Vic

Maldon locals are most likely to know Anita Sinclair as a puppeteer, a cartoonist or an artist ... she’s releasing her second memoir, A Wild Surmise - A dream of migratory birds, which follows Anita as a new migrant arriving in Australia at the age of 12 through to finishing her painting and sculpture degree at the age of 20.

The Campaspe Run H.V. McKay Rural Discovery Centre, a community-driven tourist attraction nestled in Elmore,   recently marked its 25-year anniversary. Established on April 26, 1998, following the closure of the Elmore & District   Hospital in 1994, the Centre honours H.V. McKay’s contributions to agricultural advancements and Elmore’s rich socio-historical heritage.

Local train enthusiasts couldn’t believe their eyes or good fortune on Tuesday morning, when an enormously long train, estimated to be up to a kilometre-and-a-half in length, passed through Donald, heading north, towards Mildura ... There was no official word on what was the purpose of the train might be, but one theory was that is was a test run to check the suitability of the Mildura to Melbourne line to transfer freight.

The State Government is being urged to provide funding certainty for the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme (MSIS) to encourage more freight on to rail. The MSIS is an incentive program providing financial support to rail freight companies to make the cost of transporting goods on rail more competitive ... Deputy Leader of The Nationals and Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said the MSIS program allowed regional rail freight operators to offer competitive transport options for exporters, encouraging them to use rail instead of road transport to get their goods to the Port of Melbourne.

Out now!

Out now!

More than 5,000 trees and shrubs now call the banks of Thowgla Creek home thanks to the combined efforts of more than 30 volunteers over three days. The plantings will accelerate the recovery of the water system following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires by stabilising banks, providing shade and housing terrestrial food items that fish love.

The multi-award winning documentary ‘Solstice’, about survivors of suicide, including interviews with local people who have been impacted by tragedy, will screen in Corryong next week. The inspiration for the film had its genesis with the Winter Solstice event that happens in Albury for survivors of suicide and those struggling with their mental ill health.

Once common across the region, Eel Tailed Catfish had essentially disappeared from our waterways, with only small populations found in isolated bodies of water such as dams and lakes. As luck would have it, Australia’s most genetically diverse population of catfish was right on our door step, in the Barham Lakes.

cluBarham has been announced as the home of the Over 60s State Championships and Women’s Country Carnival for the next three years. Play will take place on the club’s state-of-the-art facility opened in September 2022, including two synthetic 9 rink greens, one of which is undercover.    

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Out now!

When the Kaniva Wetlands and Fauna Park was re-imagined by the Kaniva community in 2014, part of that plan included creating an aged and disability-friendly experience ... Resident and photographer Matt Bale had an idea to create a 360 tour of the wetlands and fauna park.

Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) launches ‘The Winning Formula for Regional Victoria’, a document outlining the group’s priorities to ensure a lasting legacy is created for the whole of regional Victoria as part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games ... The Winning Formula for Regional Victoria examines six key areas with recommendations that will ensure a lasting legacy for every regional city beyond the event period and across the whole state, not just for the five cities hosting events...

The Mt Elgin reserve is regionally important not only for its biodiversity, but for its cultural history. This Swamp was an important place for the Traditional Owners, the Wotjabuluck people, as well as providing a seasonal food source, such as waterfowl and their eggs, and freshwater mussels; it had a permanent spring, which, in dry years, was essential for their survival.

Out now!

Things might be looking up for the Wycheproof SES unit, which had an encouraging number of new volunteers sign up to support the essential service.   The unit has been campaigning for new recruits for quite some time, and under the threat of closure, SES members recently held an open night in one final forage for the numbers they need.  

Agriculture Victoria’s Monitoring Wind Erosion in the Victorian Mallee survey data summary for 2022 is now available online in the lead up to a webinar on June 13, which will present current wind erosion survey results and the seasonal outlook.

Blanket bans of native forest harvesting will not improve our carbon balance or recover biodiversity according to the professional association for forest scientists, growers and managers, Forestry Australia. President Dr Michelle Freeman said the consensus position of independent scientific experts, forest managers and researchers  is that active management of forests is required to maintain forest health, mitigate fire risk, conserve biodiversity and maximise carbon outcomes.

Australian Winter crop production is forecast to fall from record highs due to below average rainfall for winter and spring. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the Australian Crop Report forecasts total Australian winter crop production to fall by 34% to 44.9 million tonnes in 2023–24 following three consecutive record production years.