a message from the regional landcare coordinator · • to get rid of rabbits you need to destroy...

North Central chat | March 2016 1

A message from the Regional Landcare Coordinator

Hi everyone,

I would like to kick this issue off with a huge THANK YOU to everyone that got involved in the 2016 Rabbit Buster Month Campaign.

The response from Landcare groups, landholders and land managers was very positive and I received a lot of requests for information and promotional material for groups to hand out at local events. The media was also very responsive to the campaign, with almost every corner of the catchment covering a story through the local paper, community newsletters and social media posts.

Ravenswood Valley Landcare Group hosted their rabbit buster field day on February 14 and you can read about their successful event on Page 2.

The North Central CMA has some very exciting events coming up in March, of particular note is the Carp Forum which will discuss carp management and the potential release of a carp herpes virus, which has attracted a lot of media attention in recent times.

In other news, the North Central CMA has recently welcomed new members to our Community Consultative Committee (CCC), previously the Natural Resource Management Committee.

The CCC, a 12-member committee appointed through a public process with membership endorsed by the Board, is a community advisory group to the Board.

The fundamental role of the CCC is to provide a community and local perspective to the work undertaken in the region by the North Central CMA.

Rabbit Buster field day demonstration session at Ravenswood. Photo: Patricia Balmer.

If you'd like to know more about the members of the committee, visit the CCC page of the CMA website: http://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/About_Us/CCC/index.aspx

Happy reading,

Tess Grieves Regional Landcare Coordinator North Central Catchment Management Authority Phone: 03 5448 7124 Email: [email protected]

This Month’s Contents:

News 2

Events 12

Course & Resources 13

Funding 13

www.nccma.vic.gov.au

MARCH 2016


News…

"To control rabbits you need to destroy the warren and be MORE persistent than rabbits." Tricia Balmer, Ravenswood Valley Landcare Group.

Forty-six people attended the Ravenswood Valley Landcare Group’s Rabbit Control Field Day on Sunday 14 February.

The day commenced with an introductory presentation from Ben Perry from the Invasive Plants and Animal Operations Branch in the Victorian Government.

Ben provided an overview of Victoria's significant rabbit problem including how quickly rabbits breed and when is the best time to control numbers. He also explained the laws associated with landowner responsibilities, chemical use and techniques that can be used to reduce rabbit populations.

The group then moved to a farm site to see demonstrations of warren ripping, baiting, poisoning and ferreting.

Participants appreciated the opportunity to learn and see how to control rabbits with practical and effective solutions.

One of the participants suggested that there was a need for a strategic district plan and marketing campaign to inform landholders of their responsibly for weed and pest control.

Two key messages that were continually emphasised during the field day

• Rabbits don’t recognise boundaries so it is important to work with your neighbours.

• To get rid of rabbits you need to DESTROY the warren and to be MORE persistent than rabbits.

Pest of the Month…

European Carp

• The carp is native to Asia, and was first introduced to Australia in the mid-1800s.

• Carp are medium- sized fish (grows to 1200 mm), olive to green or yellow-green to golden overall.

• The dorsal, pelvic, pectoral and anal fins are present. The tail is deeply forked. Four barbels surround the mouth.

• Carp are common throughout the Murray-Darling Basin system, usually associated with warm slow flowing rivers or lakes.

• The impacts caused by carp are many. Their feeding behaviour leading to considerable increased turbidity, loss of aquatic vegetation, and disturbance of nest sites of native fish.Their large numbers and biomass means they compete with native fish for food and space.

Read more about the upcoming Carp Forum in Kerang on March 10th in the Events section.


drumMUSTER is a must have resource for all chemical users

It's been part of our region since 1999 and while a lot has changed since then, the drumMUSTER campaign continues to have success across the nation, as John Knight explains.

The drumMUSTER program is designed for the recycling of eligible cleaned non returnable chemical containers, within the Australian Agricultural & Forestry Industries. It was started as the Industry Waste Reduction Scheme in 1998 to reduce the amount of used chemical containers being burnt, buried, or left on farms to rot.

