MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire received more than a thousand calls from residents reporting fallen trees after the Friday 29 October storm battering.
SES crews, Fire Rescue Victoria, CFA and police met with the shire early last week to piece together a broad picture of the devastation and coordinate a recovery.
Fire rescue crews were conducting assessments at properties requiring heavy machinery to remove trees endangering houses, and two CFA strike teams were conducting welfare checks on those considered vulnerable.
Residents at about 260 properties requested assistance with building damage. A shire team was contacting them to assess the damage, determine their circumstances and answer questions regarding recovery.
More than 50 houses were said to have suffered “significant” damage. The shire was sending out building and environmental health officers. The Victorian Council of Churches was visiting residents in special need.
Shire arborists inspected 300 trees to assess their risk of falling or dropping branches and to prioritise works, focusing on those which had damaged homes, were blocking roads, or had fallen in public places.
Dangerous trees at shire camping grounds are causing concern with the start of the camping season only weeks away.
The shire had set up community hubs for residents at Red Hill Cricket Club and Mount Eliza Cricket Club providing showers, waste disposal of food, and power for charging phones.
A free community barbecue was held at Red Hill Recreation Reserve Thursday night.
First published in the Mornington News – 9 November 2021
