Floods October 2022
The shire was affected by flooding in October 2022. Key support is still available for the community. For enquiries and support call the Flood Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760
You can also find post-flood information from the state government Department of Health here.
Moorabool Community Resilience Project
The Moorabool Community Resilience Project aimed to strengthen the capacity and capability of communities impacted by the October 2022 flood event by supporting them to plan for and lead their own recovery and build resilience.
Background
A major flooding event hit Moorabool Shire during October 2022, significantly impacting the communities of Myrniong, Gordon/Mount Egerton, and Morrisons/Lal Lal/Elaine and their surrounding areas.
Moorabool Community Resilience Project Update
The Moorabool Community Resilience Project is now complete. Through this initiative Moorabool was able to deliver a number of community projects such as:
- Chainsaw Handling Workshops for Women in Elaine
- Chainsaw Handling Workshops, both for women and open to all in Ballan
- CPR and Defibrillator Training held at Lal Lal and Elaine
- Pillowcase Project for school students held by the Red Cross throughout the flood affected areas.
In addition to the workshops Moorabool Shire Council has developed resilience packs for dissemination to community members at local events.
The Moorabool Community Resilience Project was made possible through funding by Emergency Recovery Victoria and Moorabool Shire Council.
Pillowcase Project
An educational program designed to better prepare local primary school students for natural disasters was also held late 2024.
Over 50 students aged 8 to 10 years old from Lal Lal, Myrniong, Gordon and Mt Egerton Primary Schools attended two Australian Red Cross Pillowcase Project sessions to decorate a pillowcase to take home as the bag for their own emergency kit.
Students learnt what to pack and how to prepare themselves if they were ever evacuated from their home due to a natural emergency event.
For more information regarding the Pillowcase Project, please visit the Australian Red Cross website via www.redcross.org.au
CPR & Defibrillator Training
Community members from Elaine and Lal Lal recently participated in two accredited CPR & Defibrillator Training sessions held by St John Ambulance Victoria.
The training provided the opportunity to not only learn and practice valuable lifesaving skills but also enabled them to come together as a community and foster social connections leading to improved resilience.
For more information regarding the training provided by St John Ambulance Victoria, please visit their website via www.stjohnvic.com.au
Chainsaw Safety and Maintenance for Women Workshop
Two separate workshop sessions were held focusing on the safe use of chainsaws.
The first of these sessions was a women's only event being held in Lal Lal early 2025. This was led by Ceilidh Meo of Zap Studio in how to use and maintain chainsaws.
The second of these sessions held a women's only timeslot and a timeslot that was open to all being held in Ballan mid 2025. Again this was led by Ceilidh Meo of Zap Studio in how to use and maintain chainsaws.
The workshops provided the opportunity for participants to become more familiar and comfortable when using both electric and petrol chainsaws. It also taught them the skills to be more prepared and ready for an emergency event as well as giving them the confidence to be more independent and resilient.
The workshops were a success eliciting positive feedback from many of the participants.
For more information on these and other initiatives as part of the Moorabool Community Resilience Project please contact the Emergency Management Team on 5366 7100.