Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

The Mount Alexander Shire Council have started work on their 2015-2025 Environment Strategy. As part of this process, they are interested in learning what local residents and groups consider to be the 5 highest priorities for environment and sustainability in the Mount Alexander Shire.  A 5 minute questionnaire has been sent out widely in the region and we encourage FOBIF members and subscribers to respond to this.

As well, the Autumn 2015 Mount Alexander Shire Environment and Sustainability Newsletter has just been distributed to subscribers.  To sign up for this quarterly newsletter, there is a link available on the council’s environment webpage.

We are in the process of setting up a page of photos of Doug on FOBIF’s Flickr site. So if you have any photos you would like to contribute to this page, send them to info@fobif.org.au. Photographers will be acknowledged.

Photo courtesy of Connecting Country

There will be a gathering to celebrate Doug Ralph’s life next Saturday (March 7) at the Rotunda in the Botanic Gardens, Castlemaine. The group organising the event have provided the following information:

The celebration will start at 12 noon & the more ‘official’ proceedings will begin at 1 pm.

It is hoped that it will be a relaxed & informal gathering with the opportunity for people to offer something (word or song or anecdote etc) by way of celebration of the man we all loved so well & to pay our respects & give thanks for the oh so many ways he touched our lives

There will be a blackboard at the event for those who wish to participate & an MC to keep us in check.

Bring your own picnic lunch & your memories & let’s celebrate the life of Doug Ralph

Two items on the day of particular interest to FOBIF members will be a talk by Phil Ingamells on Doug’s role in the formation of FOBIF in the 1990’s and a reading from Vagabond: the Story of Charles Sanger, which was written by Bernard Slattery, Doug Ralph and Deirdre Slattery.

For further information ring Bronwyn Silver on 5475 1o89.

Representatives from the FOBIF committee attended a meeting with Castlemaine Hot Rod Centre (CHRC) and planning consultant David Robb from Planit to discuss plans for a Dynamic Vehicle Testing Facility, Events and Recreation development at Gower on the Castlemaine-Maldon Rd in mid February.

A feasibility study is being developed by Planit for the CHRC in preparation for a planning permit application to be lodged in April with Mount Alexander Council.

Bushland near proposed Gowar hot rod centre: the question is, how much effect will the proposed development have on wildlife in the State Forest and Nature Conservation Reserve? And how will it affect the enjoyment of users of this bushland?

As mentioned in our earlier post plans for the site include:

—a 1.2 km tarmac test track

—parking for 500 vehicles with possibility of expansion

—facilities for movie nights, concerts and outdoor shows

—shower and toilet facilities and powered and unpowered camp sites

—fully equipped function room and catering facility

—display areas for up to 3,000 sites

—capacity for truck shows, rod runs, field days, etc

—‘potential to establish a network of mountain bike tracks combining parts of the site with existing tracks in the adjacent state forest’

A presentation of the site was given to start the meeting and CHRC chair Larry O’Toole took attendees, who included representatives from the North Central CMA and Castlemaine Historical Society, through a description of the site and its various attributes. The meeting was then opened up for comment and discussion by the various groups.

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FOBIF members and people in the wider community have been saddened by the news that Doug Ralph, founding President of the Friends, has died of a heart attack at his home in Little Bendigo.

On his retirement from the FOBIF committee Doug was rightly described by Marie Jones as an Elder of the environment movement. He knew this country better than anyone else, and was generous in sharing his knowledge of it: hundreds of people have been introduced to its secrets on the guided walks he ran for many years, or via the contributions he made in innumerable forums.

Doug was tireless in his efforts to get better management for our natural heritage, but he was also insatiable in his curiosity about cultural history. Although he was sceptical about the value of gold mining, and relentlessly critical of its destructive effect on the environment, he had enormous sympathy for the miners and huge interest in the detail of their lives.

One of Doug’s most striking qualities was his inclusiveness. He kept his eye on the important issues, and was impatient of efforts to divide this community into ‘old’ and ‘new’ residents. What counted for him was getting things right, not where someone came from. A fifth generation local, he welcomed anyone who had something to offer the community.

Doug wasn’t scared of labels. He had a terrific sense of irony, but wasn’t ashamed to put himself on the line: ‘I’m a tree hugger. I’m proud of it.’ He gave as his religion, Bush Baptist.

There was no one like him.

Chris Johnston sent us this photo of Doug hugging a tree at Columbine Creek in July 2013. He took a small group to walk there.

For more tributes to Doug, see

Natural Newstead February 26 post

Connecting Country February 25 post

Muckleford Forest February 25 post

FOBIF has written to David Major, Ranger in charge fire and emergency operations for Parks Victoria, about track works in Kalimna Park. Our key question was: we believe protocols were developed by Parks some years ago to do with track works. Our question is: what are these protocols, and were they observed by dozer drivers?

Erosion in new track work, Kalimna Park: it’s impossible to find out exactly what directions are given to dozer drivers.

We’re awaiting an answer. It’s a good idea to have protocols guiding workers in sensitive areas: but only if they’re actually followed. The unfortunate history of track maintenance in this region suggests that they rarely are. One question we’ve repeatedly put to managers is: Were workers given a maximum width to keep to? We’ve never had an answer to that one.

Meanwhile, Castlemaine had a bit over 20 mls of rain over the weekend, in two falls, not particularly heavy ones by recent standards.  We went up to have a look at one of the pulverised tracks on Wednesday, and it’s no great joy to record that erosion has already started, as you can see from the picture above.