Category Archives: News

FOBIF loses at VCAT on Diamond Gully development

Posted on 9 February, 2013 by fobif

The objections by FOBIF and some local residents to current proposals to build a housing development at Diamond Gully were rejected at the Victorian Administrative Appeals Tribunal in December. The VCAT decision was reported in detail in the Midland Express … Continue reading →

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Poverty Gully Burning [1]: what’s it for?

Posted on 6 February, 2013 by fobif

The Poverty Gully management burn [CAS 008] was a Zone 1 fuel reduction exercise covering 99.6 hectares on the Castlemaine town side of the Dingo Park road, north of Poverty Gully Track. It was conducted late last year. The Arthur’s … Continue reading →

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Poverty Gully Burning [2]: a review

Posted on 6 February, 2013 by fobif

Here are some impressions of the Poverty Gully burns. We’ve divided them into six sections, and would be interested in any further member comments. We’ve made no effort to assess the burns’ success in reducing fuel. The interdepartmental shemozzle problem … Continue reading →

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Have your say about creek flooding

Posted on 4 February, 2013 by fobif

A public meeting to get community ideas on the flood problem in our local creeks will be held on Monday February 18 at 6.30 pm at the Castlemaine Town Hall. The meeting is being held by the Catchment Management Authority, … Continue reading →

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Garden birds in Castlemaine

Posted on 2 February, 2013 by fobif

Damian Kelly has contributed this article on birds in his Castlemaine garden. To see previous posts by Damian on garden birds, click here and here. This summer has seen a much reduced number and range of birds in my garden … Continue reading →

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Comeback

Posted on 15 December, 2012 by fobif

The cup moth caterpillars have come in their millions and munched away, but it seems that they’ve gone to pursue their careers as moths, and the bush is responding accordingly. Green shoots are appearing everywhere, and things aren’t looking anywhere … Continue reading →

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Catch this

Posted on 12 December, 2012 by fobif

North Central Waterwatch has released a handy Fish Field Guide for waterways in the area bounded roughly by Donald in the west, Creswick in the South, Heathcote in the east and Swan Hill in the north. Native fish are little … 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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Last walk for 2013

Posted on 30 October, 2012 by fobif

The last FOBIF walk of the year was to the Fryers Ranges on Sunday 21 October. Twenty-three people enjoyed a sunny walk along a series of paths including the interestingly named ‘No Name Track’ and onto Fryers Ridge. Richard Piesse … Continue reading →

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