People seeking flood relief at Bendigo Showgrounds well looked-after, City staff say

As of Tuesday afternoon, 180 people, 15 dogs and four cats are staying at the site, having been directed from Echuca and Rochester.

City of Greater Bendigo director Andrew Cooney, who is leading the centre, said it was well stocked and resourced to look after a growing number of people.

"People are quite safe and comfortable, we've got people on stretcher beds with nice warm blankets and soft pillows in tents; we're conscious of protecting peoples' personal space," he said. "We've created a mini-city to be able to cater for the needs of a mini-community."

"We've got catering vans, laundries, a GP and health clinic, chaplaincy support and facilities for young people like a jumping castle and board games to try keep their minds off things."

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Mr Cooney said public health was a top priority for authorities and a plan was in place to ensure any wellbeing problems could be mitigated.

Food had been locally sourced and prepared safely in a kitchen environment, Mr Cooney said.

"We had a specialised company come in to make sure we're not just providing a clean and safe environment, but we're providing nutritious meals for people to get them through the day," he said.

With this weekend's Bendigo Agriculture Show cancelled, Mr Cooney said the emergency relief centre would open for as long as it needed to be.

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"This is a different situation to what a normal emergency relief centre would be stood up for, and that's an emergency spot for people who've had to evacuate at short notice," he said.

"This is a prolonged period with more people than we're used to. We know some people have options and they're working through them but some people don't have a lot of options."

The community has been asked not to donate to the centre.

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