ROBINVALE’S Tongan community has been “horrifically” impacted by the eruption of an underground volcano and subsequent tsunami on the Pacific nation.
Power has been restored but communication in and out of the country remains difficult after a key underwater cable was damaged during the submarine volcano eruption.
Robinvale-based Swan Hill Mayor Jade Benham said many of the town’s Tongan community had still been unable to contact families still living in their place of birth.
Tongan nationals make up about 6 per cent of the Robinvale population and Cr Benham said the lack of communication available to those families with loved ones back home was “heartbreaking”.
Power has been restored to much of the country and some international phone calls are now available, but communication networks largely remain affected.
“I lived overseas for years but could call home whenever – I can’t imagine being in a whole other country and having your family over there and seeing the images that are coming from the mainstream media,” Cr Benham said.
“Could you imagine not being able to contact your loved ones and seeing those images and what that would do?
“I have been trying to keep in touch with a lot of my Tongan friends; and we also have some Tongan staff (in Robinvale) and you can see in their faces, it’s just heartbreaking.”
Telstra said it would waive charges for calls (and texts) from Telstra home phones, post-paid services and mobiles for customers reaching out to family who have been impacted by the recent events.
Cr Benham said the disaster was yet another blow to the town that, like many others, was trying to manage with the recent surge in COVID-19 case numbers.
She said some retailers had reported the worst trading month since the pandemic started.
“The town itself is quiet,” she said.
“The past two or three weeks in particular have been like a shadow lockdown and it’s really hurting businesses.
“People are either isolating or they have got COVID or they are locking themselves away because they don’t want to get COVID.
“The positive thing is that our health service here is really on the ball and we have had Bendigo Health coming every few weeks to do vaccination clinics and testing clinics, which is great.
“The health service is doing everything it can, but of course they are under-resourced as well.”
Robinvale had 49 active COVID-19 cases after two new cases were reported Sunday, while the Swan Hill local government area had 131 active cases.
Mildura had 90 new cases reported Sunday to bring to total number of active cases to 504 – a rise from 457 on Saturday but a fall from 778 on Friday.
Less than a week ago Mildura’s total active cases was more than 900.