The program is a non-profit program and is funded via a levy of .4c per Litre /Kg that is imposed on the container size from 1L -205 Litres at the point of purchase. Currently there are 120 chemical companies that support the recycling of the end use of their container through the drumMUSTER program. The end user of the container can deposit their rinsed clean container to any drumMUSTER location free of charge within Australia. The program is administered by Agsafe Ltd on behalf of Agstewarship Australia.

Since the first drum was collected in May 1999, there have been 26.8 million drums returned to the drumMUSTER program Australia wide. In other words, the drumMUSTER program has saved 31,800 tonnes of drums from going into landfill around the nation. In that period Victoria has retuned 5.2 million drums out of the 26.8 million.

In the North Central CMA region from 1999 until December 2015, there have been 11,397 deliveries of drums into the program, whilst 1.2 million drums have been returned for recycling and 1,439 tonnes of drums have been saved from going into landfill in the North Central CMA egion.

To help protect our precious Land, Waterways and Environment, drumMUSTER encourages all chemical users to deposit their rinsed clean non returnable drum to any of the drumMUSTER collection points around the North Central CMA region.

To find out more about the drumMUSTER

program or view your closet collection point, go to www.drummuster.com.au

Look out for this symbol on eligible containers.

The Landcare Share Centre Goes Live!

The Victorian Landcare Council has recently put the finishing touches to an exciting new tool, the Landcare Share Centre (‘LSC’).

LSC is a website developed to facilitate sharing and collaboration within the landcare community of Victoria. Landcarers are naturally supportive of each other, and the LSC makes it easy for landcarers to help landcarers.

The first release of LSC (which went live in January) facilitates the sharing of:

• Resources developed by one group that may be useful to other groups

• Ideas that may be useful for others to consider

• Contacts who could be useful to other groups

• Various types of Opportunities for a group to collaborate with one or more other groups

These four items are known within the LSC as "Gems".

A Gem qualifies for inclusion in the LSC if it is something that a landcarer or landcare group has actually used and found to be useful and worthy of sharing. Something that should be useful is not a Gem - it has to have actually been used and proven useful.

And, because stories can be inspirational, that is, full of ideas, the LSC accommodates a Landcare Stories section too, for landcarers to share and inspire others with their successes!

The Landcare Share Centre can be visited at www.landcaresharecentre.org.au

VICTORIAN LANDCARE COUNCIL

a strong voice for landcare


A toe in the water- Kids teaching Kids

Margie Thomas, Friends of Cornish Hill Landcare Group

Friends of Cornish Hill have been working with school students for about seven years and those of you who have worked with school students know that it can be both rewarding and challenging at times. Planting trees can be pretty ordinary, so we are always looking for ways to make activities interesting and thought provoking.

A 2015-16 North Central Community Grant enabled the Friends to try a new educational model called Kids Teaching Kids. This model uses local environmental issues as a theme for learning. We had never engaged a number of schools at the same time but we knew that we were well supported by the local community and our volunteers.

The Daylesford Dharma School had been introduced to the River Detective Program early in 2015, and we believed that by holding a water testing day on Smiths Creek, it would give schools the necessary `kick start’. Invitations were extended to both Yandoit and Bullarto primary schools to take part. Yandoit primary school had been involved in Waterwatch but their involvement had lapsed and grabbed the opportunity to update their skills.

Bullarto students have been involved in the River Detective program for some time hence they were invited to take the lead role as teachers of their peers. They demonstrated the techniques and taught students from the other schools all about water testing, macroinvertebrate sampling and bird identification.

We knew we were on a winner when environmental education expert Nicole Howie was willing to take the steering wheel in the classroom and on the day. We wanted to create a different learning situation which would ultimately encourage custodianship by youth of the area.

The logistical organisation was the responsibility of the Friends. Nicole directed her energy into developing a program which involved visiting all schools, making sure that the Bullarto students were well equipped and comfortable about performing in front of their peers as well as making sure that all the necessary testing equipment was available and in good working order on the day.

