Author Archives: fobif

Brochure check [2]: Coalition 4, Labor 1, Greens 1, Environment 0

Posted on 14 November, 2014 by fobif

We’ve received three more brochures telling us what’s in store if we make the ‘right’ decision on election day. The first is another glossy from the Coalition, with lots of promises under five main headlines. Still no mention of the … Continue reading →

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‘What a way to make a living’

Posted on 6 November, 2014 by fobif

The insect pictured below is Harpobittacus australis, a species of scorpion fly. The creature isn’t just having some quiet down time appreciating the beauty of the Yam Daisy. It’s hard at work. The Project Noah website says of it: ‘Their … Continue reading →

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Brochure check: what’s the Coalition enviro policy?

Posted on 2 November, 2014 by fobif

Election brochures are starting to appear in letter boxes and we’ll be taking a brief look at the ones that come our  way.  First up is the Liberal-National Coalition: we have three of their brochures directed at Bendigo region electors. … Continue reading →

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Now’s the time to put it to the pollies

Posted on 26 October, 2014 by fobif

Recent polls have found that 81% of Victorian voters support more funding for the protection of nature, 57% oppose private developments in National Parks, and the environment is a bigger issue of concern than law-and-order and roads. There are polls … Continue reading →

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Snakes alive–and dead

Posted on 26 October, 2014 by fobif

The photo below shows an Eastern Brown snake [Pseudonaja textilis—‘brown’ is a pretty broad description: the snake can be any shade of brown from almost orange to nearly black] crossing the Irishtown Track in the Fryerstown forest last week. The … Continue reading →

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Campbells Creek: celebrating a revival

Posted on 26 October, 2014 by fobif

In 1846 Joseph Parker described Campbells creek as ‘A scene of beautiful, crystal like waterholes, which sparkled in the glittering rays of the sun; every  waterhole was teeming with fish,and flocks of ducks.On the slopes and hills on either side … Continue reading →

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Burning boronias

Posted on 26 October, 2014 by fobif

Last week DEPI conducted a management burn in the area designated Fryerstown Block 5, a 44 hectare roughly triangular block between the Campbells Creek Irishtown Road and the Chewton-Vaughan road [see map below]. The fire was designated Asset Protection: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fire Management, Nature Observations | 1 Comment

‘Foolishly, disastrously wrong’

Posted on 20 October, 2014 by fobif

‘There was never a body of men so foolishly, disastrously wrong,’ wrote Eric Rolls in his 1984 book, They all ran wild. He was talking about the Acclimatisation Societies of Australia, people who believed that this continent was lacking in … Continue reading →

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Risky business

Posted on 13 October, 2014 by fobif

Strategic bushfire management plan: West Central bushfire risk landscape. DEPI 2014 This document has been anticipated with some interest—as have its companions, the plans for the East Central and Barwon Otways districts. It was launched at last Friday’s Creswick conference … Continue reading →

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Act first, think later

Posted on 13 October, 2014 by fobif

A conference on bushfire management reform held at Creswick on October 10 served to highlight some of the complexities in fire management, and to underline the difference between Government policy and the views of conservationists. The difference centres around whether … Continue reading →

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