Hard rubbish collection change considered THE number of free hard rubbish collections offered to Kingston residents could increase to two per year. Kingston Council currently offers one collection a year between September and October. It is currently considering changing that to two collection services which will be available on demand. Kingston mayor Steve Staikos said that the proposed changes could help
cut down on illegal dumping. “While the hard waste disposal and recycling guidelines wouldn’t change under the proposal, we believe that expanding the service from one city-wide collection to two on-demand collections per year and introducing flexibility will reduce instances of illegal dumping across Kingston. In turn less waste will be sent to landfills and recycling will increase,” he said.
Kingston Council is seeking feedback on the proposed change. Visit kingston.vic.gov.au/hard-waste for more details.
RESIDENTS could access two free hard rubbish collections a year under a new proposal. Picture: Supplied
Schools set to return Code brown called STUDENTS are set to return to on site learning next week, with contingencies in place in case of COVID-19 outbreaks. The state government has announced that students will return to classrooms next week for term one despite the ongoing COVID-19 wave. As part of the return to school, 14 million rapid antigen tests will be delivered to schools and early childhood education centres so that they can conduct regular testing on students. A roster of retired teachers, education support staff, and surge administrative support staff will be called upon to help if teachers test positive and are forced into quarantine. The state government says that 99.7 per cent of school staff have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. School and early childhood staff must get a booster by 25 February, or within 3 months and 2 weeks of their second dose to continue working on site. Students in grade three and above must wear masks indoors. Teachers must also wear masks. The state government has called a return to remote learning a “last resort”. Premier Daniel Andrews said “face-to-face learning is the best option for our kids’ learning and wellbeing. That’s why we’ve done the work to get students safely back in the classroom from the start of term one, and make sure they stay there.” Education minister James Merlino that the return to school would be made safer with “vital COVIDSafe steps in place like surveillance testing, improved ventilation and high rates of vaccination.” Children aged five to 11 are eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccines. Brodie Cowburn
PENINSULA Health has enacted its own code brown in line with the state government’s emergency alert to relieve pressure on the hospital system. From Wednesday January 19, Peninsula Health has been able to redeploy workers to areas of greatest need, postpone leave to boost staffing numbers and redistribute resources to ensure critical patients are prioritised. It can also call on the Australian Defence Force for help and to drive ambulances. Peninsula Health’s acting executive director medical services, Dr Chris Bowen, said the organisation was managing the pressure on its health system, but was asking the community to keep COVID-safe as that would make a “significant” difference to the hospital system. “We strongly encourage everyone to wear masks, practice good hand hygiene, and get your booster vaccination as soon as you are eligible,” he said. “If you had your second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine more than three months ago, you can now get your booster vaccination to protect yourself and our community. Our vaccination clinic at Frankston is open for bookings, including for children aged five to 11. “We have plenty of appointments available for children in this age group, who are now eligible for vaccination. “People can book an appointment for children online at coronavirus.vic. gov.au/book-your-vaccine-appointment or by phoning 1800 625 389. There is no need for adults to make an appointment. Dr Bowen said the hospital had strategies in place to manage the demand, which he described as “stable”. Liz Bell
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
26 January 2022
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