General News
31 January, 2025
'Fantastic relationship' with neighbours: Hindmarsh CEO
With Dimboola under threat, Hindmarsh Shire CEO Monica Revell and her two daughters fled to Horsham.
"We received the notification just before 7pm on the Vic Emergency app and also a text message that came through for residents to say we needed to go," Mrs Revell said.
"We grabbed a few items and headed down to the relief centre in Horsham.
"There was a constant stream of traffic leaving town, which was fantastic because people were heeding the warning to 'leave now'.
"We couldn't see flames but the smoke was thickening and it was getting blacker and blacker in town."
She said while most Dimboola residents passed through the centre on their way to other accommodation with friends, relatives or in motels on Monday night, she stayed to assist.
"We had about 30 there overnight," she said.
On Tuesday morning the number swelled again, reaching about 70.
"Fortunately we have a fantastic relationship with our neighboring councils," Mrs Revell said.
"Horsham was able to set up this relief centre for us in a very short period of time, which has been fantastic.
"We know that people from Dimbola, they if they need to evacuate, will head to Horsham as it's our larger regional centre.
"Horsham has the facilities to support a relief centre that can be opened at short notice, like on Monday night."
The Salvation Army, Victoria Police, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and paramedics were all on hand providing support, she said.
Mrs Revell said she had heard of a few residents who had remained in Dimboola.
However, "those warnings are put out for a reason", she said.
"It's important that we look after ourselves as a human life is more important than a house."
She said Victoria Police members had visited Dimboola on Monday night encouraging people to leave.
"We've been evacuated and we're unable to go back in," she said on Tuesday morning, adding that she was hopeful that the town would be reopened later in the day.
While Mrs Revell took their two girls to safety, her husband was fighting the fire as a Dimboola CFA volunteer.
She was not the only Hindmarsh staff member helping out in Horsham.
"Phil King, who's also a Dimboola resident and council's manager of community well-being, and I, we were here in the relief centre all night," she said.
"We have council staff who live in Horsham so they also assisted."
She said road closures meant the shire's mayor, Cr Ron Ismay, had been forced to remain in Rainbow but he was in contact with his team by phone.