Coronavirus leads to Gippsland Vehicle Collection lockout

In response to increasing restrictions on public gatherings and non-essential business closures caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the Gippsland Vehicle Collection (GVC) and Model World Maffra (MWM) has closed its doors until further notice.

The GVC museum and MWM, located at 1A Sale Rd., Maffra, officially closed its doors on Sunday 22 March, and will remain closed until further notice. The normal schedule of rotating displays will change, with the current exhibition, ‘Marvels of Maffra’, which was due to close in June, now staying on show until November, when it will change over to the ‘Racers’ theme.

The organisation has also postponed its next two events - the Club Plate Day and annual Swap Meet - with new dates to be announced once large public gatherings can take place safely.

GVC vice president, Peter Quennell said such decisions were difficult, but this one made itself.

“The majority of our volunteers and many of our patrons are part of what are considered to be vulnerable community members when it comes to this illness,” Quennell said.

“We could not have kept our doors open and continued to ask for support from our volunteers or visitors. In terms of our duty of care to them, and as a way of showing them how much we truly do value them, we really had no option but to close the doors for a while.

“We will still be regularly talking to our members and followers via our Facebook page and website, and through emails, and working on projects including the guard’s train carriage, which will contribute to a bigger and better GVC and MWM in the future.”

There would be someone available at the GVC office on the first and third Saturday of each month, from 10am to 1pm, to assist owners who need to renew their club plate registration or put a vehicle on club plates.

The GVC’s free camp facilities will remain available to any self-contained visitors wanting to use them with the usual 72-hour stay limit, with the dump point continuing to operate.

“Until we can reopen safely, we simply ask that everyone takes care of themselves, checks in with each other, and lets us know if they need assistance with anything. If we can help in some way, we will,” Quennell added.

To stay in touch with the GVC and MWM, visit www.gippslandvehiclecollection.org.au or www.facebook.com/gippslandvehiclecollection