Coronavirus community information

Council’s Customer Service front counter will reopen on Monday 9 November. Staff will be available face to face during business hours Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm at the Civic Centre, however, the community can continue to contact customer service by phone on 1300 179 944 or by emailing customerservice@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au. A live chat function is also available through Council’s website. There will be a limit of six customers in the customer service area, masks must be worn, physical distance maintained and details lodged for contact tracing purposes. Temperature checks will also be required upon entry.

In welcome news, all five Hobsons Bay Libraries branches will re-open from Monday 9 November at 1pm. There will be amended hours with doors open from 1pm to 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 1pm on Saturday. Library chutes remain open and returned items will undergo a 72 hour quarantine period before being available to other members. Each branch will have a 10 person customer limit and masks will be required upon entry, as too will be the scanning of library membership cards so a record of visitors can be kept. Please maintain a 1.5m distance from others and use the sanitiser and wipes available. Members are asked to stay at home if they do not feel well and temperatures will be checked prior to entry.

While branches will re-open, Council is also proud to continue to offer story time and library events online, as well as the popular Book a Book service for contactless delivery to members’ homes.

For more information, please call 1300 462 542, email library@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au or visit https://libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/

Newport Community Hub, Laverton Community Hub and Seabrook Community Centres remain closed to the public, except for essential public support services. The library within the Newport Community Hub will be open (see above). 

A range of programs and activities continue to be available from home virtually, including free Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, line dancing and craft classes.

For enquiries, phone:

Newport Community Hub: 9932 1234

Laverton Community Hub: 9932 3011

Seabrook Community Centre: 9932 3010

Translated videos about COVID-19 from the Victorian Government:

Translated videos in 28 languages

Translated information from DHHS:

https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/translated-resources-coronavirus-disease-covid-19

English version: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/english

More information about Covid-19 and getting tested:

https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/getting-tested

Translated mental health information from Beyond Blue:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/who-does-it-affect/multicultural-people/translated-mental-health-resources

Languages:

Arabic Audio Files

What to do if you have tested positive for coronavirus:

How to isolate or quarantine in your home:

What to do if you are a close contact: 

What to do if symptoms get worse:

How to care for someone during a period of isolation or quarantine:

Police checks:

Pandemic leave disaster payment:

Test isolation payment:

Arabic Audio Script Close Contact(DOCX, 41KB)

Arabic Audio Script Worker Support Payment(DOCX, 29KB)

Lebanese Arabic: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/arabic (noting there may be differences in Lebanese Arabic compared to other Arabic forms)

Maltese: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/maltese

Italian: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/italian

Greek: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/greek

Indian

Bengali: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/bengali

Hindi: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/hindi

Tamil: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/tamil

Punjabi: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/punjabi

Urdu: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/urdu

Nepali: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/nepali

Vietnamese: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/vietnamese

Chinese

Traditional Chinese: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/traditional-chinese

Simplified Chinese: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/simplified-chinese

Chin: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/hakha-chin

Hakka: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/hakka (audio only)

Europe / Eastern Europe

Portuguese: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/portuguese

Spanish: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/spanish

French: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/french

Croatian: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/croatian

Polish: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/polish

Russian: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/russian

Serbian: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus/serbian

Easy English coronavirus resource

Easy English guide - Coronavirus Support for social connections(PDF, 3MB)

Information about coronavirus for traders in Hobsons Bay is available here: www.hobsonsbaybusiness.com.au/Do-Business/COVID-19-information. 

If your business is offering additional services during COVID-19 or remains open and you want the community to know, click here to submit your details for inclusion in our Amended Services Directory. For further information please email business@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au.

Restaurants and cafes can serve up to 70 people outdoors and up to 40 people indoors. Smaller venues can seat a smaller number of customers in line with density limits and spacing requirements. Patrons must sign-in.  

Hairdressers and barbers can open as of Sunday 11:59pm 18 October 2020. Beauty and personal care services can open where the client can wear a face covering for the duration of the service. 

Retail is open.  

For up to date business and professional services details, visit www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

Trade Waste fee waiver for food businesses

City West Water will waive the fixed trade waste agreement fee for the June-September billing quarter for food businesses that have ceased trading due to COVID-19. 

