Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

The draft Dja Dja Wurrung Kalimna Park Management Plan 2021-2026 has been produced and is available online here.

This important and detailed plan has been was developed by Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional Owners through Djandak and Conservation Management, a consultancy firm based in Tasmania. As our readers will know, the project development has been going on for some time through the Balak kalik manya (Walking Together) process.

Djandak (Country) is the commercial arm of the Dja Dja Wurrung Aboriginal Clans corporation.

Constructive comments on the draft plan have been invited.

Production of the plan is an important stage in the development of Aboriginal co management practices in the region. The vision behind it is clear and convincing:

‘That Kalimna park is a place that is looked after collaboratively by both Djaara and non-Djaara: is celebrated as a shared place; and positively connects the community with nature and culture.’

And ‘that Kalimna Park is a place where: Djaara cultural heritage is protected, created and exhibited; Djaara maintain and teach our culture to future generations; and Djaara plants, animals and waterways are safe and healthy.’

Also part of the Walking Together project, there is a proposal to create visitor facilities at the Fletcher Street entry to the park.

Djandak are organising a listening post for the Castlemaine community to drop in and voice any considerations you may have around the proposed creation of these facilities:

‘After consulting with Djaara and local community members for the Kalimna Park Management Plan, we identified the need for a main visitor entrance and interpretation area for Kalimna Park that can connect people from the Castlemaine town centre to Kalimna Park and surrounding bushland.’

‘Djandak engaged Pollen Studio to develop draft concept designs for construction of a shelter, toilets, carparking, all-ability access into the site, landscaping, gardening, along with signage which will create a new visitation area and trailhead to disembark from.’

The Listening Post will run at 11am on the 20^th of May at the Fletcher Street entrance to Kalimna Park, opposite the Campbell street corner.

Here are some fun facts:

‘Weeds cost Australia $3.9 billion per year in lower farm incomes and higher food costs. In addition, Commonwealth, State and local government spend at least $116.4 million each year on costs of monitoring, control, management and research on weeds.

‘These costs do not include the loss of services from the natural environment, the impacts of pollen on human health, or the value of the ‘volunteer army’ widely active in weed control around Australia. So they are conservative estimates of the annual costs of weeds.’

Remember this? It’s the seed of Bindii, one of our less pleasant weeds, very good at puncturing bike tyres and the feet of people and pets. It’s been found in parks and roadsides in the region, possibly spread by maintenance machines.

That’s from a 2004 report. And guess what? In the intervening years the cost of weeds has blown out to over $5 billion!

Concern over weeds is not a matter of fussy people fretting over a few naughty plants: it’s engagement with a major economic, social and environmental problem.

That’s one reason why it’s a good idea to make a submission to the Mount Alexander Shire budget process. Weeds don’t just infest farmland and bush, they get into roadsides and parks too—and can spread from there. Local weed control workers have produced the following useful advice on budget submissions:

‘As a result of Council receiving  budget submissions in 2020 requesting more resources for weed removal, an extra $10,000 was allocated.  So far it has largely been spent on getting rid of newer weed infestations (largely in Castlemaine) before they take over, eg Galenia, St Johns Wort, Chinese Boxthorn and Prickly Pear and also on follow up work (eg with patches of Texas Needle grass at Elphinstone and Cape Broom in Castlemaine) where Council paid for some removal work previously but didn’t follow it up.

‘If you could spare the time to do a budget submission this year, that would be very useful.  The submission doesn’t have to be long – just one paragraph would be OK.  Council does statistics of topics people make submissions about, and both short and long ones are counted.  If we don’t tell staff and councillors we think weed removal is important, they won’t know, and are more likely to prioritise squeakier wheels.

‘In case of writer’s block, following are some suggestions for content:

‘- a commitment to ongoing weed removal is important, because if follow-up work isn’t done, many weeds will recolonise from seeds remaining in the soil.

‘- getting rid of weeds in the early stages of invasion is cheaper and more efficient than waiting till they are out of control.

‘- volunteers are pleased to be able to give time to help the environment, but it is unreasonable for Council to rely on volunteers to the extent that insufficient Council resources are allocated to weed removal.

‘- to get rid of big, longstanding infestations, many in areas outside Castlemaine, much more than $10,000 would be needed.

