Moorabool Shire Council has a number of designated air-conditioned ‘cooling rooms’ in council-owned buildings that are publicly available when the mercury hits 34 degrees, while Melbourne City Council has been giving free pool passes to the homeless during extreme weather.

Aside from air-conditioned public buildings, like libraries and galleries, vulnerable Ballaratians have no designated services during extreme heat.

A homeless family who had been living out of their car until recently said the thought of returning to their car during the heat was “absolutely horrible”. 

“Our last port of call would be (staying in our car) in caravan parks,” said Billie Murphy, who, along with partner James Smith and two-year-old Hannah Smith, have been staying at a friend’s place at Ballarat.

The Salvation Army’s Divisional Leader for Western Victoria, Geoff Webb, said there were problems with homeless and vulnerable people being unable to access places to cool down and have a shower.

He said the idea of free pool passes was promising, but the organisation hadn’t proposed it to the City of Ballarat yet.

Major Webb said a change in attitudes toward homeless people in public places was crucial to driving change.

Deputy mayor Des Hudson said apart from the specialised services of local support groups, the City of Ballarat didn’t provide an ad hoc service for the vulnerable.