Four activities were planned at different locations or stations on the Reserve.

1. Water testing for pH level, phosphorus, salinity and turbidity 2. Macroinvertebrate sample testing 3. Bird ID 4. Tree planting

What macroinvertebrate is that? Photo: Margie Thomas The students rotated through each activity station and water quality data collected entered into the River Detectives website by the Dharma school.

It’s these educational programs which have become a focus of much of the work we are now doing. Programs such as 'Toe in the Water' give us the opportunity to foster an interest in Landcare and for students to see that they can have a positive impact on the world. As observed by one of our volunteers on the day “Seeing the kids outdoors learning about the environment hands on and being passionate and excited about their tasks is fantastic.”

The future of the environment is in the hands of young people like the students who attended and I can confidently say we gave them an experience which which will provide lasting memories for them. They met other young people from the district, it was different, they were engaged in environmental education activities, each student learned that they could make a difference and above all they had FUN!!

Would we do it again? Of course!!


Helping hand for feral animal control

The ‘Feral Animal Control Program’ run by Field Hunters Club, supported through the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (Vic) is offering a helping hand for Landcare groups and landholders.

The program works hand in hand with community groups such as Landcare and Trust For Nature offering property owners a free professional reliable, safe and efficient service. The service is backed by a $20 million dollar insurance and public liability policy and is helping to greatly reduce and maintain feral animal numbers in Victoria.

The process commences with a project coordinator meeting the property owners to discuss and identify feral animals that are an issue.Maps of the property are then created which clearly display the property boundaries and exclusion zones. Once this has been achieved then the project leaders are introduced to the property owners or property manager and dates are set for the program that are mutually agreed to. From here the project co-ordinator and the project leaders source the correctly trained members to complete the required work keeping in constant communication with the property owners or the property manager at all times

At the completion of the project the project leaders complete a field report with dispatched numbers, and this information is then relayed back to the property owners.

You can contact Phillip Mathieson on 0417 668 222 or email [email protected]. Visit www.fieldhuntersclub.org.au for further information.

Anglers rejoice as Murray cod stocking continues Nearly a third of the 30 Victorian waters being stocked with Murray cod stockings this summer will receive more fingerlings than last year as part of the Andrews Labor Government’s commitment to increase fish stocking to five million.

The Target One Million plan for recreational fishing aims to grow Victorian participation to one million anglers by 2020 – boosting fish stocking is one key driver towards delivering that goal.

Murray cod are an iconic freshwater fish, highly prized by recreational anglers and revered by many Indigenous communities.

More than half a million Murray cod have now been stocked this summer with more released throughout February.

The biggest increase to Murray cod stocking has occurred at Lake Eildon where 80,000 fingerlings have been released, up from 46,193 last season. Lake Eildon has a growing reputation as a Murray cod fishery following substantial stockings in recent years funded by recreational fishing licence fees.

Further north, Lake Hume including the Mitta Mitta River upstream, has received 100,000 Murray cod fingerlings (up from 90,000 last year), Lake Nillahcootie 30,000 fingerlings (up from 20,000) and Kangaroo Lake 46,500 fingerlings (up from 20,000).

These cod fingerlings will take four to five years to reach the minimum size of 55cm, although fingerling survival depends on waterway productivity and the abundance of natural predators including birds and other fish.

Rivers are not missing out on the increased stockings either with the Campaspe River from Axedale to Rochester receiving 40,000 (up from 20,000) and the Loddon River, between Fernihurst Weir to below Laanecoorie, receiving 50,000 (up from 35,000).

Other waters scheduled for increased cod stocking this summer include Benalla Lake for 10,000 (up from 5,000 last year), the Broken River for 30,000 (up from 20,000) and Lake Charm near Kerang for 15,000 (up from 12,360).

Learn more about fish stocking, which is funded by recreational fishing licence fees and Target One Million, at www.vic.gov.au/fishstocking


Emerging invasion!

Buffel Grass update

Amy Groch |Program Manager Forest Management| Loddon Mallee Region Regional Services | Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning

Based on the records to June 2015, Buffel Grass in Victoria occurs primarily along road reserves of highways within the Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) area. This area is within the management regions of Loddon Mallee and Grampians of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).

Figure 5. Distribution of Buffel Grass relative to Victoria as of May 2015.

There is a population of Buffel Grass 50 km south-south east of Swan Hill on the Donald-Swan Hill Road. This road forms the boundary between the Mallee CMA and the North Central CMA areas.

The most southerly report is one small population (5-6 plants) found on Bridgewater Dunolly Rd.

The main infestations of Buffel Grass are along the Sturt Highway west of Mildura in the north west corner of Victoria. Buffel Grass plants are established on the road verge as well as extending throughout the road reserve. This highway has a speed limit of 110 km/hour and carries a large number of trucks and B-double transports. Vehicle draught is recognised as an effective mode for spreading Buffel Grass seeds.

The greatest density and number of plants in Victoria is found at Cullulleraine on the Sturt Highway (Figure 6) west of Mildura. This site is surrounded by horticultural activities and the roadside indigenous vegetation is of relatively poor quality. In spite of the high number of plants, the population poses potentially less of a threat to biodiversity values than smaller populations adjacent to conservation reserves further west.

Other populations occur along the Calder, Mallee and Murray Valley Highways. These roads are managed by VicRoads and spraying commenced in 2015. On some roads the population of plants consists of one individual to many hundreds of plants.

Figure 6. Buffel Grass on the Sturt Highway at Cullulleraine in January 2015 after a significant rain event. Photo: R. Raleigh, DELWP

This weed is a serious threat that is emerging in the Loddon Mallee so it is important to keep an eye out for any infestations and report any suspected infestations to Amy Groch or Bec James at DELWP.

Amy Groch |Program Manager Forest Management| Loddon Mallee Region Regional Services | Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning T: 03 5430 4571 | E: [email protected]

Bec James | Project Officer, Invasive Species |Weeds at the Early Stage of Invasion Project T: 03 9210 9357| E: [email protected]


North Central CMA’s Drought Employment Program

The North Central CMA is rolling out two parts of the State Government’s broader drought package — the Drought Employment Program and funding for Stock Containment Areas. The Drought Employment Program (DEP) aims to provide drought-affected people the opportunity to earn off-farm income to support their families and rural communities, contribute towards natural resource management outcomes and increase their confidence and skills for the future. Those employed under the program will work as part of a work crew on jobs such as weed and rabbit control works; watering revegetation sites; fencing native vegetation; improving soil health; GPS mapping of weeds; and revegetation.

Crew members removing debris from the Avoca River at Charlton.

Twelve people are employed across two work crews, based in Charlton and St Arnuad, with another two people as a specialist crew. Each team has a team leader and 2IC. The work roster allows flexibility for team members to work part-time so those who are farmers and/or have other work/personal commitment can still meet the demand of these other commitments.

Teams have worked on targeting mature fruiting plants of wheel cactus at Mt Buckrabanyule through the Loddon Plains Landcare Network, conducted weed control at Stuart Mill and Lower Teddington Reservoir bordering the Kara Kara National Park (supporting the Stuart Mill Landcare Group) , controlled Gorse, Blackberry and Briar and undertaken debris removal along the Charlton section of the Avoca River.

With growing interest from the community, the program is making a significant contribution towards the environment, public and community benefit.

For further information on the drought employment program contact Mandy Coulson, [email protected]


Do you have a story to share in the North Central Chat?

We are always thrilled to hear your stories and share the knowlegde of our Landcare community. If you have a story to share, an upcoming eventor interesting photos,

contact us via email [email protected]

Supporting farming families in times of drought

Farming communities have come together in times of drought. Two events supported by the North Central CMA Regional Landcare Facilitator Mandy Coulson, offered farming families to enjoy a social evening in their local communities. On Friday 29 January, over 250 families enjoyed an evening out in Donald. The Donald community in collaboration with the North Central CMA, Victorian Government, Donald Angling Club, Victorian Farmers Federation, Royal Flying Doctors Service Victoria, Country Fire Authority, Country Women’s Association, and National Centre for Farmer Health held a family fishing event. The event, as part of the Victorian Farmers Federation and partners ‘Look over your farm gate’ program, supported the Donald community by offering local families an opportunity to come together and socialize. Although fishing was the main attraction, other activities included face painting, jumping castle, rock climbing, Waterwatch and evening bbq.

Rock climbing wall at Donald Fishing event was a popular activity.

On Friday 12 February, over 50 people from the Watchem community gathered at the public hall to enjoy a social family evening. Regional Landcare Facilitator, Mandy Coulson said she “thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening talking to farmers and discussing the region’s National Landcare Programme and Drought Response Program.”

Families enjoying a social evening

Watchem community enjoying an evening meal


Hello everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the read!

In this edition of the North Central Chat, we are excited to announce Rob Loats' 20 Years of Waterwatch achievement! On the 3rd March 2016, Rob clocked up 20 years monitoring 20 sites in the Avon Richardson Catchment. It was timely for us to present Rob with an award in his home town of Donald as a part of the Look over the Farm Gate event on the 29 January. Check out Rob’s full story on page 10, it’s a delightful read.

I'd like to say congratulations to all our volunteers for taking part in Waterwatch Victoria's annual Quality Assurance and Quality Control event. Volunteers received a Certificate along with a Data Report Card highlighting their results. This year we had the highest participation rate and percentage pass rate. Each year our volunteers are asked to test a whole bunch of mystery samples with their monitoring instruments. The testing is just one way we can make sure that the quality of our volunteers data is meeting the Waterwatch Victoria standard so we can be confident in using the data. Great job everyone!

Don’t forget to register for the River Detectives Program. I am still happy to take registrations for training and participation in the program, if you are already a river detective school/group and would like to continue on with the program and haven’t filled out you’re application form or if you are Interested in learning more about how you can get involved, please give me a call.

Events coming up in March for the Waterwatch program include:

8 - 11 March: River Detectives Professional Development training

26 March: Waterbugs at Bendigo Easter Festival, Roseland Park

I'd also like to welcome members of the Northern Bendigo Landcare Group, Nicole, Melissa, Ned and Sam to the Waterwatch program; it's great to have you on board!

One of our newest recruits building rock art in Bendigo Creek

Enjoy,

Cass Davis

Regional Waterwatch Coordinator North Central Catchment Management Authority Phone: 03 5440 1863 Email: [email protected]


Rob’s a man for all seasons

Twenty years ago, keen Donald fisherman Rob Loats was frustrated the fish were not biting at the angling club’s long-term favourite spot in the lower Avon-Richardson River. Locals kept telling him the water looked fine, so all must be good. He wasn’t so sure. “The fishing had dropped off below Donald. The water was always clear but we weren’t catching any fish like we did years before,” he said.

So Rob decided to take a couple of samples of the water along to the Wimmera Mallee Field Days and have it tested at the Waterwatch tent. It was the highest salinity levels they had seen for the entire field days. Rob said "It was a bit of a shock to see the levels so high.”

The Waterwatch coordinator, Jeanie Clark asked Rob to become a regular monitor, “I have been doing it every month since. I don’t think I’ve missed one. It’s been a long and interesting time. Many thanks to the North Central Catchment Management Authority’s Waterwatch staff,” Rob said. “The sad fact is the river hasn’t improved. The salinity levels in the river at the moment are comparable to the Pacific Ocean. It has been higher, and in places like Little Lake Buloke it is often higher again.

Salinity levels are recorded by measuring electricity conductivity, in micro Siemens per centimetre, or µs/cm. Healthy levels of salinity are less than 500 µs/cm for freshwater ecosystems. Rob’s latest results included Richardson’s Rover readings at Guthrie’s Bridge of 70,200 µs/cm , 50,200 µs/cm at Bullock’s Head and 49,300 µs/cm at the Donald Apex Park.

“Low flows combined with groundwater coming up and getting into the river are what causes the high salinity levels,” Rob said. “We are going to have to live with it. It’s across the entire lower catchment. When the river floods, salinity levels drop dramatically. Once the river flows subside, salinity begins to increase at all the sites below the weir. If follow-up flows are not forthcoming, pools develop, water evaporates and hyper salinity levels are not uncommon.

“However it is important to continue monitoring. It’s always interesting and gets you out in the environment. You always observe what is going on.”

Rob’s commitment to Waterwatch and the local community was recognised with a special presentation by Cass Davis and Jeanie Clark at Donald’s Family Fishing Day on January 29.

River Detectives Program 2016

The River Detectives program is ready to make a splash across the catchment! Thank you to all the schools who have registered their interest in participating in the River Detectives Professional Development Training session in March. We already have a handful of new schools joining the program in 2016, this is very exciting news as the program becomes available to more schools across the region. New schools joining the program and learning about our precious waterways, learning about how to monitor the health of water and more, are learning to become little custodians of waterways taking ownership in their own backyards.

If you are still Interested in registering for professional development training please give me a call so we can chat about how we can make this happen!

If you would like to know more, please feel free to call on 03 5440 1863 or email [email protected] or visit our website www.nccma.vic.gov.au

Meet our new recruits!

Members of the Northern Bendigo Landcare group have teamed up to monitor the health of the Bendigo Creek. The Landcare groups is made up of 19 dedicated volunteers, who are very much guardians of a large patch of the Bendigo Creek


just north (downstream) of Bendigo’s Coliban Water treatment plant. The Landcare group has done a whole bunch of wonderful work along the creek since 2011, including the installation of nest boxes for mammals and birds, they have planted thousands of indigenous tube stock along the riparian zones and have engaged their local primary schools in events like 'kids teaching kids' and our very own River Detectives program.

Nicole Howie, Secretary of the Landcare group said "The group’s involved in the Waterwatch program and testing the water quality monthly we can start to build on our current knowledge of the creeks health and develop a baseline dataset that will help us to make informed decisions about future works in the area. Over time the data will contribute to a better understanding of improvements made to the creek by our Landcare group".

Group member Melissa will join Nicole and her two sons (Ned and Sam) monitoring five sites along the creek. While the data will be a large contribution to the Landcare groups knowledge bank, the City of Greater Bendigo, Coliban Water and Bendigo TAFE students will also benefit from the data. The data will start to tell some great stories of the creek as it meanders its way from Crusoe Reservoir (just south of Bendigo's city centre) through Huntly, Kamarooka, Drummartin, Mitiamo and all the way through to Kow Swamp in the north.

Welcome to the program Nicole, Melissa, Ned and Sam it’s great to have you on board!

Citizen Science in the Classroom - Workshops

School of Ants, together with some great science communicators and educators in Melbourne, are running free workshops "Embedding citizen science into everyday education of students".

Participants already include citizen science practitioners, scientists, teachers and volunteer educators. We'd love it if you could join us too.

The day will be an opportunity to contribute to a citizen science project as well as explore other projects, and consider citizen science in context of science communication and education in Australia.

When: Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of February

Time: 10 am - 5 pm

Where: Drummond Room, Old Zoology Building (Biosciences 4), University of Melbourne

Cost: FREE (morning and afternoon tea provided)

Register: http://www.trybooking.com/JYKI

For enquiries: Dr Kirsti Abbott at [email protected] or 0466726525

Get your school recognised for its sustainability efforts

Show your school community what sustainability actions you're taking through Sustainability Certification! ResourceSmart Schools star certification rounds for 2016 are: Friday March 11, Friday 13 May and Friday 26 August. If you need assistance to progress through modules and stars, please get in touch with your local Facilitator or go to your account on ResourceSmart Schools Online.

