News

Council Centre Closures and Storm Update

Photo of the Civic Centre in Kingston

Updated at 12.30pm, Wednesday 16 May

To help those with flood affected residences in Kingborough, Kingborough Council is providing two free entry Sundays (Sunday 20 May and Sunday 27 May) to the Barretta Waste Management Facility.

To access the free entry, please provide proof of residence in the Kingborough municipality (e.g. drivers licence, or utility bill etc.)

Materials accepted for free disposal must only be:

  • From residential properties located in Kingborough
  • Flood affected/damaged materials
  • Storm or flood green waste
  • Of residential quantities

Kingborough Waste Services staff will be on hand to assist you around the site, however free disposal days are very busy, and your patience will be greatly appreciated as some delays may be expected. The Barretta Waste Management Facility is open from 9am to 4pm each Sunday.

The Mayor of Kingborough, Cr Steve Wass said, “Council is pleased we are able to provide the free entry days to assist our flood impacted residents. The effects of the storm are still being felt, and we have support available for those who are experiencing hardship. Contact us on 6211 8200 for information and assistance.”

Media Release, updated at 11.20am, Monday 14 May

The Civic Centre in Kingston has reopened in a limited capacity following extensive flood damage.

A reduced Customer Service Team will be operating from the first floor and it is likely this will be in effect for at least another week.

Council staff respectfully ask members of the public to only come to the Civic Centre for urgent matters. All other enquiries can be made by phone on (03) 6211 8200, email to kc@kingborough.tas.gov.au or logged on our website contact form at www.kingborough.tas.gov.au/contact.

The Mayor of Kingborough, Cr Steve Wass said “Council’s staff have been working around the clock to address urgent and unsafe areas, and will continue to focus on restoring roads, stormwater and facilities over the coming weeks. This has been an extreme event that has impacted heavily on public and private infrastructure. We expect it may take some time and thank the community for their support and patience while we address those areas.”

Council is mindful of all residents and businesses dealing with the aftermath of the storm and subsequent flooding. There are resources to support residents and businesses requiring assistance, including the Tasmania State Emergency Service website at www.ses.tas.gov.au. Those with damaged property are advised to contact their insurers for advice and information.

Council has support available for those in difficult situations. “We have all been affected by the recent storm and our thoughts are with all those who are experiencing hardship,” Cr Wass said, “Council has dedicated a member of staff to advise those who are struggling. They are available through our Customer Services Team by phone, on (03) 6211 8200.”

Further updates will be posted on the Council’s website and social media channels.

Updated at 5.30pm, Saturday 12 May

Blowhole Road in Blackmans Bay has been reopened for traffic, although there is limited parking available. The walking track remains closed at this time. Please take care if passing through.

Huon Road (between Wolfes and Leslie roads) remains closed and is unlikely to reopen within the next few days. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience while we continue to clean-up following the storm event.

Updated at 5pm, Saturday 12 May

The Civic Centre in Kingston will reopen on Monday 14 May. The ground floor is not accessible due to flood damage so a limited customer service centre will operate from the first floor. Council staff respectfully ask members of the public to only present to the Civic Centre for urgent matters, as there will be reduced space and staff. It is likely the Centre will operate in a limited capacity for some time.

All other enquiries can be made by phone on 6211 8200, email to kc@kingborough.tas.gov.au or via the website contact form, where service requests can also be logged.

We greatly appreciate the support of the community as we deal with the aftermath of the storm event and apologise for any inconvenience. Further updates will be posted on the website and via Council’s social media channels.

Updated at 6.30pm

Council crews will continue to address urgent storm damages tomorrow. We appreciate there are many reports submitted and thank you all for your patience while we work through them. We expect the clean up to continue over the next few weeks.

Council’s out of hours number is 6211 8200 for any other emergency reports, including road obstructions and stormwater issues.

The information drop-in centre has now closed in Kingston. We will publish any updates on Monday morning regarding the opening of Council centres, which will remain closed over the weekend.

Huon Road and Blowhole Road remain closed at this time.

Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected and also to emergency and service crews across Tasmania, thank you for your efforts.

Updates for road closures will continue to be posted by Tasmania Police on their website: http://www.police.tas.gov.au/community-alerts

TasNetworks will provide information regarding outage and flood safety tips at www.tasnetworks.com.au or follow them on Facebook or Twitter @TasNetworks

For assistance relating to extreme weather please contact SES on 132 500; Life threatening emergencies 000 and Police non-emergencies on 131 444.

Updated at 2pm

The Kingborough Sports Centre will be closed today, tomorrow and Sunday due to damage caused by the storm event. The Centre will reopen on Monday, although damaged areas will remain restricted. Further updates will be provided once the damage has been assessed. Thank you for your understanding.

Updated at 11.30am

TasWater is assessing the effects of damage following the recent storm event.

They have advised that that due to the volume of rain there are likely to be sewage discharges in most council areas. Any flood waters may contain sewage. The public should avoid contact with flood waters for health and safety reasons, and follow the safety advice provided by the SES in relation to flood hazards.

Water supplies are unaffected by sewage discharges.

Once the weather has improved sufficiently, TasWater crews will be able to assess the full impacts of the event and further updates will be provided.

Updated at 10.35am

Council has opened an information drop-in centre in Kingston for anyone needing advice during this time. It is located at 98 Beach Road, Kingston – the former Family Day Care Building.

Updated at 10am

Huon Road is being closed between Wolfes Road and Leslie Road due to trees and powerlines falling from a landslip. Please take care and drive to the conditions.

Updated at 9am

Council crews continue working through damage reports across Kingborough. Crews are prioritising urgent requests and will attend when they are able.

Currently the Civic Centre, Manor Gardens and the Sports Centre are closed until further notice. All sports grounds are also closed.

Waste collections are continuing, although there will be missed collections due to the conditions. Please let our Customer Services Team know if your waste is not collected today so they can compile a list for our contractors to arrange a future collection.

Tasmania Police update road closures on their website, currently Blowhole Road is closed in Kingborough. http://www.police.tas.gov.au/aler…/road-closure-risdon-road/

The Department of Education has advised school closures. https://www.education.tas.gov.au/about-us/alerts/

Please keep safe and drive to the conditions if you have to travel today.

You can keep up to date at the State Government’s emergency management website – TasALERT: http://alert.tas.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx