Environment
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Protecting the valley’s biodiversity
Work is under way on a biodiversity audit that aims to find out more about the creatures and plants that call the Harcourt Valley home.
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‘Legislate the parks’: Enviro groups call for end to logging
More than 50 regional, state and national environment groups have signed an open letter to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, calling for an immediate end to logging in the west of Victoria and the legislation of three promised National Parks.
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The Compost Conversation: Composting while taking a break
By Mikaela Beckley With the coming of spring, the warmer weather and perhaps some respite from weekend sporting commitments, many of us are heading off for a holiday. Yay! What does this mean for our compost, and our kitchen scraps? Before leaving, preferably at the height of packing madness, remember to take a moment to…
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Boosting biodiversity
Over the past 10 years, Kyneton on Riverside has transformed an empty patch of land into something extraordinary.
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River revegetation boost
Sacred Heart College Kyneton has received a welcome $4900 funding boost for its Campaspe River revegetation project.
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Ballantinia, banksias and blue-banded bees
In 1997 an enthusiastic group of local residents joined forces to form the Harcourt Valley Landcare Group. Twenty five years later the enthusiasm of this hard-working local group has been sustained and they will celebrate their longevity and success with a special event this Sunday. Since its inception, Harcourt Valley Landcare has completed more than…
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Harcourt flood study kicks off
The Harcourt community is being asked to do its bit to help protect the local area from future flooding. The North Central Catchment Management Authority is supporting the Mount Alexander Shire Council development of a Flood Study for Harcourt and calling on residents to share their knowledge of past flood events to better inform how…
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Breaking down compost
Lucy Young for The Hub Foundation This month YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) hosted an enthusiastic group of composters at an advanced composting workshop. We got down and dirty, hands in buckets of ‘ingredients’ for a balanced compost, and our noses being used as finely balanced instruments to analyse the quality of finished compost. As…
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Preserving our heritage apples
Harcourt has always been known as the ‘apple centre of Victoria’ but in recent years some of its heritage apple varieties have almost disappeared.One family of long-time Harcourt orchardists is trying to do its bit to save these heritage gems by making them available to the wider community. Carr’s Organic Fruit Tree Nursery co-owner Katie…
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A re-purpose focus
An op shop with a focus on funding local natural environment projects will open its doors in Castlemaine this Friday. Named The Good Op Shop, the not-for profit will be fittingly based at the Salvage Yard, with a re-use and re-purpose focus.“The Castlemaine community has been such a great supporter of both environmental action and…
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VICTORIAN FIRST FOR WASTE
Mount Alexander Sustainability Group has secured DON Smallgoods in Castlemaine as the development site of a proposed multi-million dollar bioenergy facility. The planned project represents the first community led integrated waste-to-clean-energy initiative of its kind in Victoria.Confirming support, DON Smallgoods signed a term sheet covering energy off-take, waste supply and land to the north of…
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Nature played ‘a trump card’ – Burn controller details what went wrong in Cobaw planned burn
The man at the centre of two planned burns that escaped control in the Cobaw Forest 12 years apart has spoken publicly for the first time about what went wrong. Lee Gleeson was the planner and controller of the most recent Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning burn that escaped its boundaries on Grand…