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Wild weather: Yarraville wall collapse injures woman

A woman in her 60s was taken to hospital with minor injuries on Tuesday morning after being hit by a collapsing wall in Yarraville.

Gale force winds knocked over the wall on Williamstown Road about 11am, forcing an emergency clean-up crew to clear the area.

Crews pushing the wall back off the footpath with a bulldozer struck a waterpipe, but the erupting water spray was soon brought under control.

Footscray SES has set up an emergency command centre to deal with damage being caused by the high winds.

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Crews from Maribyrnong council cleaned up the wall debris on public land, moving it back on to the private block.

The council is attempting to contact the property owner to let them know about the wall collapse.

More than 25 calls have been received from across Maribyrnong and the city with building damage the main reason for call-outs.

Footscray SES Unit spokeswoman Marion Petersen said one home had had its under-construction extensions knocked down while a chimney was also at risk of collapse.

She said many more calls were expected as people returned home to find property damage.

Altona SES received 20 calls on Tuesday morning after strong winds downed trees and caused building damage.

Unit controller Craig MacCallum said the worst damage was the roof of a Spotswood factory lifting.

Calls, mainly for trees blocking roads, were also received from Altona North, Newport, South Kingsville and Williamstown.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts winds of up to 125km/h along the coast and in alpine areas and peak gusts of up to 110km/h in northern parts of the state on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, damaging winds of 40-60km/h are expected with peak gusts of up to 110km/h.

Ms Petersen said it marked the first storm of the storm season.

She warned people should ensure all gutters are cleaned, trees are healthy and pruned and all loose materials and garden furniture has been secured.

People should also avoid parking under trees where possible.

Victorian WorkCover Authority executive director of health and safety, Len Neist, said construction companies in particular need to be ready for days like Tuesday.

“Tragically, a builder died yesterday [on Monday] when a brick wall fell on him at a construction site in Brighton East during strong winds,” Mr Neist said.

“Every year, there are serious incidents in which strong winds lead to the collapse of walls on buildings under construction.”

Mr Neist said roofing sheets and other loose materials must be secured to prevent them being picked up by the wind and being blown around or out of the site.

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