• No room at the inn? Roofing at Bredbo Inn’s accommodation area blew off in strong winds on Friday. The bar and restaurant were reopened in time for Saturday’s grand final action following the efforts of local tradesman. Photo by Kathleen Boweerman.
Eden State Emergency Services had 19 call outs, with 17 elsewhere in the shire, after strong winds brought down trees on Friday and Saturday.
SES controller John Lacey said Eden’s volunteers were needed to use chainsaws to cut fallen trees at Tura Beach and Merimbula.
“It was a very busy couple of days with a lot of work by a small group of people,” he said.
“We could always do with more help in the SES.”
Motorists heading south on Friday were urged to travel with caution after falling trees closed the Princes Highway and impacted a car between Genoa and Orbost for several hours.
Wind damage also temporarily closed the Monaro Highway in Victoria.
At Bredbo near Cooma, winds of up to 90 kilometres an hour tore the roof off the historic Bredbo Inn and brought down power lines.
Manager Mary Bligh and her partner were the only occupants when the roof blew off of the pub’s accommodation section and with help from the township they had the bar and bistro back in business by Saturday.
Cocora playground amenities remain without a roof after a similar weather event in June this year.
Council asset manager Richard Cunningham said designs were being finalised and building could begin in the next four weeks.
“We don’t want to lose the new roof so we’re making some minor adjustments to a pitched roof that will blend in better with existing buildings there,” he said.