Author Archives: fobif

Pyrenees Highway: some preliminary questions

Posted on 22 March, 2016 by fobif

Representatives of several conservation groups, including FOBIF, have done a couple of reconnaissance trips along the Pyrenees Highway to look over trees marked for the chop as part of Vicroads proposed Safe Road Project. FOBIF will be making a submission … Continue reading →

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Some dog park questions

Posted on 21 March, 2016 by fobif

FOBIF has written to the Mount Alexander shire regarding the off lead dog park proposed for the Botanical Gardens. The relevant parts of the letter follow: ‘While FOBIF believes that an off lead park is a good and common sense … Continue reading →

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Kalimna set to burn, again

Posted on 14 March, 2016 by fobif

Representatives of the Friends of Kalimna Park met with DELWP and Parks Victoria fire officers last week to discuss the planned burn of a section of the Park this autumn. The exercise is set to happen in the next five … Continue reading →

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Culture

Posted on 4 March, 2016 by fobif

Here’s what land managers are dealing with: granite rocks put on the track near Lang’s Lookout on Mount Alexander have been graffitied with aggressive messages, ‘faggot council’ being one.     The rocks were put on the track in Spring … Continue reading →

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Highway matters

Posted on 4 March, 2016 by fobif

Vicroads engineers held a briefing session at Newstead on Thursday March 3 to consult with local people about plans for works along the Pyrenees Highway between Castlemaine and Newstead. The session was heavily attended by residents with interest in a … Continue reading →

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How green is my gully

Posted on 18 February, 2016 by fobif

In the grey/brown bleakness of our bushlands at the moment you can still find a rare green spot–like the one below. Unfortunately in this case the reason for the green isn’t a natural one: it’s an apparently long standing leak … Continue reading →

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If it’s flowering, that eucalypt must be…

Posted on 18 February, 2016 by fobif

A few species of Eucalypt are flowering profusely at the moment, in spite of dry conditions. Why does one specimen of a particular species flower, and another not? Local conditions play a part, but some of it is still a … Continue reading →

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Here we go again

Posted on 15 February, 2016 by fobif

Like many other groups, FOBIF has been invited to make a submission to the fire planning process this year. The substance of our submission is as follows: Our views on fire management have not changed since our 2015 submission, the … Continue reading →

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A dump here, a dump there, but rainfall is well down

Posted on 1 February, 2016 by fobif

A summer storm caused flash flooding in parts of Castlemaine on Thursday, putting the railway station underpass under water, and creating a brief swamp on the Western Oval, but, like its predecessors, leaving plenty of areas dry. Figures for 2015, … Continue reading →

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Here’s a reason to celebrate

Posted on 26 January, 2016 by fobif

There seems to be some kind of controversy bubbling about the Australian flag and Australia day in Castlemaine. FOBIF doesn’t get involved with debates of this kind, but we’re always looking for an excuse to celebrate, anyway. And if we … Continue reading →

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