Vic

CMEFG. Over the last two weeks Central Murray Environmental Floodplains Group has engaged on-ground managers of federal and state government departments responsible for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, federal and state environmental water and its delivery, and the North Central Catchment Management Authority ... Passionate community angst was voiced continually throughout the day about present management of the forest contra to what has been publicly written and posted by government departmental staff.

The final Get Set in the Basin celebrations were held over the weekend. The concerts, funded through Lloyd’s Walk for Water, the Australian Horizon Foundation and BEEFitUP Australia, had toured four rural communities for a night of music and comedy. Headlining the shows were Aria Award winning lead singer of TAXIRIDE, Jason Singh, along with musician, Huc Richards and comedian, Flemmo.

An independent inquiry has stated that Field and Game Australia should rightly be concerned that serious efforts by Victoria’s Game Management Authority (GMA) are underway to restrict duck hunting in the state, regardless of scientific evidence. The veiled threat about whether duck hunting may no longer continue in Victoria should be taken seriously.

Ever had a dream to paddle the Murray? Amy Teitzel did. Now utilising her long service leave, she is paddling her 13-foot canoe the length of the mighty river. Amy started in Walwa, 150km upstream of Hume Dam on April 9.

Council’s push for an improved planning approach to renewable energy developments has received a boost after gaining support from the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV). In a motion put to Friday’s MAV State Council, Moyne Shire Council called on the MAV to advocate to the Planning Minister and Energy and Environment Minister for a strategic approach to be taken on renewable energy projects and transmission lines.

The community of Newhaven will soon be the custodians of a significant sculpture, created by renowned Australian artist, Geoffrey Bartlett ... “My proposal for the sculpture draws a connection between the past and present of the Newhaven precinct, through the poetic interpretation of the local maritime history,” Mr Bartlett said.

Australian Regional Tourism and convention partner, City of Ballarat, is pleased to announce that Ballarat, Victoria will be hosting the 2021 Australian Regional Tourism Convention (ARTC) to be held 11-13 October 2021 ... The ART Convention is a must-attend event for local councils, regional tourism organisations, tourism professionals and businesses, and government personnel wanting to contribute to the future of regional tourism in Australia, with the 2021 Convention theme ‘A Robust Visitor Economy – navigating our new future’

Central Goldfields Shire Council is one of forty-six Victorian Councils to sign on to VECO, the Victorian Energy Collaboration, the largest ever emissions reduction project by local government in Australia. VECO, led by Darebin City Council in Melbourne’s north, will provide 45 per cent of all Victorian Councils’ electricity requirements with 100 per cent renewables, reducing greenhouse emissions by 260,000 tonnes of C02-e every year.

Residents will be able to view the works from some of Australia’s top astrophotographers when a travelling exhibition will be based at Kerang’s Sir John Gorton Library this June and July. Presented by the Central West Astronomical Society, the Museum of Applied Arts and Science and the CSIRO, the 2020 David Malin Awards Winning Sky Photos Exhibition features the top entries from this renowned astrophotography exhibition.

Visitors and locals were thrilled with the offerings at the Border Flywheelers Club and Heritage Museum 24th Vintage Engine and Machinery Rally. “You could spend weeks in there,” was a repeated comment from visitors. The shear volume and variety of local history that has been amassed is a credit to everyone involved.

A recent Koondrook Development Committee meeting included discussions surrounding the Victorian Government decision to close down native timber harvesting in the remaining red gum state forest within the Gannawarra Shire. The forests includes Gunbower, Guttrum and Benwell State Forests. The importance of the red gum industry to the Koondrook community and the Gannawarra Shire was acknowledged by the attendants at the meeting.

Residents will be able to be active at night under light from May 17 up to the start of daylight savings on September 25 as part of a pilot Lighting Up Ewing Park activation project by the City of Greater Bendigo. Through the initiative the City will turn on the new Ewing Park LED training lights from 6 pm to 8pm seven days per week to provide opportunities for residents to be active at the reserve at night under light.

Timber Towns Victoria is calling on the State Government to reconsider its plan to shut down the state’s native timber industry by 2030. Timber Towns President and Deputy Mayor of Glenelg Shire, Cr Karen Stephens said, “This is not the time for the Victorian Government to be taking steps that will cost more jobs, further damage regional communities and economies, and sacrifice a viable resource industry.

Last week Deniliquin hosted a Federal Senate Committee on The Multi-Jurisdictional Management And Execution Of The Murray-Darling Basin Plan. In layman’s terms, the Australian Federal Government is considering taking over all things water, essentially excluding the states from decision making.

Kirstin Nicholson. “I have a special interest in the work that’s gone on in Victorian health, particularly around the ‘Safer Care Victoria’, and I think that’s moving all of us in a much better and safer direction. Also, I like that the governing bodies are really local. They know their patients, they know their people and they know the community needs. And then they hold us to account to deliver it," Bernadette Loughnane, the new CEO of Cohuna District Hospital.

Kirstin Nicholson. A sketch of the Koondrook township has been gifted to the Barham Koondrook Historical Society (BKHS). The sketch, a pen line drawing by renowned Australian artist, Kenneth Jack, was presented to the society by Ken Guskich on Wednesday, May 5 ... The artist, Kenneth Jack, was born in 1924 and spent his life painting, drawing and exhibiting across Australia and around the world.

Victoria’s forestry families received peace of mind yesterday when VicForests won an appeal to overturn the May 2020 Federal Court decision which affected 66 logging coupes in the Central Highlands. A bench of the Federal Court overturned last year’s decision which challenged the validity of the Regional Forest Agreements under which timber harvesting is conducted.