Keep up-to-date and stay safe

At the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), our hearts go out to all the communities that have been affected by the unprecedented bushfires and suffered the loss of loved ones, homes, businesses and property. We are proud and grateful for the bravery and commitment of firefighters, community volunteers and agency personnel who are dealing with the dangerous and stressful situation under extreme weather conditions and for a prolonged period.

It is uncertain when the ACT's exposure to smoke from the bushfires in the South Coast and NSW will clear. The hot weather and heavy smoke is anticipated to continue further into January 2020.

CIT open for business

CIT is open for business at the moment. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation to make decisions accordingly.

CIT Reid, CIT Bruce and CIT Fyshwick resumed normal opening hours on Monday 6 January 2020.

CIT Tuggeranong and CIT Gungahlin will reopen on Monday 13 January 2020.

CIT's website and social media channels, Facebook and Twitter, will provide updates on any changes to our opening hours and operations.

State of Alert for the ACT - Be prepared and informed

At this time, the State of Alert declared for the ACT on 2 January 2020 remains active. The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) is monitoring the bushfire situation in the ACT and NSW.

The ESA encourages the community to be prepared and remain informed with updates regarding the bushfire situation provided on its website. The ESA can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

Wellbeing - Take care during smoky conditions

The smoke from the fires in the surrounding regions is impacting the air quality in the ACT. Please follow the advice of ACT Health during this period of smoke and extreme weather conditions. Also, please see the ACT Health's Summer Safety page.

Donate - Help those in need

The loss of lives, wildlife and infrastructure has been devastating impacting individuals and families across the country. Below please see a list of some of the appeals in place to help those in need at this very difficult time.

• The Red Cross disaster relief and recovery appeal - Supporting people in evacuation centres and recovery hubs across Australia.
• The Salvation Army disaster appeal - Delivering services and support at multiple evacuation centres.
• Vinnies bushfire appeal - Providing food, clothing, groceries, essential items, etc. to affected communities.
• The NSW Rural Fire Service & Brigades Donations Fund - The online donation page provides an option to donate to local fire brigades across the country.
• The Animal Rescue Collective - Supporting displaced and injured wildlife.
• GIVIT - Accepting donations of goods and services for communities in need.

Stay safe and informed.