Vaccination mandate to keep staff and community safe

STRATHBOGIE Shire has now finalised its mandatory vaccination policy, meaning all employees, contractors and visitors must be COVID–19 vaccinated. The policy also means people must be vaccinated to enter all council buildings – including their customer service centres, cinema and community halls. Strathbogie Shire Council chief executive officer Julie Salomon said there were only two exceptions to this policy. "These being our transfer stations where unvaccinated people will need to practice social distancing that is appropriate to each site and our maternal health nurses who will still be able to visit unvaccinated people's homes, but they will need to be wearing full PPE," Ms Salomon said. "It's important to note this policy does not apply to anyone under the age of 16, so anyone younger will have full access to council buildings and services." Council has recruited COVID–19 concierges to help its customer service team and resource recovery centre staff assist visitors with signing in and showing their two green ticks on the Services Vic app (or hard copy vax certificate). "It's a decision we've made to ensure we're meeting public health order requirements, but more importantly it's a decision we've made to ensure we can continue serving our community," she said. "As local government representatives, we're here to ensure Strathbogie Shire continues to be a fantastic place to live, work and play. "By mandating COVID–19 vaccinations we are doing our bit to drive down coronavirus numbers and keep our community safe." To read council's mandatory vaccination policy, and for more information on accessing council services, go to www.strathbogie.vic.gov.au.