Stawell Health and Community Centre is set to become a refuge for those living in Northern Grampians Shire, Landsborough or Pomonal who choose to evacuate on Code Red fire days.
STAWELL - The Uniting Church Camps and Grampians Community Health have entered into an agreement to provide a Hospitality Centre on Code Red days for people who live in Northern Grampians Shire, Pomonal or Landsborough.
The agreement will see the group rooms open in Stawell Health and Community Centre for people who have no where else to go but have elected to leave early and remain in Stawell for the day.
People who have family or friends in Stawell are still recommended to go to their place on days of Code Red if it is part of their fire plan.
Grampians Community Health and Uniting Church Camps have identified there are some people who have no where to go and feel that they should head to Stawell as part of their fire plan on Code Red days.
Stawell Health and Community Centre will be open from 9am to 5pm on Code Red days and will offer a cool place for people to wait and see how the day develops.
It will be a spot for people to take a nap or have a read and enjoy basic refreshments.
Jill Miller, CEO of Grampians Community Health said it is important for people to have a base for the day, no matter what their circumstances are.
"It's hard for people going to Stawell for a Code Red Day if they don't have family or friends locally because there is no air conditioned shopping mall or similar, its difficult to be up the street on a hot day for the whole day," she said.
"This is not a relief or an emergency centre or a place to go if there is a fire in our area, this is simply a hospitality space, a cool place for a base for the day.
"Staff from Uniting Care Camps will be available to help people and for people with a disability Grampians Community Health Care at Home staff will assist.
"We know from some of the work we do in recovery that there are people who do not have a place to go when their fire plan says that they need to leave early and go to Stawell on a Code Red day.
"If there is a fire that day then Northern Grampians Shire will open a relief/emergency centre and that would then be the place to go."
If you require basic information now or wish to call Stawell Health and Community Centre on a Code Red Day to let them know you are coming, phone 5358 7400.
