Ararat Rural City Council - COVID-19 Response

*This page was last updated Friday, 9 April 2021.

Ararat Rural City Council thanks the community for its support in adhering to safety measures as we continue to navigate through these uncertain times.

CHANGES IN SERVICES

All Council services have been restored to pre-COVID operations with the below exceptions.

Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre

Gum San Currently operates on an ad hoc booking process. If you would like to visit the centre, please call. 5355 0250

Visitor Information Centre

The Ararat Visitor Information Centre is being Revamped and will return in a new location of the Ararat Gallery TAMA in the coming weeks.

Visitors seeking information on tourism in our region should visit the Visit Grampians Website, to see what is about in the interim.

Please continue to obey safety measures in all council facilities as per the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines.

HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH COUNCIL

People are welcome to get in touch with council through the following channels in business operation hours - 8.00am-5.15pm Monday-Friday.

Visit

Customer service at the Municipal Offices, 59 Vincent Street, Ararat.

Please note that if you would like to see a particular Council staff it is best to call ahead to make sure they are available.

Call

Call 5355 0200 to speak to one of our customer service staff.

Email

Send us an email through council@ararat.vic.gov.au and we will respond to your query as soon as possible.

Social Media:

Please keep an eye on our website or social media accounts for updates around the ongoing changes.

• Facebook – Ararat Rural City Council
• Instagram - @araratruralcitycouncil

Making a payment

Payments such as pet registrations, rates and other Council fees can be made online through BPay or by phone, on 5355 0200 to pay via credit card.

Cheques will also be accepted by the reception. Council Staff will mail out a receipt once payment is processed.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

ARARAT COMMUNITY RELIEF CENTRE

Ararat Rural City Council has established the Ararat Community Relief Centre to help residents if they have questions, concerns or needs during COVID-19 restrictions. The Centre is not a physical location to visit, but a telephone number you can call for help and advice - 5355 0980. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

COVID-19 FINANCIAL HARDSHIP GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION FORM

To download a copy of Ararat Rural City Council's COVID-19 financial hardship guidelines and application form, please click here.

CASI INITIATIVE

The Community Activation and Social Isolation Initiative, or CASI, has been implemented to provide those in need with localized support during this difficult time. This initiative connects callers to a trained Australian Red Cross Volunteer who can provide psychological first aid and emotional support to callers. These volunteers can then refer them further to local community connectors. Community Connector are people located within our region and will be able to provide callers with a range of support and give them the ability to talk to a like-minded person who is in a strong position to provide tailored support. Examples of support that Community Connectors can provide are:

• Regular support chats
• Practical assistance, such as helping to access food and other essentials
• Link people to social activities and groups to help with isolation

CASI network can be contacted my calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 and 
pressing ‘3’

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Any businesses who have concerns about how they will reopen are welcome to contact the business support staff at the Ararat Rural City Council, who can help with a range of concerns, such as:

• Facilitating business to business relationships
• Business advice on how to reopen safely
• Assist with lodging applications for permits, such as outdoor dining and liquor licencing
• Costs of permits and liquor licencing will be waivered during this time, and we are working to help this transition be as smooth as possible for all local businesses.

Ararat Rural City Council would like to thank all businesses in the region for their resilience and we want to extend our help as far as we can. Further details on how Council can help are available through the COVID-19 Business Support Page

Businesses who would like assistance are welcome to contact our staff:

• Phillippa Cairns on 5355 0241 or pcairns@ararat.vic.gov.au
• Tim McDougall on 5355 0264 or tmcdougall@ararat.vic.gov.au