 To apply for the waiver, eligible customers can email smallbusiness@citywestwater.com.au with their business name and City West Water account number. If customers have already paid their bill but are eligible for the fee waiver, they can email City West Water and they will credit the fixed trade waste agreement fee on their next bill.

Capital Works construction has returned to 100 per cent capacity and all sites must continue to have a COVID safe plan.

Hobsons Bay is committed to supporting the construction industry during the COVID-19 crisis. For details read our FAQ: https://hobsonsbay.knack.com/loop#public-faqs-covid19/public-faq-details/5f3a1a1bc42d2b0019c6de34/

 All community engagement sessions will continue to occur online until late November when face to face sessions may resume with COVID safe practices. The community can still provide feedback on any current projects currently out for public consultation by visiting Participate Hobsons Bay at http://participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

The Williamstown Town Hall is still in use for essential services (immunisations), however no public bookings are allowed for indoor venues yet.

The Woods Street Arts Space Laverton will remain closed in the short term, with the Woods Street Youth Art Prize running as a virtual exhibition from 13 November.

Council will continue to run the Community Connector program to link people who are isolated or need additional support with local networks and agencies that can help with practical needs and social activities. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please email communityconnector@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

Immunisations will continue to be provided through two sessions per week at Williamstown Town Hall and the Laverton Community Hub until March 2021. Bookings must be made online at www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Immunisation

Delivered meals will continue to be delivered via a contactless method. Volunteer drivers aged under 70 will begin to return to work this month, which will increase the number of deliveries to clients each week. Home maintenance services for urgent jobs will gradually increase.

Maternal and Child Health services will return to full length centre consultations, with minimal home visits to be conducted (excluding vulnerable families). Enhanced MCH and 3.5-year-old visits will be conducted via telehealth with additional centre appointments offered as required. Parent groups will remain online until 2021.

Preschool Field Officers in kindergartens and childcare centres will continue remotely with onsite consultations taking place as required. Face to face playgroups are still suspended, however outdoor gatherings for playgroup families will start in November. Occasional Care will return to full service.

Hobsons Bay UP will continue to offer youth services online, including youth engagement and leadership programs, as well as its counselling service. Face to face activities are expected to resume with the new school year in February.

Planned Activity Group (PAG), Community Transport and Overnight Respite for older residents and residents with a disability will continue to be suspended until further notice, however the team will continue to closely monitor and support clients with regular phone contact and activity packs. 

• You can exercise in a group of up to ten people outdoors in a public place (personal training is limited to ten people plus the trainer)
• You can exercise indoors. Gyms and fitness studios are now open, with a maximum of 20 people per space, with one person per eight square metres 
• Up to 20 people allowed for indoor pools. Outdoor pools are limited to lesser of 50 people or a density quotient of 1 per 4m2 (exceptions for schools, community sport and professional training or competition)
• Indoor community sport allowed for non-contact sports for those aged 18 years and under. One person per 8m2 with patron cap of 10 people per space and 20 per venue. 
• Outdoor community sport allowed for non-contact sport with the minimum number required to play the sport, including officials. Maximum of 10 per individual event (eg running)
• Outdoor community sport for children 18 and under allowed for the minimum number required to play the sport (including officials). Maximum of 10 per individual event (eg running)

The Altona Sports Centre will reopen on Monday 9 November for indoor training only. Activity is restricted to players and one coach, spectators are not permitted.

Bayfit Leisure Centre and Laverton Swim and Fitness Centre will reopen on Monday 9 November. Both centres will run with COVID Safe Plans and will be subject to attendance restrictions. Details are being confirmed, visit www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/coronavirus for updates.

Local boat ramps and jetties are open. Beaches are open. 

Playgrounds, skateparks and outdoor exercise equipment are open. 

Public barbecues have now been switched back on and will be cleaned daily. Drinking fountains have also been reactivated.

Exercise is restricted to groups of up to ten people. 

To continue to support the community through this unprecedented time, Council has included a $3 million Community Support Package in the Annual Budget 2020-21. The package includes $943,000 for community recovery and almost $2 million for business and economic recovery. Visit www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Council/Publications/Budget/Budget-2020-21 for more information.

For details on how to reduce your risk, what to do if you are experiencing symptoms, testing locations and the latest information and advice, visit the relevant Victorian Government website at www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus. For testing locations in or near Hobsons Bay visit our testing locations FAQ.