Author Archives: fobif

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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DELWP burning season approaches

Posted on 4 March, 2016 by fobif

The Department of the Environment is gearing up to conduct planned burns in the Castlemaine area in the Autumn season. The map below shows the burns planned for this and next year close to Castlemaine town. A clearer version, which … 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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Off lead dogs for the Castlemaine Bot Gardens?

Posted on 9 February, 2016 by fobif

Mount Alexander Shire is currently investigating the possibility of setting up an ‘off lead dog park’ at the north end of the Botanical Gardens, abutting Froome’s Road, and west of Barkers Creek. The idea of an off lead park in … 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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How do they do it? [3]: Out of a pile of rocks…

Posted on 25 January, 2016 by fobif

Goldfields landscapes are dotted with mullock heaps: and one of the curiosities of these heaps of apparently useless rock is that they often feature quite healthy trees. How can these trees get a foothold in material you definitely wouldn’t be … Continue reading →

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