Term 1 is a great time to review your schools sustainability achievements and update key resources and information on ResourceSmart Schools Online. This can also help your school progress through modules and stars. Here's some helpful reminders for Sustainability Certification in 2016:

• Check your school has a main teacher on ResourceSmart Online

• Modules can be submitted for certification at any time


Focus on your schools strengths and passion; whether it's nude food days to reduce waste to landfill, or biodiversity projects. Focusing on your interests is a great way to progress in 2016.

Events…

Weeds 101 workshop

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is hosting a free workshop tailored to beginners and will teach participants to identify problem weeds and offer tips on how best to control them.

Date: Saturday 5 March

Time: 10.00am – 12.00pm

Location: 1292 Rochford Road , Newham

Cost: FREE

RSVP: William Terry

T: 5421 9674 E: [email protected]

Carp Forum

The North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is hosting a forum in Kerang to discuss the impact of carp on waterways and to provide the latest information on options for their management including the herpes virus –that potentially could be

released as early as 2017.

The forum has attracted local and regional expert speakers. Attendees will hear from Ivor Stuart, (Kingfisher Research), Clayton Sharpe (CPS Enviro) and Matt Barwick (NSW DPI Fisheries). Presentations will focus on the issue of carp in the Murray–Darling Basin and native fish assemblages in the Native Fish Recovery Plan area including the Gunbower Forest Living Murray icon site. The forum will also provide plenty of opportunities for discussion. Everyone is welcome and light refreshments will be provided.

Date: Thursday 10 March.

Time: 5.00pm (for a 5.30pm start)- 8.30pm

Location: Kerang Bowling Club

Cost: FREE

RSVP: to North Central CMA on 03 5448 7124 or email [email protected] by Friday 4 March, 2016.

Farm Field Day - Manure Sub-soiling and Curse Buster Tillage Technology

Timor West Landcare Group will conduct a Farm Field Day on Tuesday 22 March 2016. The event will include information and on-site demonstration of Southern Farming System Manure Sub-soiling and Curse Buster tillage technology.

The field day will feature:

• Renick Peries, Project Research Officer Productive Soils Agriculture Services and Biosecurity Operations (DEDJTR) who will provide an overview of Southern Farming System trials and a field demonstration of manure subsoiling.

• Greg Mortlock will undertake a field demonstration of Curse Buster.

• Phil Dyson, Project Manager, Farming for Sustainable Soils (NCCMA) will provide an overview of the Dunluce soil profile.

• Speakers will cover: RENEW project, Drought Response Package, Farm Biosecurity.

Everyone is welcome - Afternoon tea and light refreshments will be provided.

Date: Tuesday 22 March 2016.

Time: 1.00pm – 4.45pm

Location: 215 Bealiba South Road, Dunluce

Cost: FREE

RSVP: Please register your interest by Wednesday 16 March 2016 to assist with catering to Timor West Landcare Group Secretary, Dianne Mullins: E: [email protected] T: 5461 4004 or Ken Beasley, RENEW Project Manager: E: [email protected] T:0437 390 615.


SAVE THE DATE: 2016 Future Farming Expo Thursday April 14

North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) in conjunction with the Swan Hill Rural City Council is pleased to organise and host a regional Future Farming Expo on Thursday April 14 at the Swan Hill Town Hall. The all-day event will feature renowned guest speakers, site visits, a networking lunch and workshops on a variety of topics. Attendees will hear about farming succession, farming in a variable climate, farm insurance, breaking into new Chinese markets, Free Trade Agreements and much more.

Full program details will be on North Central CMA website shortly for this innovative free event.

Early registrations are open now, please contact North Central CMA on (03) 5448 7124.

Feathered Five Festival

Connecting Country is hosting the annual celebration of woodland birds and their habitat in central Victoria. The festival comprises three events across 2 days.

Saturday March 19

• The Feathered Five Drive, 8.30 am-11 am. Bushwalks at various locations

• Woodland Bird Evening Forum, 5pm - 8.30pm, Campbells Creek Community Centre. Bookings essential.

