Author Archives: fobif

How should we look after our waterways?

Posted on 8 December, 2012 by fobif

FOBIF has made a submission to DSE’s draft Waterway Management Strategy. Apart from suggesting that some of the policies in the document are a bit vague, our submission centred on two matters: the influence of management fire on catchments, and … Continue reading →

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‘Due consideration’: does this mean, ‘Not interested’?

Posted on 1 December, 2012 by fobif

FOBIF has received a reply from the Minister for Bushfire Response, Peter Ryan. We asked him if he had considered Royal Commission Monitor Neil Comrie’s recommendation that the five per cent burning target be revised. It’s now clear from the … Continue reading →

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Burning season under way

Posted on 25 November, 2012 by fobif

With DSE starting burns around Castlemaine, it’s worth clarifying what the Department’s targets are. The following has been supplied to us by DSE for land within the Murray Goldfields district: Zone: 1. Asset protection 2. Bushfire management 3. Landscape management … Continue reading →

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We have the answer, but where’s the answer? [and what’s Hawkeye?]

Posted on 22 November, 2012 by fobif

FOBIF has had another go at finding out what if anything the Government intends to do about the Royal Commission Monitor’s suggestion that the five per cent target be revised. The letter we received from DSE Director of Fire, Lee … Continue reading →

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State of the forests, 1870

Posted on 19 November, 2012 by fobif

Doug Ralph has supplied us with the text below, as evidence of 19th century attitudes to forest use. The report is from the Argus newspaper, and can be found on the National Library’s Trove website: “The following report of the … Continue reading →

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What exactly are the pine plantations?

Posted on 19 November, 2012 by fobif

Amendment  C 65 before the Mount Alexander Council proposes to rezone the Moonlight Flat Pine Plantations to Farming Zone. FOBIF has opposed this rezoning as follows: ‘We believe the proposed rezoning of Crown land leased to Hancock Pine Plantations should … Continue reading →

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Questions to the minister…and answers

Posted on 18 November, 2012 by fobif

In October FOBIF wrote to the Minister for Bushfire Recovery, Peter Ryan, the Minister for Conservation, Ryan Smith, and the National Party member for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum, regarding the government’s planned burning program. We asked how the Government was … Continue reading →

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Fire meeting

Posted on 13 November, 2012 by fobif

On 1st November a concerned group of people from Castlemaine, Bendigo and surrounding areas, meeting in the Chewton Town Hall, decided to form a network to lobby and campaign for major changes to the State Government’s current and forthcoming fuel … Continue reading →

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Babes in the Woods

Posted on 12 November, 2012 by fobif

Doug Raplh recently took a look in his nest boxes and discovered Sugar Gliders and Owlet Nightjars had taken up residence. These photos were taken at 10 am. As people probably know Connecting Country has installed a large number of … Continue reading →

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A Spectacular Orchid

Posted on 2 November, 2012 by fobif

Three FOBIF members recently went to Old Coach Road in the Fryers Ranges to have a look at the Giant Sun Orchid Thelymitra aristata. In contrast to our normal small orchids this one was 81 cm (32 in)  and can apparently reach … Continue reading →

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