirus. From Friday 20 March, the waste transfer stations will accept payments via account or EFTPOS only.

Essential disposals only

Please consider whether your trip to a waste transfer station is essential, to save any fines under the COVID-19 Stage 3 restrictions. A disposal is considered essential when it’s something that’s affecting the health or safety of your household or employees

Primary and secondary schools

Gradual return to school: the Victorian Government announced that from Tuesday 26 May, all Prep, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students, specialist school students, as well as VCE and VCAL students will return to on-site learning at government schools. Students in the broader year 3 to 10 cohort will continue to learn remotely until Tuesday 9 June.

Refer to your child’s school for further information.

Surf Coast Shire kindergarten

Council is working through the implications of the Victorian Government announcement on students returning to school and is awaiting guidance on the approach to fully re-open kindergartens

Occasional care

Term 2 has commenced, however, we encourage families and children to stay at home as much as possible to keep the community safe and protect our health services. Families currently enrolled who plan to not attend will receive communication from the Educators regarding home learning/ activities support.

Council’s occasional care facilities will be open and operating for in-person education and care for families and children who require the service. The Federal Government are providing funding directly to providers to ensure that families receive free childcare from 6 April 2020 until further notice, this applies to all enrolments including absent children.

Family day care

As an education and care service, family day care will continue to operate for families and children who require the service. The government advice remains that if you can stay home, you should. This applies to children as well as adults.

The Federal Government are providing funding directly to providers to ensure that families receive free childcare from 6 April 2020 until further notice, this applies to all enrolments including absent children.

Maternal and Child Health

The Surf Coast Shire Maternal and Child Health service remains available to provide support to our community. To limit the spread of COVID-19 in the community, the service is adopting alternative modes of service delivery. These include consultations taking place via the phone, and nurse visits to the home for families with young or vulnerable infants. All Maternal and Child Health Centres are closed until further notice.

New Parent Groups

We know how important first time parent groups are to new parents. To keep you connected, we have moved our groups online. For more information, please email rsvpparented@surfcoast.vic.gov.au.

Parent Education

Our parent education calendar of events has been suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions.  We are exploring ways to continue providing support to our community. Please email rsvpparented@surfcoast.vic.gov.au if you would like to be kept up to date. The Maternal and Child Health Service continues to operate via alternative modes of service delivery

Kurrambee Myaring Community Centre and Torquay Children’s Hub

Venue hire and activities at Shire facilities have been suspended until further notice. Council will continue to update hirers who use these facilities.

We thank you for your understanding at this time.

DHHS COVID-19 information for parents with infants and young children

Tips for self-isolating with kids.

From Tuesday 17 March, Surf Coast Sport and Recreation Centre in Torquay and Winchelsea Health Club has closed.

In accordance with Federal and State Government guidelines to halt the spread of Covid-19, all upcoming events within the Surf Coast Shire have been cancelled or postponed until further notice. If you would like to receive updates when our events are back up and running, please register your details at www.surfcoastevents.com.au

Note that the following markets are still operating:
Torquay Farmers Market, every Saturday from 8.30am to 1pm - visit https://www.facebook.com/TorquayFarmersMarket/ for details
Aireys Inlet Market has created a ‘Virtual Market’ – visit www.aireysinletmarket.com.au for details

Following is a list of event cancellations to the end of June:

March
Deans Marsh Festival (20 - 22 March): Cancelled 
Torquay Tiger Drop (21 March): Proceeding with no crowd
Winchelsea Uniting Church Auction (21 March): Postponed, with new date TBA
Youth/Senior State Lifesaving Championships (21-22 March): Cancelled
The Sound Doctor Presents (26-28 March): Cancelled
Meadow Music Festival (27-29 March): Cancelled
Surf Coast Trek (28 March): Cancelled  

April     
Green Living Festival (4 April): Postponed, with new date TBA
Rip Curl Pro (8-18 April): Postponed, with new date TBA
Lorne Easter Art Show (9-13 April): Cancelled
The Drop Music Festival (11 April): Cancelled
Great Ocean & Otway Classic Ride (18 April): Cancelled
Cowrie Market (19 April): Cancelled
ANZAC Day services (25 April): Cancelled

May
Bellbrae Primary School Fair (3 May): Cancelled
School Sport Victoria Surfing Titles (8 May): Cancelled
Victorian Junior Surfing Titles (9-10 May) Postponed
Independent Schools Teams Surfing Titles (11 May): Cancelled
RACV Florence Thomson Tour (16 May): Cancelled
Great Ocean Road Running Festival (16-17 May): Re-scheduled to 22-23 August
Victorian SUP Titles - Surfing (16-17 May): Postponed
Victorian Longboard Titles (23-24 May): Postponed
Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles (29-31 May): Postponed

June

Love Winter in Aireys (1 June – 31 August): Cancelled
Anglesea Art & Craft Show (6 June): Cancelled
Shifty Fifty (13 June): Cancelled
The Sound Doctor Presents (19-20 June): Cancelled
Deans Marsh Winter Solstice (20 June): Cancelled
Surf Coast Trail Marathon (27 June): Postponed

Beach car parks and roads are open, but parking regulations will be strictly enforced at all beach locations across the Surf Coast Shire.

Motorists will be able to park in designated parking bays only, and parking regulations will be monitored and strictly enforced. Cars must not be double parked or parked along access roads.

Point Addis

Parking restrictions remain in place on the west (Anglesea) side of Point Addis Rd.

Further changes

The above arrangements will be reviewed each day and if social gathering requirements are not observed it may be necessary to make further changes to prevent public gatherings in accordance with the directions of the Chief Health Officer.

Above all else the direction is if you can stay at home, you must stay at home.

Council has cancelled its 24 March meeting. Read more.

From close of business Friday 13 March Visitor Information Centres in Torquay, Lorne, Winchelsea and Anglesea have transitioned from over-the-counter to phone, email and website-based services.

From close of business Friday 13 March Torquay’s Australian National Surfing Museum has closed. An International Women’s Day High Tea scheduled for Winchelsea on 15 March has been postponed. Official launch of Winchelsea’s entrance sculptures, scheduled for 16 March has been postponed.

We have enacted our pandemic response plan and a Council working group is meeting daily to evaluate and respond to the latest COVID-19 developments. Our decision making is being informed by advice from health authorities.

Please contact the Department of Home Affairs for any citizenship enquiries on 131 880 or visit their website https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/. We will update this page when there is more information about the next citizenship ceremony and whether it is online or whether a reintroduction of in-person ceremonies is possible.