Emergency Services Handle Storm Damage and Health Pressures in Bendigo This Week

Bendigo faced multiple emergency pressures this week after a severe storm triggered a Code Red Day classification and Bendigo Health activated a Code Yellow internal alert. The State Emergency Service responded to approximately 60 call-outs in Bendigo, the highest number in the north-west region, while the hospital postponed some elective surgeries to manage demand.

Storm Response and Power Outages

The City of Greater Bendigo recorded over 11,000 properties without power following the storm, with Powercor crews addressing more than 490 separate faults on the network. The north-west SES region handled 244 incidents in the past 24 hours, and Bendigo accounted for the largest share of those responses.

Hospital and Road Incidents

Bendigo Health's emergency department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with urgent non-emergency care available at the Bendigo Urgent Care Clinic from 10 am to 10 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The Code Yellow alert was issued due to high patient occupancy and ambulance ramping. Emergency services also attended a fatal collision on High Street involving a truck and a 15-year-old pedestrian, with the boy pronounced dead at the scene.

Emergency Dashboard and Access

The City of Greater Bendigo launched a new Emergency Dashboard on its website that provides real-time warnings, road closures and links to relief centres for bushfires, floods and storms. Residents can access further updates through the VicEmergency app or by calling the hotline on 1800 226 226, while the Bendigo SES contact number for flood and storm emergencies remains 132 500.

These events underscore the need for residents to monitor official channels for any ongoing impacts from the storm or hospital pressures. The Emergency Dashboard and VicEmergency resources offer direct guidance on road conditions and available support services.