By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong’s library, community centres, playgrounds, pools and sports pavilions will close for six weeks as a result of stage 3 restrictions.
As of midnight on 8 July, community facilities and businesses will close until 11.59pm on 19 August as residents are ordered to ‘stay at home’ across greater Melbourne.
• Dandenong Library will close from 6pm on 8 July. Its return chute will stay open “for the time being”.
• The council’s customer service centres at Dandenong and Parkmore, and the Building and Planning counter at Dandenong will close to walk-in customers at 5pm on Thursday 9 July.
The service will be still available by phone on 8571 1000 and online at greaterdandenong.com.
• Community centres, sports centres, public swimming pools and sport pavilions will close on 8 July (today).
• Parks are open for exercise with appropriate social distancing. Playgrounds, barbecues and outdoor exercise equipment will be closed.
• Council meetings will be closed to the public and broadcast on the council’s website.
Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti said the council would continue to deliver essential services such as bin collections, immunisation and animal management.
Planning permits, customer service, graffit removal, pothole repairs, dumped rubbish responses and parks and gardens maintenance will continue, he said.
“It is a shame to have to roll back many of the services we were restarting, but the health and wellbeing of our community is a priority,” Cr Memeti said.
Of 131 new Covid-cases recorded in Victoria on 8 July, one of them was in Greater Dandenong.
There are four active cases in the council area – among a staggering 860 in Victoria.
The neighbouring Casey municipality has 21 active cases, Monash 12, Knox four, and Frankston and Kingston two each.
“Our community has shown over the past few months that they are looking out for each other and we encourage you all to continue the good work to help reduce the spread of coronavirus,” Cr Memeti said.
“By following the stay at home directives we will help protect our most vulnerable residents and slow the spread of this virus.”
Details: greaterdandenong.com
