A lot has happened over the past two weeks and I am sure everyone is adapting to the new restrictions in place for the Melbourne metropolitan area. I was impressed by how well we, as a community, have accepted the move back to stage three (stay at home) restrictions.

While this reversal can be disheartening, it is also an important moment for all of us to continue working together as a community and keep our families and neighbourhoods healthy and safe.

The return of stage three restrictions means that there are only four reasons to leave your house:

• Shopping for food or other essential items
• To provide care giving, for compassionate reasons or to seek medical treatment
• For exercise (outdoor exercise only, with only one other person or members of your household)
• Work or study, if you cannot work or study from home

There has also been an important change in the medical advice around masks. The current advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer when you leave your home is:

• for everyone to wear a mask, and
• keep a physical distance of 1.5 metres from others.

In Manningham, the restrictions mean that there have been further changes to some of our services and facilities. I encourage everyone to stay up to date by visiting our website.

These restrictions will also bring about changes to how we come together as a community. In this edition of Manningham Matters, you’ll find the latest information on how you can continue to safely enjoy our beautiful parklands, and how to support local businesses who will again be adapting to the restrictions. You will also find the latest news about some of our community facilities - many of their services have returned online allowing you to stay active and stay connected from your home.

Many of the businesses who had just restarted their operations will now be doing it really tough as the restrictions return. To help support these local businesses, the Victorian Government has this week released an additional round of grants as part of its $534 million Business Support Package. We’ve included more information in this edition, and encourage business owners to explore if they’re eligible for these latest rounds of funding. There are also many support options available to businesses locally and our Manningham Business team is here to help. I encourage any local businesses looking for support during this time to get in touch.

We all have the opportunity to make a huge difference for our entire community, and all it takes is a few small actions. Stay at home unless absolutely necessary. Wear a mask and keep 1.5 metres apart if you need to leave your home. Practise good hygiene and wash your hands regularly. Get tested if you experience any symptoms.

We’ve seen some incredible examples of the Manningham community uniting over the last few months and I look forward to hearing many more stories over the next five weeks.

This is our moment, Manningham. Stay safe and well.

Cr Paul McLeish
MAYOR

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