Beaufort and Skipton Health Service

15/01/2026

Central Highlands Water will be in Skipton tomorrow from 10am until 2pm to provide non-potable water for those that have their own intermediate bulk container or a tank up to 1000 litres.
CHW will be at the top of Anderson Street, Skipton near the football oval. A ute with CHW marked on it will be parked outside.

There is also a station set up outside the Skipton Mechanics Institute to provide people with drinking water who have the capability to fill up smaller containers or there are slabs of water inside the Mechanics Institute. This water is not to be used for stock.

15/01/2026

Trauma counselling, general counselling and mental health support services are available for anyone affected by the recent fires.
If you are seeking mental health support, would like someone to talk with or if you have other community concerns, please reach out to any of the services below.

LOCAL SERVICES
👉Grampians Health Mental Health Service, Access and Triage Team - 1300 247 647
👉headspace Ballarat -5304 4777
👉Head to Health (delivered by Ballarat Community Health) -1800 595 212
👉Step Thru Care Ballarat Goldfields (delivered by Ballarat Community Health) - 5338 4500
👉Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative - 5331 5344

NATIONAL SERVICES
👉Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467
👉Lifeline- 13 11 14
👉Beyond Blue -1300 224 636
👉13YARN (First Nations Support) - 13 92 76
👉Medicare Mental Health- 1800 595 212
👉Rural Financial Counselling -1300 735 578
👉Partners In Wellbeing helpline - 1300 375 330

15/01/2026

14/01/2026

Financial supports are available to support our residents affected by the 2026 bushfires.
We ask people whose property has been significantly damaged by the fires not to be unduly concerned with rates payments.
Their properties will be revalued and a supplementary rates adjustment made due to the fire. Hardship cases will be prioritised.
If you wish to speak to someone about your rates, please contact our Rates Office at 1300 797 363 or go to www.pyrenees.gov.au/Residents/Rates
Emergency relief payments are also available to help cover urgent essentials such as:
👉Food
👉Clothing
👉Medication
👉Temporary accommodation
To apply for an Emergency Relief payment, contact the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226 (press 0, then 1 to speak with an operator, or press 9 for an interpreter).
For further details, visit: https://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/january-2026-fires

14/01/2026

Services Australia will be at the Skipton Recovery Hub from this afternoon for people affected by the bushfires.

The Recovery Hub is at the Skipton Mechanics Institute Hall, 5 Anderson Street, Skipton.

Staff from Services Australia will be available on the following dates and times.
• Wednesday 14 January 2 pm – 4.30 pm
• Thursday 15 January 10 am – 4 pm
• Friday 16 January 10 am – 4 pm

Services Australia is administering the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment.
It offers a payment of $1,000 for eligible adults and $400 for eligible children who’ve been adversely affected by a major disaster either in Australia or overseas.

You may be eligible for this payment if you or an eligible child you care for were directly affected in one or more of the following ways:
• major damage to your principal place of residence
• major damage to a major asset or assets that you own at your principal place of residence
• serious injury
• an immediate family member who is an Australian citizen or resident has died or is missing.

How to claim: More information will be available from 2 pm today at https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/support-for-victoria-bushfires-january-2026-announced

14/01/2026

Attention all residents affected by the recent fire: Are you wondering when it will be safe to use your drinking water tank again? Here are some important tips to keep in mind:

👉If the water in your tank has not been contaminated, it should be safe to drink.
👉Do not reconnect your downpipes until your roof has been cleaned or after a good flush of rain.
👉Only clean the ash and debris from your roof and gutters when it is safe to do so.
👉It should not be necessary to clean your tank after a fire unless it is grossly polluted or smells and tastes unusual.
👉If you want your tank cleaned, it is best to hire a specialist as working in a confined space can be dangerous.

For more information or to find local water cartage or tank cleaners, please contact our environmental health officer at 1300 797 363. Stay safe and take care!

13/01/2026

It's OK to not be OK.
With the recent bushfires, it is understandable if you are feeling concerned and experiencing a mix of strong emotions or physical reactions right now.
Check out our tips on looking after yourself and others at https://www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/SkiptonFire2026.
If you need someone to talk to, the following services are there to help.
Rural Financial Counselling Services wswrcs.com.au or 1300 735 578
Rural Aid: 1300 175 594
National Centre for Farmer Health: 1300 375 330
1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
Mental Health Services: 24/7 1800 808 284
beyondblue: 1300 224 636
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Kid’s Helpline: 1800 551 800
MensLine: 1300 789 978
Nurse on Call: 1800 022 222
www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

13/01/2026

We wanted to update our community that our Beaufort Recovery Centre has now closed. However, Pyrenees Shire Council representatives are available at the Skipton Recovery Hub located at the Skipton Mechanics Hall, 5 Anderson Street, Skipton from 10am to 4pm.

With most inquiries to our representatives relating to waste collection and rates, we can advise:
👉Glass bins that were missed on Friday will be collected by the end of the week. Please keep your bins out until they are collected.
Future waste collections within the fire area will commence from Monday with recycling.
👉We are not expecting fire affected residents to worry about rate payments at this time. These will instead be reviewed later this month.

If you have any inquiries specific to Pyrenees Shire, please feel free to chat with our representatives at the hub. You can also reach out to us by calling 1300 797 363 or emailing pyrenees@pyrenees.vic.gov.au. Thank you for your continued support and patience during this time.

13/01/2026

Some support information for those affected by the bushfires can be found below.
Remember, you are not alone during this difficult time. Stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

13/01/2026

Hear the latest on bushfire recovery and next steps for our community at the Beaufort Community Meeting on Tuesday 13 January 2026.
https://youtu.be/x1F33t8NaUs

11/01/2026

Community meetings for the Streatham - Yalla-Y-Poora Road fire will be held on Tuesday, 13 January 2026 at:

📍 Beaufort Community Bank Complex, 39 Park Rd, Beaufort
🕛 Time: 12 pm

📍 Streatham Memorial Hall, 30 Campbell Street, Streatham
🕑 Time: 2 pm

📍 Skipton Mechanics Institute, 5 Anderson Street, Skipton
🕛 Time: 4 pm