Environment
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Too hot to bear…
While we humans have felt we’re sweltering in the prolonged heatwave in central Victoria, spare a thought for northern Victoria residents where the prolonged hot spell has seen numerous days since Christmas with temperatures in the 40s and more than once peaking at 47 degrees. Heat like that takes its toll on every living thing…
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Path-breaking project
The first residents are expected to begin moving into Castlemaine’s new cutting-edge eco village housing development, as early as this September. The Paddock Eco Village is being developed on a site off Castlemaine’s Reckleben Street by a team – that includes architects, a landscape architect, town planner, civil engineer and energy consultant – led by…
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Residents petition for water change
A petition calling for Coliban Water to stop its chlorination trial, which began in October, has so far attracted a total of 204 signatures. Lead petitioner Vivienne Hamilton said she began the petition as she was offended by the strength and nasty quality of the smell and taste of the water since the treatment change.…
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Park plan push
Momentum is building for a Gisborne community park on the spot where development could have taken hold five years ago if it was not for a strong community campaign. Macedon Ranges Shire Council has endorsed the Wyralla Reserve Landscape Plan to develop the reserve on the corner of Wyralla Crescent and Kurung Court. The estimated…
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Conserving a local treasure
Locals will get a chance to help conserve one of the nation’s most remarkable endangered creatures that lives in Castlemaine’s Kalimna Reserve. Two upcoming public monitoring walks to assess numbers of eltham copper butterfly come as local scientists call for comprehensive surveys of the remarkable and nationally endangered creature. Members of the Concerned Ecologists and…
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Urgent call for change
Biolinks Alliance has submitted an urgent call for more research and funding to the 2018 inquiry into Australia’s faunal extinction crisis. The Kyneton-based alliance comprises 18 landcare and environment groups dedicated to repairing regional landscapes and saving threatened species. Board member Karen Alexander OAM, who authored the submission, said Victoria was the most cleared state…
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Students walk out
Castlemaine students were front and centre as youth anger at the impact that unaddressed climate change will have on their future hit the CBD streets of Melbourne on Friday. Thousands of students from across the state joined Friday’s Big School Strike for Climate Action, rallying on the steps of Parliament House and marching down Collins…
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In need of TLC
Kyneton’s botanic gardens have the potential to be a real visitor drawcard but are in need of some tender loving care. The Friends of the Kyneton Botanic Gardens are calling for support from the community to help them renew the town’s beautiful gardens. The group was formed in 2005 but membership has waned and a…
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A way of life under threat
A multi-pronged approach is needed to help combat the serious threat posed by fruit fly, advocates say. An action plan to combat the destructive insect pest will be launched at Harcourt’s new twilight market this Saturday. Harcourt Valley Landcare earlier received $5000 from the state government to develop a fruit fly action plan and deliver…
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Rock and Roll stars
Forty-five enthusiastic students at Trentham District Primary school helped plant, fence, tag and monitor 32 nationally endangered basalt peppercress (Lepidium hyssopifolium) plants in a new native garden at the school. Known as the Rock and Roll stars of the plant kingdom, because they are short lived and party hard, the plants can be difficult to…
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Forest fears furore
With less than a fortnight before the state election, a fight has erupted over a plan to reclassify the Wombat State Forest as a national park. The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council has released a draft report recommending a combination of national, regional and conservation parks for the forest, stretching from Woodend to Daylesford. The new…
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Students ‘strike’ for climate change
A group of young Castlemaine students say federal government inaction on climate change is threatening their future and have staged a strike calling for climate action. About 30 Castlemaine students – aged around 14 years old – travelled by train to Bendigo on Friday and held a peaceful demonstration at the office of Nationals’ Senator…