Loddon HERALD Thursday January 20, 2022 | 3
Public complaints trigger business checks: Govt
COVID compliance complaints against Loddon businesses have been received by the State Government. As government authorised officers continue their inspections of local businesses, the Government last week confirmed 11 complaints were received between October and November through its industry engagement and enforcement operation. The Government says 33 business inspections were conducted in the shire over the three months. Those inspections continued through to Christmas when officers were visiting shops as they served customers during busy lunch hours. Several businesses later told the Loddon Herald that they had received three and four visits from authorised officers over the final three months of the year. A Government spokesman again said that four Loddon businesses had been fined for COVID compliance infringements. Three of those businesses Wedderburn Fish and Chips, Wedderburn Farm and Produce and Boort’s Tallis Hardware - are contesting the $1800 fines but have had no response over penalties they say are petty. Authorised officers have been back in Boort, Pyramid Hill and
Authorised officers check businesses in Inglewood in the days before Christmas. LH PHOTO Wedderburn in the first weeks of 2022. In a statement to the Loddon Herald, the Government said: “Throughout October, November and December 2021, the Victorian Government’s industry engagement and enforcement operation has received a total of 11 public complaints relating to businesses in Loddon.
“Authorised and surveillance officers have conducted 33 inspections throughout Loddon in October, November and December 2021 that have led to a total of four infringements. “There are several reasons why a business could be visited multiple times by authorised and surveillance officers.” The Government told the Lod-
don Herald those reasons included: z Industry engagement and enforcement operation engagement officers visiting businesses to help them understand their obligations; z Authorised officers visiting businesses to ensure compliance and talk businesses through their obligations or non-compliance issues they might need to rectify; z Discovery of non-compliance results in a revisit and reinspection to check on the remediations made by the business to return to compliance; z Public complaints received about a business would result in a separate inspection, subject to the standing triage and assessment protocols; and z Businesses may fall within a targeted strategy in line with a major public event or other industry location-based intelligence, against set timeframes. The Government said there had been 652 inspections and 24 infringements issued across adjoining local government areas of Gannawarra, Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander, Campaspe, Buloke, Central Goldfields and Northern Grampians during October, November and December The Government was asked for a breakdown on visits and fines in each council area.
IN BRIEF Barbecues from dawn to dusk AUSTRALIA Day celebrations will be held in nine Loddon communities next Wednesday. Loddon Mayor Dan Straub has encouraged residents to be part of the day’s events. Barbecues locally kick off the national day in Bridgewater and Serpentine and continue through to evening events in Wedderburn and Pyramid Hill. “These celebrations are also a chance to reflect on the resilience of our communities and their spirit of helping and giving that defines the Australian way,” Cr Straub said.
Bumper weekend BRIDGEWATER and Boort are preparing for another bumper visitor weekend. Accommodation has been at a premium over the holiday break with strong bookings reported for this weekend before schools open for 2022. Students return to school from January 31.
Landfill hours WEDDERBURN landfill station and transfer station was forced operate reduced hours earlier this month following a temporary staff shortage. The station is closed on public holidays and Code Red fire days.
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