Author Archives: fobif

April FOBIF walk

Posted on 17 April, 2012 by fobif

Forty-one walkers set out from the Garfield Water Wheel in Chewton on Sunday on the second FOBIF walk for the year. Local geologist, Julian Hollis led the walk and everyone appreciated his explanations of the significant geological features in the … Continue reading →

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Tarilta: ecological burning in question

Posted on 2 April, 2012 by fobif

We have received a second reply from DSE’s Paul Bates on the subject of the Tarilta management burn [see below]. In addition Ewan Waller, DSE’s Chief Fire Officer, fielded questions on the subject on ABC radio on Friday March 30. … Continue reading →

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Fire: who knows how to use it?

Posted on 2 April, 2012 by fobif

DSE Chief Fire Officer Ewan Waller claimed on ABC Radio on March 30 that one of the aims of his department is to create a ‘pre European’ forest structure by using fire. This seems to suggest that he is familiar … Continue reading →

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DSE answers on Tarilta fire

Posted on 29 March, 2012 by fobif

Last week FOBIF secretary Bernard Slattery wrote to DSE Bendigo to express our concerns about Tarilta Gorge, in particular the massive soil loss resulting from the Department’s management burn [see our post].We’ve received the following answers to our questions from … Continue reading →

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What happens under the tractor?

Posted on 26 March, 2012 by fobif

The first public evening session in Connecting Country’s 2012 Education Program was attended by 75 people at Campbell’s Creek last week. The talk was given by Dr Denis Saunders, who posed a set of question about the long term viability … Continue reading →

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Tarilta questions

Posted on 24 March, 2012 by fobif

Following our visits to the DSE burn site in the Tarilta Gorge [see our post] we have written to DSE management in Bendigo seeking a response to the following questions: 1. Last year in our submission on fire zones we … Continue reading →

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Floods: running to the past

Posted on 23 March, 2012 by fobif

Recent heavy rains in Victoria have brought about a return of calls to strip vegetation from waterways as a way of reducing flood levels. The claim that vegetation along waterways raises water levels was raised last year when some locals … Continue reading →

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Bendigo fire meeting

Posted on 21 March, 2012 by fobif

FOBIF was represented at a meeting in Bendigo on March 7 with DSE land and fire community engagement officer Simone Blair. The meeting was organised by the Bendigo and District Environment council. The meeting was an opportunity for community groups … Continue reading →

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Walkers observe the effects of a Fuel Reduction Burn

Posted on 21 March, 2012 by fobif

Forty-five walkers set out from the SEC Dam Track in Green Gully on 21 March for the first FOBIF walk of the year.  It was not the normal scenic bushwalk as the route was mainly through areas of the Muckleford … Continue reading →

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Tarilta Gorge: burned off, washed away

Posted on 21 March, 2012 by fobif

It’s sometimes hard to know what to call DSE burning operations: control burns? Fuel reduction? Ecological burns? Too often none of the above apply: there’s little control, apart from keeping the burn inside the control lines [and as we know, … Continue reading →

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