Category Archives: News

The FOBIF Annual General Meeting will be held at the Ray Bradfield Rooms, Castlemaine, on Monday September 12th at 7.30. All members and supporters are welcome. The guest speaker at the meeting will be Patrick Kavanagh, who will talk on … Continue reading →

Parks Victoria is currently undertaking landscaping works around the Garfield Wheel in the Castlemaine Diggings NHP. These have changed the nature of the signage in the area, and therefore affect the directions we have given for Walk 8 in our … Continue reading →

Australia’s State of the Environment report 2021 was belatedly released last week. The report’s grim findings have been widely publicised, and we won’t repeat what will be already widely known. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the report is peppered … Continue reading →

Here are a few details from the SOE report, relevant to our own region: 1. Paying attention to good on ground management matters. If you ever wonder whether Landcare is worth the effort, or if weed and feral animal control … Continue reading →

‘Species introduced to Australia from other regions and countries can have a crippling effect on economies and further impact the health and wellbeing of local communities. The cost to Australia of managing problem species over the past 50 years is … Continue reading →

…From day to day, the signs of spring are popping up everywhere: And just as heroic: Eucalypts growing out of nothing, on mullock heaps at the slate quarry near the Welsh Village:

Long Walk A small group rocked up for FOBIF’s July long walk yesterday, undeterred by black clouds, sober weather forecasts and the prospect of an energetic 16 kms trek across hilly terrain. The weather actually delivered everything except snow: squally … Continue reading →

FOBIF has made submission to Forest Fire Management’s burning proposals for 2022-5. The submission is printed below. Our approach over the years has been to insist that all ‘fuel reduction’ exercises be carefully monitored, and that the results be used to … Continue reading →

The Department of Environment has released its draft fuel management plan for 2022-4 for comment. The plan includes ‘DELWP led fuel reduction and ecological burns, and does not include Traditional Owner burns, CFA led burns and mechanical works.’ The plan … Continue reading →