‘This year’s draft budget is available on the council website and to look at at the council offices.  (It’s just a summary and has very little useful detail.  Last year’s budget – on the Council website – may be of more use.)  Submissions, titled 2021/2022 Budget,  are due by 5pm Wed 19 May.  Address to the Chief Executive Officer and email to info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au, indicating if you’d like to speak to councillors at the special council meeting on 25 May at 5.30.  This is worth doing, to help our ideas stand out from the mountains of stuff they get to read.’

Looking for something positive to do on the weekend? Try Art most fowl, an exhibition uniting two artists, Bridget Farmer and Rhyll Plant,at the Newstead Arts Hub, on weekends from 10 to 4, closing on May 30th.

‘Art Most Fowl is a celebration of both printmaking and imagery inspired by the natural world. The appreciation for the ephemeral nature of birds unites two artists exploring, in Bridget’s case drypoint engraving, while Rhyll depicts her subjects as wood engravings and nature prints.’

Both artists express a uniquely interesting engagement with the world of birds. Rhyll, who designed FOBIF’s phascogale logo (see right of this screen), explains her work as follows:

‘Birds have inspired my artworks from the seaside gulls, penguins and shearwaters of my youth to the melodious magpies and raucous parrots of my Central Victorian landscape.

‘I borrow their feathered likeness in my traditionally rendered wood engravings exploring, for example, collective nouns such as ‘Layers of Chooks’ or ‘A Rustle of Crows.’

‘Sometimes I simply print their feathers.’

Readers will remember that last year FOBIF supported a letter to the Premier urging the banning of recreational shooting of birds, a practice banned in every eastern state except Victoria.

Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting (RVOTDS) running a petition urging the immediate banning of shooting at Cairn Curran reservoir. FOBIF supports this initiative. You can sign the petition by going to this link. It’s hoped to have the petition ready by this coming Friday (the 14th)…so make haste!

Banded Stilts and Red-necked Avocets, Cairn Curran Reservoir, 22nd November 2020. (Geoff Park’s Natural Newstead website)

The gist of the petition is as follows:

‘Two years ago, the Mount Alexander Shire Council voted to ban recreational native waterbird shooting in the Shire in favour of safer, more peaceful and beneficial activities. We commend their leadership. However, the Minister for Environment referred Council’s decision to Goulburn Murray Water which has still not acted on Council’s decision to implement the ban. This has now become urgent given duck shooting is set to commence again on May 26.

‘Elsewhere, public waterways have been closed to shooting for safety and public amenity reasons. The same should happen in our Shire.

‘Mount Alexander Shire and Cairn Curran Reservoir specifically, is home to threatened species such as the White-bellied Sea Eagle. Cairn Curran is important for a large range of waterbirds and raptors as well as a feeding ground on the flyways of migratory shore birds –many of which are in significant decline.’

Supermoon yet to reach its full size near the summit of Mount Alexander. 6pm, 27 April. 

A ‘pink’ supermoon lit up the sky above Australia last Tuesday night. The moon, which began rising around 5:30 pm, appeared 17 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than usual. Several small groups gathered at different vantage points on Mount Alexander to watch it rise.

Although stunning, this supermoon is not actually pink. The description comes from American folklore where it’s named after the first pink flower of the season which is when a supermoon normally appears.

The phenomenon is caused when a full moon occurs while it is on its closest approach to earth. The next supermoon will be visible on May 25.

Another small supermoon image when it is about to set at Cairn Curran. 7.30 am, 28 April. Photos Bronwyn Silver

Spectacular supermoon photos from around the world can be found at this Guardian site.

Mount Alexander Shire is currently asking residents to respond to a survey about the Shire and its future. Responses to the survey will ‘inform the development of a new ten-year Community Vision, as well as our four-year Council Plan, and our Financial Plan’ (MAS survey website). 

This is a golden opportunity for you to have your say about what you value the most in our community. Our local natural environment is very special and a great attraction – and needs all the help it can get.

And this is your chance to shape the future of your community . . .

If anyone would like to talk about any issues feel free to call FOBIF president, Marie Jones, on 5472 2892. Contributions close on 15 May and the survey can be found here.