Author Archives: fobif

Our friends the blackberries?

Walkers along the Moonlight Creek edge of Kalimna Park in the last week have been puzzled by the fact that DELWP seems to have gone to a lot of trouble to protect a mountain of blackberries from its recent management … Continue reading

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Look again: there’s something there

Those interested in getting a better look at relatively obscure elements of our bushlands should get along to the Nature Abstracted exhibition at the Falkner Gallery in Templeton Street Castlemaine. The exhibition of photographs by Bronwyn Silver concentrates on lichens, … Continue reading

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Coming down to earth

Mount Alexander Shire has released a draft Environment Strategy 2015-2025 for public comment. The draft can be found here FOBIF will be making a brief submission on the draft, and urges members to do likewise. At first sight, the document … Continue reading

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Kalimna fire

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Fire completed its management burn at Kalimna Park on April 23. The treatment area is shown on the map below.   Representatives of FOBIF and the Friends of Kalimna Park have examined the … Continue reading

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Rezoning at McKenzie Hill?

Hearings have opened over the Mount Alexander Shire’s proposal to rezone land at McKenzie Hill, to the west of the town, from Rural Living to General Residential Zone. The effect of the zone change would be to allow denser development … Continue reading

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FOBIF walks

Walks for young people FOBIF are running lots of events for kids this year. We have bushwalks for small children with their families, youth walks for people who are secondary school age and a June School Holiday program based in the … Continue reading

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A very small, good thing

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is ‘committed to delivering an increased planned burning program as a key means of managing bushfire risk,’  according to a letter to stakeholders last week. In other words, it’s business as … Continue reading

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Bushfire review report postponed

FOBIF has been informed that the Inspector General for Emergency Management has postponed his report on fuel reduction programs, which was due this month. It will now be released at the end of April.

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Carnage

The storm which made local headlines by bringing down a tree on the Loddon River bridge in late February was only one of a series of what seem to be mini tornadoes throughout Central Victoria, and specifically in our own … Continue reading

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A giant crash

Wild winds brought down numerous trees in the region on the last Saturday in February, including a giant poplar which fell onto the Midland Highway bridge, writing off a car and injuring its driver. The same storm caused massive limb … Continue reading

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