HELPING HEPBURN
We are helping residents in various ways, from maintaining current services to adapting services to work in the current environment.
| Customer Services | Face-to-face customer service at our Duke Street Office (Daylesford), Creswick Hub and The Warehouse (Clunes) reopened on Monday 21 September. Each of our sites will be open three per week from Monday 16 November. Creswick Hub: Monday and Tuesday 8.30am – 5pm and Saturday 9am-12pm Clunes Warehouse: Thursday and Friday 8.30am – 5pm and Saturday 9am-12pm Daylesford’s Duke Street Customer Service counter: Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays 8.30am – 5pm . Customers can contact our Customer Experience Team to log any service requests, queries or make payments: |
| Support Services Directory | Click here for a directory of important contacts and numbers for COVID-19 support services The Department of Health and Human Services has launched a support line for people feeling lonely or socially disconnected: 1800 675 398 (and press 3) Calling this number will put you in contact with support from the Australian Red Cross and local community organisations. The service is free and available to all Victorians. For more information, see: 200723_CASI Information for Individuals |
| Masks | Masks for vulnerable community members are now available. These disposable masks have been supplied by the Department of Health and Human Services and are free for people who:
Carers of the above people can also access these free masks. Masks are available at Council’s Duke Street office in Daylesford. If you can’t get to Duke Street, please contact Council’s Customer Services on 5348 2306. If you do not meet the above criteria, you can purchase a mask at any number of locations, use other face coverings including scarves or bandanas, or make your own cloth masks. For more information about masks, visit https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/face-masks-and-coverings-covid-19 |
| Food Services | Food services across the Hepburn Shire and Macedon Ranges in response to COVID-19: 3-02-2021 – Food relief If you cannot leave the house, one option is Coles supermaket. Daylesford Store will do click and collect. Coles Online will provide unattended deliveries to Daylesford. For further information see https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/content/faqs# |
| Cleaning and Building Maintenance | The Cleaning and Building Maintenance Teams continue to operate in servicing our Council assets. We have increased cleaning in various facilities to ensure the safety of our community. Should you notice issues at our public toilets or buildings in general, please log a request through the Council website. Otherwise please contact us via email or phone (details above). |
| Community Care (Aged and Disability Services) | The Community Care department will continue essential services to our clients at this time, which includes personal care, home shopping and domestic assistance. Additional services can be arranged for clients where needs may have changed due to the current situation. Please be advised that the Community Care Team can be contacted by phone and email. Our office hours are 8.30am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday by phone 03 5321 6115. |
| Community Safety (Local Laws) | Our team is still out-and-about and will continue our important community safety role. We request that the community respect social distancing requirements should they be dealing with the team. Cat trapping will be limited as we are unable to take bookings and accept bond payments. The community can still call the team to discuss the management of stray cats. |
| Council Meetings | Recently the State Government passed legislation the COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) 2020 Act to allow council’s across Victoria to conduct it’s meetings virtually. To continue to protect the health and wellbeing of our Community, Councillors and Council Staff the Ordinary Council Meetings will be held as a Virtual Council Meetings. This will be livestreamed onto Council’s website and will be recorded for archiving purposes. Public participation in Council meetings can still occur, although there are some minor amendments to process which are detailed here |
| Emergency Management | Council has set up an Emergency Management Team and Pandemic Municipal Operations Centre to manage Councils response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency. A virtual relief centre has been created to ensure those who need support can call and access the information they need – call 5348 2306. |
| Events | Our Events team are still taking phone calls and responding to emails and will be available: Monday and Wednesday: 8.30am to 5pm Tuesday and Thursday: 8.30am to 1.30pm
You can contact them on 0439 481 306 or email events@hepburn.vic.gov.au. For event information www.visithepburnshire.com.au. |
| Finance | The Finance department is operational and will be supporting businesses by improving cash flow by paying all approved invoices in a weekly cycle, and not the normal 30-day period. |
