Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 27 April

Published on 27 April 2021

Vale John Piccoli

Together with Council, I would like to extend my condolences to Sonia Piccoli and family on the very sad loss of John.

Also known as the Spanner Man, much has been written about John and his incredible artistic talent. Together with his wife Sonia, John was responsible for the growth of tourism and coach tours to our northern part of the Shire with people coming to see his amazing spanner sculptures and enjoy the beautiful gardens at their home.

John, who was in a wheelchair since childhood, was an inspiration to so many, including to other people with a disability. John never let his disability stop him – whether it was working the farm, creating his magnificent sculptures, giving tours, or helping promote local tourism in our Shire.

Very much loved by the Boort community, visitors and our wider community (along with Sonia), John’s artistic work, his knowledge of the region and his friendship will be sadly missed.

Energy Efficiency on Dairy Farms webinar

Agriculture Victoria will host the next of its webinar series around exploring energy options on farm on Tuesday 4 May from 12pm to 1pm.

This second webinar of the series will focus on Energy Efficiency on Dairy Farms presented by Gabriel Hakim. Gabriel has a wealth of knowledge and experience working with dairy farmers and in the industry implementing energy efficiency and sustainable energy solutions on farm.

The webinar will discuss where energy is used on dairy farms, what can be done to improve energy efficiency in dairy farm systems, myths, magic and misconceptions, and assistance and resources available.

Active Youth Collective survey

If you’re aged 18 to 25 years, the Activate Youth Collective wants to hear from you.

The Activate Youth Collective want to know what it's like for young people living in the Loddon region, and to hear about your dreams and concerns for your community.

You can let them know what life is like in your town by filling out a short, five-minute survey.

Applications open for the Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot

Applications for North Central region farmers (which includes Loddon Shire) to participate in the Federal Government’s Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot are now open.

The Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot is trialling arrangements to reward farmers for improving on-farm biodiversity together with carbon projects under the Emissions Reduction Fund. The pilot is being developed with the Australian National University (ANU).

Under the pilot, farmers who plant native trees (in line with a biodiversity protocol developed by the ANU) will receive payments for biodiversity outcomes. These payments will be in addition to earnings a landholder might receive for their carbon abatement.

Examples include planting, managing and looking after vegetation, or regenerating gullies, waterways and degraded hillsides. These plantings can also benefit farmers by providing shelter for livestock, improving soil moisture and reducing erosion.

Applications for the pilot close 11 June 2021. For more information visit the Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot website.

Young Farmers Scholarship Program

The Upskill and Invest – Young Farmers Scholarship Program is now open for applications until Sunday 6 June 2021.

The scholarship program provides young farmers and/or young farm workers up to $5,000 towards training or study (Upskill), and up to $5,000 extra funding to invest on-farm or in professional development (Invest), to put new skills into practice.

Each year, 12 to 14 scholarships are awarded to young farmers aged 35 years or younger.

For more information, including scholarship guidelines, visit the Agriculture Victoria website.