As agencies work to restore essential services across the region, some businesses and services are opening in each town to supply residents with necessary items.
Whitsunday Regional Council wishes to advise residents that the following services are open and available, to our best knowledge, as of today:
Water - Pump stations have been restored to generator power and water is on in Collinsville and surrounds.
Power - Council is working with Ergon Energy to reestablish power as soon as possible. Ergon is conducting rapid damage assessments and extra Ergon crews have arrived into the Whitsunday region. Ergon’s priorities will be firstly public safety issues including fallen power lines, supplying hospitals, medical centres and shopping centres, before connecting residents. Visit the website to see the Restoration Plan released today. Refer: www.ergon.com.au
Sewerage - Generator power has been established to the sewerage pumps, and temporary power has been restored.
Food/groceries - Open: Cornett’s IGA
Fuel – Open: Collinsville Service Station
Pharmacies – Open: The Collinsville Pharmacy
Doctor - Working from Collinsville Hospital
Recovery Centres - Outreach
Airport – Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) - Airport Terminal Building: Open Sunday 2 April. Refer: www.whitsundaycoastairport.com.au
Airport – Hamilton Island - Airport Terminal Building: Open. Refer: http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/airport/arivals-and-departures
Council Services - Quarry: Closed
Waste: Normal Services resume 3 April
Dump: Collinsville Transfer Station is open
Customer Service: Closed. The customer service call centre is being manned on (07) 4945 0200.
Road Affected: Nil Roads affected at this stage. Refer: www.QLDtraffic.qld.gov.au
Schools: Schools Closed. Refer: www.det.qld.gov.au
Phone/Internet:
Telstra: Nil issues reported.
Optus: Service restored.
nbn: Nil issues reported, will not work in power failure.
Dam Levels:
Peter Faust Dam: 78%
Eungella Dam: 102%
Burdekin Dam: 107%
Refer: www.sunwater.com.au
Recovery Hubs have been set up around the region to ensure residents have access to information about grants, financial assistance, insurance, asbestos and personal support. The Recovery Hubs are staffed by highly experienced staff and are there to answer the community’s questions.
Please talk to elderly relatives and friends who may not be receiving online updates, and check they are taking the correct dose of their medications. Please also remind relatives and friends that pharmacies and some bulk billing doctor services are available. If you or your families have any medical questions or concerns, please call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).
For those that require power to run medical devices such as home oxygen, please make your way to friends or family with generators or the closest hospital.
Financial welfare assistance: 1800 173 349 or https://www.qld.gov.au/
To hear the latest up-to-date information and official advice, listen to your local radio stations and follow the Whitsunday Disaster & Emergency Facebook page here - https://www.facebook.com/WhitsundayDisasterandEmergencyInformation/
Important phone numbers:
If you have a life threatening emergency, please call 000 immediately.
If you require SES assistance, please call 132 500. The SES’s priority after the event will be providing access to residents (eg. Clearing trees from driveways etc.)
If you need to contact the Whitsunday Disaster Coordination Centre, please call 1300 972 006 and provide information as requested by the telephone operator.
Red Cross has now opened Register.Find.Reunite. and is urging people that may be affected by Cyclone Debbie to get in touch with their families and friends. Please visit www.redcross.org.au to register, or look for someone.