Author Archives: fobif

Fire protection: what should be the priorities?

Posted on 4 September, 2014 by fobif

The Victorian National Parks Association has made its submission to the current draft Fire Operations Plan. Since the VNPA covers statewide fire protection problems much better than we could do, we print its ‘general overview’ of its submission below: ****** … Continue reading →

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What are our ‘high value ecosystem areas’ [and how do we know?]

Posted on 1 September, 2014 by fobif

On Monday August 25 the Department of the Environment and Primary Industries hosted a meeting with representatives of enviro groups from the West Central Risk Management area. The point of the meeting was to discuss current and future fire planning … Continue reading →

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Where do the plantations fit in the Fire Operations Plan?

Posted on 25 August, 2014 by fobif

Residents living near the Hancock Moonlight Flat pine plantations have been informed by company foresters that the plantations are to be harvested and resown this coming season. This finally puts to rest the story that the plantations were slated to … Continue reading →

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The good, and the ugly

Posted on 17 August, 2014 by fobif

Twelve brave walkers braved unpromising forecasts to take on FOBIF’s August walk into the isolated upper reaches of the Columbine Creek catchment on Sunday. As it turned out, the weather was brisk but kind, with plenty of sunshine to take … Continue reading →

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Draft Fire Operations Plan released

Posted on 14 August, 2014 by fobif

The draft fire operations plan for Murray Goldfields district has been released, and is open for public comment till August 31. The full plan can be found here, or can be seen at the Mount Alexander Shire offices in Lyttleton … Continue reading →

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Box Ironbark AGM

Posted on 14 August, 2014 by fobif

Thirty members and guests turned up to the FOBIF Annual General Meeting on Monday night to hear an entertaining and informative talk by George Milford on the chequered history of Mount Alexander, with an emphasis on its little known industrial … Continue reading →

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Safety last?

Posted on 10 August, 2014 by fobif

The Conversation website this weekend carries an important article by Deakin University researchers on the burning program currently supported by both major parties in Victoria. Revealingly titled ‘Burnoff policies could be damaging habitats for 100 years’ the article patiently explains … Continue reading →

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Royal Commission Monitor hits the target, again

Posted on 6 August, 2014 by fobif

The Royal Commission Implementation Monitor, Neil Comrie, has once again questioned the policy of burning five per cent of public land annually. The Monitor’s Annual report is released today. It can be found here. The relevant section of the report … Continue reading →

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Eight questions to ask the candidates

Posted on 4 August, 2014 by fobif

With a State election due in November, candidates are starting to do a bit of spruiking about the place. We’ve drafted a number of questions it might be worth putting to them, should they appear on the horizon: 1. In … Continue reading →

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Heave ho! Weightlifter goes for gold

Posted on 3 August, 2014 by fobif

You often see fungi thrusting up through soil crust, but mushrooms heaving rocks out of the way are less common. The photo below shows one such effort. We weighed the stone at 725 grams! Fungi often perform remarkable weightlifting feats. … Continue reading →

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