Sunday March 20

• Guided FOBIF walk, 9:30am, Strangways (meet in Castlemaine)

More information about the festival is available at: http://connectingcountry.org.au/featheredfivefestival/ or phone 5472 1594.

Courses and Resources…

Buffel Grass ID Booklet

Keen to get your eye in on the details of Buffel Grass. Download your free copy of the online identification guide at:

http://www.buffelgrass.org/sites/default/files/Buffelgrass_Identification5.75x3.75_final_1.pdf

PestSmart Connect

Is your group, agency or organisation active in pest animal management and can provide related services, advice or assistance to the local community – both at policy and practical on-ground levels?

Fill out the form on the PestSmart website and list your group on PestSmart Connect today to enable groups across the state to share resources and knowledge about pest animal management.

Funding…

Shire of Campaspe Community Grants Program

The next round of applications for the Shire of Campaspe's Community Grants program open 1 March. Applications can be made in the following categories: Assistance; Events; Environment; Recreation; Heritage and Culture.

The Environment Category is open to all community groups for projects that will improve the natural environment. Past projects include revegetation activities (planting with indigenous species), fencing off of remnant vegetation, conducting field surveys for Squirrel Gliders, production of brochures and guides, and community education days.

Application forms will be available at http://www.campaspe.vic.gov.au or from Customer Service Centres at Echuca, Rochester, Tongala, Kyabram and Rushworth.

If you need assistance with completing the application form contact Allison on 1300 666 535.


Bushfire Planning Assistance Fund

The Bushfire Planning Assistance Fund provides grants of up to $1,200 to assist landowners prepare a planning permit for a single dwelling (or extension) in a Bushfire Management Overlay area.

Eligibility-Applicants must:

• own the property the planning permit application relates to

• have submitted, or be intending to submit, a planning permit application for a single dwelling (or extension) to be built in a Bushfire Management Overlay area

• have engaged a suitably qualified professional to help prepare an aspect of the planning permit application directly related to Victoria's bushfire planning provisions. Examples include a bushfire hazard site assessment, landscape assessment, bushfire management plan, or design modifications relating to changes in the planning requirements since 31 July 2014.

Applicants may receive financial assistance for one property only.

Successful applicants must agree, as a condition of funding, to provide the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure with a copy of the documents they receive from their professional consultant.

Program guidelines, conditions and application forms are online at: http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/planning/planning-and-building-for-bushfire-protection/bushfire-management-overlay-in-planning-schemes/bushfire-planning-assistance-fund

FRRR Small Grants for Rural Communities

The Small Grants for Rural Communities is the longest running and broadest program FRRR offers, opening twice per year.

It is a great example of a collaborative program supported by various partners which has the flexibility to address issues that make a difference to the sustainability of rural, regional and remote communities.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available for projects and activities that offer clear public benefit for communities in rural, regional or remote Australia. Priority is given to communities of

10,000 or fewer. Applicants must be not-for-profit community organisations with an ABN or incorporation certificate.

Application guidelines and forms can be found on the FRRR website. Applications due by 5pm Thurs 24 March.

Men's Sheds

Up to $1 million in funding is available for men’s sheds groups to build a new men's shed or refurbish an existing men's shed.

Men’s sheds are safe and practical places for men to meet, make social connections and actively participate in their local communities.

A new build grant of up to $60,000 is available to:

• construct a new men’s shed

• redevelop an existing building into a men’s shed.

• co-locate a men’s shed within a multifunction community facility or hub.

A refurbishment grant of up to $30,000 is available for:

• modifications to meet health and safety and/or disability access standards

• modifications to meet public access needs • modifications to increase shed capacity

• refurbishments to expand activities based on community demand.

Visit the Mens Shed page on the Dept. Human Services website: http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/for-business-and-community/community-involvement/men-in-the-community/mens-sheds

Final applications must be submitted to the department's Local Connections Team by 5pm Friday 27 May 2016.

Community Wellbeing Grants

Applications open Tuesday March 29th for Round 2 of the Ian Potter Foundation Grants.

All details on Expession of Interest and Application process are available on their website

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