Goya Dmytryshchak
Williamstown Town Hall and the basketball stadium in Altona Meadows could be used as emergency relief centres in the event of a local COVID-19 outbreak.
Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong councils have been asked to submit pandemic plans to the government, detailing which municipal buildings may be used as triage centres in a coronavirus outbreak.
Hobsons Bay corporate services director Andrew McLeod said the council would follow its 2018 Influenza Pandemic Plan, which was applicable in all pandemics, not just influenza. The plan has not been released to the public.
“The pandemic plan provides a framework for council and other stakeholders in the municipality to appropriately plan for, and effectively respond to, pandemic conditions in Hobsons Bay,” Mr McLeod said.
“The plan is supported by a set of operational documents, including council’s Crisis Management Plan and a series of Business Continuity Plans and the Occupational Health and Safety Manual and Guidelines. These documents detail specific actions to be conducted by council staff before, during and after a pandemic outbreak.
“The aim of the pandemic plan is to reduce the impacts of a pandemic, raise awareness and promote preventative measures, provide support and recovery assistance throughout the duration of the pandemic and ensure responses are consistent across whole of government.
“Some of the actions include encouraging social distancing, continuing to provide immunisations and continual workplace cleaning.”
Mr McLeod said the pandemic plan does not identify which council buildings would be used for medical treatments, emergency relief centres or isolation.
“The use of any council facility would be assessed on need and at the request of the state government,” he said.
However, a council source said “any school has to be considered”.
“And in addition to schools then I would be thinking the Williamstown Town Hall … the basketball centre in Altona Meadows could definitely be used.”
“The Williamstown Town Hall would have to be considered – that’s a huge space.”
Buildings or locations temporarily activated to provide refuge and support may provide food and water, material needs, emergency accommodation, personal and psychosocial support and registration of people.
The federal government’s Australian Health Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza recommends many measures already implemented including school and workplace closures and banning social gatherings.
Schools would likely be converted into emergency centres.