| Governance | The Governance team will continue to carry out its core functions. We are receiving guidance from Local Government Victoria on how implementation of the Local Government Act 2020 and General Elections will be rolled out. |
| Library Services | Our Libraries have reopened on restricted hours and services and are open on the following days: Creswick Hub: Monday and Tuesday 8.30am – 5pm and Saturday 9am-12pm Trentham Library: Tuesday and Wednesday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am-1pm Daylesford Library: Wednesday and Thursday 9.30am – 5.30pm and Saturday 10am-1pm Clunes Warehouse: Thursday and Friday 8.30am – 5pm and Saturday 9am-12pm Our Digital Library is still in operation, and a wide range of services and collections are available and accessible with your library card (visit www.centralhighlandslibraries.org.au). This includes E-books, E-audio Books, E-magazines, Newspapers from around the world, Knaopy Film streaming and Storybox Library. |
| Major Projects | The Major Projects team will continue to delivery important community projects. Contact with community will be avoided, as will direct contact with contractors. Phone and email communication will be prioritised to ensure projects and contractors progress. |
| Maternal Child Health | Due to the increase in COVID 19 cases in Victoria and the tightening of the restrictions until 31 July, Hepburn Shire MCH Service, will be offering telephone consultations to all clients followed by a short face to face consultation all families to complete physical and Developmental assessments until 31 July. We will be following the CHO/Commonwealth advice, we ask that only one adult and the child/baby being assessed is brought to the consultation. To ensure the continued safety of our community we request that families only attend their appointment with the MCH nurse if well, have not been in close contact with positive Coronavirus case and do not have a fever or cough. Central Highland Rural Health have introduced a policy that all clients attending appointments within Central Highlands Rural Health facilities will undergo a temperature check upon arrival. If your temperature or your child’s temperature is above 37.5 you will need to go home and the MCH nurse will contact you to offer you another appointment. Please remember to bring the Green Book, 2 bunny rugs, a clean nappy and a nappy sac with you to your appointment. Our team would like to give a huge thank you to all our wonderful families for being so understandings in these unusual times we find ourselves in. To make an appointment contact our central booking on 53216500. Our team will take your contact details and a MCH nurse will contact you to arrange your appointment. |
| Parks and Open Spaces | Our parks and playgrounds are open. The Parks & Open Space team are out auditing and maintaining all Council sites as per our standard schedules, all whilst practising social distancing measures to keep the public and Council staff safe. |
| Planning and Building | Our Duke Street Office is closed to the public. Planning and Building are still accepting, processing and issuing permits, along with carrying out site inspections as required. Officers are working predominately from home, so preferred contact with the community is via phone, email and electronic submission of applications. |
| Rates Hardship | During the worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic Hepburn Shire Council understands that this has increased the financial pressure on some of our ratepayers. In recognition of this unprecedented situation, the Council has decided there will be no interest charged on outstanding balances from the 2019/20 rates charges for payments made before 30th September 2020. As a result of this Hepburn Shire Council can enact the emergency clause of our current hardship policy. Any ratepayers who are suffering financial hardship can make an application for deferment of payment of rates and charges and interest. The hardship assistance application is available to all ratepayers, not just residential ratepayers. If financial hardship is determined, interest will not be charged, and no debt recovery action will be taken provided, agreed arrangements are upheld. Hardship arrangements will be reviewed once the pandemic situation is resolved to determine if circumstances have changed. Click here to complete the Rates Hardship Form If you have any issues completing this form online please call our Customer Service Team on 5348 2306. |
| Sport and Active Recreation | Council playgrounds, skate facilities and outdoor fitness equipment are open. Council are continuing to work with clubs and associations to coordinate a safe return to play at the earliest possible time. |
| Waste | Council will maintain kerbside waste collection service and a full or modified service at transfer stations (especially for residents without a kerbside collection). All Transfer Stations and Tip Shops are open. |
| Works Department | Council Work’s Department will continue to maintain the road network and associated infrastructure. Social distancing measures are being practised to ensure the safety of staff and general public. We are identifying and sourcing materials that may be impacted by supply issues. These include materials such as gravel, rock, workshop supplies and emulsion. |