Category Archives: News

Quote of the week

Posted on 24 August, 2015 by fobif

‘As we develop a better understanding of bushfire risk in different localities, we will supplement our investment in planned burning with other works such as slashing and burning and mowing while aiming for the least impact on people and our ecosystems.’ [Our emphasis] That’s from one of DELWP’s … Continue reading →

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Fire: it’s not just a matter of fuel reduction

Posted on 17 August, 2015 by fobif

Fire officers met the public in a lengthy consultation session on the draft Fire Operations Plan [FOP] through the afternoon and evening of last Tuesday [August 11] in Bendigo. An excellent link to the relevant documents with comments on the … Continue reading →

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Into the valley

Posted on 17 August, 2015 by fobif

A solid group of FOBIF walkers led by Richard Piesse dropped in to the Tarilta Valley from Porcupine Ridge on Sunday in brisk but fine winter weather. There was good bird watching and plenty of fungi on show, and the … Continue reading →

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Roadsides: is scalping just management on the cheap?

Posted on 10 August, 2015 by fobif

Following its objections to roadworks scalping valuable vegetation from the Fryers Ridge, FOBIF has written to the Environment Minister asking for clarification of policy on vegetation management of roadsides. The letter reads, in part: “Forest managers have told us that, … Continue reading →

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Presentation on local butterflies

Posted on 9 August, 2015 by fobif

Julie Whitfield of Bendigo is an environmental consultant with a passion for butterflies, and she will be guest speaker at Newstead Landcare’s next meeting, Thursday 20th August. As a recipient of a prestigious Winston Churchill Fellowship Julie recently had the … Continue reading →

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Bright winter sunshine, obscure corners

Posted on 20 July, 2015 by fobif

A bitterly cold morning didn’t deter FOBIF walkers from tackling some obscure corners of the Columbine and Salters Creeks valleys on Sunday. The corners turned out to be even more obscure than intended when a navigation error by walk leader … Continue reading →

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The scalping of Fryers Ridge [1]

Posted on 20 July, 2015 by fobif

Visitors to the Fryers Ridge this past week have been stunned to find that major works on the verges of the Ridge Road have scoured the earth bare, virtually eradicating a large part of one of the region’s most significant … Continue reading →

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Maybe THIS is the saddest sign in the region?

Posted on 20 July, 2015 by fobif

The sign depicted in our July 5 post may have been trumped by this one, on the Fryers Ridge: ‘DO NOT…remove soil or rock.’ This injunction doesn’t apply to road works.

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Fire risks in the Mount Alexander region: public and private responsibilities

Posted on 5 July, 2015 by fobif

In his response to FOBIF’s fire submission [see above], Andrew Koren made the following observations about fire danger in our region: ‘Communities in Castlemaine, Chewton and surrounds are considered to be at extreme property impact risk from bushfires on days … Continue reading →

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FOBIF Winter School Holiday Program warms the heart and fires the imagination of our local children

Posted on 5 July, 2015 by fobif

Over fifty children attended events at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens this week as part of the FOBIF Winter School Holiday Program. Three events were held as part of the program, which aimed to give our local families an opportunity to … Continue reading →

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