RFS
All fires are to be reported to Triple 000 and not directly to the brigade.
The RFS provides emergency response to fire incidents in our five villages. There is a wide range of incidents that we respond to 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year, they include –
• Bush fires
• Grass fires
• Structure fires
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Hazard reductions
• Issuing of Fire Permits during the bush fire period.
• Assistance to other RFS Brigades with incidents in their areas.
• Support to other emergency service agencies when requested.
As a brigade we are actively involved in community education regarding the threat of bush fires and encourage the importance for all residents and visitors to plan and prepare for a Bush Fire. Information on planning and preparing yourselves, your family, guests and homes can be found at https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare
To stay informed of fire threats in our area, we advise all residents to monitor and use the Hazards Near Me App, NSW RFS Website (https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/) or the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 and to stay informed of the Fire Danger Rating for each day via the NSW RFS website or via Bureau Of Meteorology (BOM).
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, you can contact the NSW RFS through the National Relay Service
• TTY users phone 1800 555 677 then ask for 1800 679 737
• Speak and Listen users phone 1800 555 727 then ask for 1800 679 737
• Internet relay users connect to the NRS then ask for 1800 679 737
• To report a fire or emergency (TTY users only), access TTY 106.
Pending local conditions, the Bush Fire Danger period starts 1st September each year in the Shoalhaven and finishes 1st April.
Restrictions on burning apply year-round. To find out more information visit the following page https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/BFDP
Brigade members train on the second Sunday of the month from 9am – 12pm. We hold a brigade monthly meeting 1st Wednesday of the month from 6pm to 7pm and our doors are usually open every Wednesday from 9:30am to 12pm for maintenance. All members of the community are welcome to pop in for a visit or chat if you see our garage doors up and the vehicles are in.
Anyone interested in joining the brigade should pop down for a chat and we can advise the process to undertake in joining the brigade.
We also strongly encourage all property owners and residents to have working fire alarms installed in their homes and to follow home fire safety tips https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare/home-fire-safety
We can be found on Facebook and Instagram and can be contacted via:
manyanarfb@gmail.com
Brigade Phone: 02 4456 1911 or via Captain Paul Gleeson 0429 049 450
Manyana Matters Environmental Association
Manyana Matters is a volunteer community association which aims to preserve, protect and enhance the natural, social & cultural environment of the area, to ensure a sustainable future for its plant, animal & human communities. The group also supports broader environmental campaigns throughout NSW & Australia.
Community Gardens
The Five Villages Community Garden (Incorporated) has been established to identify opportunities to create and maintain garden spaces that teach different ways to work with nature for the benefit of our community and the environment.
We share knowledge about food production, permaculture and garden design principles.
New members are always welcome to join. Details of community garden projects and activities and how to join can be found on our website: https://fivevillagesgarden.weebly.com/our-story.html
Contact:
Dennis Buttigieg
0409 915 707
fivevillagesgarden@gmail.com
Bushcare
The Redhead Bushcare Group comprises volunteers supported by the Shoalhaven Council Bushcare Program which helps to preserve and improve our local environment in areas of natural beauty on Council-managed land. The Bushcare program restores and maintains ecosystem health by helping the natural regeneration of indigenous plants (this is typically done by reducing the effect of weeds and other threats).
Redhead Bushcare activities include:
• Bush and dune regeneration
• Weed control,
• Revegetation,
• Ongoing care and maintenance of sites, and
• Training and education
The group has workdays from 1:00PM to 4PM on the first Saturday of each month except January. New volunteers are always welcome to join.
Contact:
Dennis Buttigieg
0409 915 707
bushcare.redhead@gmail.com
Yulunga Hall
The Yulunga Community Hall officially opened on 3rd October 1981. The hall and the reserve that surrounds it, including the tennis courts and playground, are managed by the Yulunga Reserve Management Committee.
The committee, along with the RHVA, has worked to increase the resilience of this asset by installing solar panels, a battery and a back-up generator so that the hall can operate during periods of isolation. Yulunga Hall has now been nominated as a Neighbourhood Safe Place (NSP).
Shoalhaven City Council maintains the asset and has installed the NBN to assist with communications during events such as bushfires. It has also installed electronic screens inside and outside the hall to be used as information screens during disasters and local information screens at other times.
The Red Head Villages’ Association applied for funding from the Black Summer Bushfires Grants to extend the hall to make it more fit for purpose during emergencies and for the increasing local population. The planning for the extension is currently underway (2023).
Yulunga Reserve Community Hall Activities
The current regular weekly activities are:
Monday: – Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association: 10-12pm
Contact: Pam Wilmington on 0414 788343
Table tennis: 4-6pm
Contact: Elke on 0401 794 580
Tuesdays and Wednesdays: -Central Shoalhaven Mobile Pre-School: 9-3pm
Contact: 4423 0571
Thursday Social mixed tennis 2-4pm (Winter) 4-6pm (Summer)
Saturday Yoga 9.00 – 10.00. Program is listed on the hall door. Four local yoga teachers teach on a rotation basis.
Casual hire bookings may be made by contacting the Robyn, the Booking Officer on 0417 892292.
Tennis court bookings may be made through the same number or, during holiday periods, by using the booking sheets in the tennis shed. Currently payments are made in cash into a deposit box in the shed, but Shoalhaven City Council is trialling an online booking system at other local courts which may be implemented locally.
Five Villages Book
This pictorial history, woven with fascinating anecdotes and local legends, tells the story of Bendalong, North Bendalong, Cunjurong Point, Berringer Lake and Manyana, which collectively make up the Red Head Villages. It’s a chronical of a community, and the place – the coastline, landscape and waterways – it calls home.
The Five Villages Book has been a labour of love for locals Patti Bartlett and Jenny Cleary, known affectionately as the ‘Granny Grommets’, who spent two years researching and compiling photos, documents and stories from over the decades.
Patti and Jenny generously donated their time to the project, with all proceeds from sales of both hardcover and paperback editions of the book going towards the purchase of beach safety equipment and local environmental protection initiatives.
One life-saving station has already been purchased and installed. Stay tuned to the news section on the RHVA website for more updates on purchases made possible through the sale of the book.
Please click here if you would like to purchase a copy of the book: Five villages book | FIVE VILLAGES BOOK (square.site)