Loddon Shire Mayoral Column
Published on 06 January 2020
Happy New Year
Welcome to the first Mayoral Column for 2020. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year. On behalf of Council, I would like to wish you and your family a happy and successful year ahead.
As we begin a new year, there is certainly plenty on the agenda for 2020, including a review and update of Local Laws, Stage 2 of the Bridgewater Foreshore project, advancement of the Donaldson Park project and the implementation of the Community Planning Framework.
Bushfires in Victoria
I would like to acknowledge the work of Emergency Services dealing with the bushfires in Gippsland and further afield in NSW, the trauma of these fires to the community members is horrific and our thoughts go out to them.
This is a timely reminder that, you should never wait to receive an official warning before you evacuate. Fires can start quickly and threaten homes and lives within minutes.
The Country Fire Authority issues warnings when a fire has started and you need to take action. Make sure you understand the three levels of warnings and what they mean. The three levels of warnings are: advice, watch and act and emergency warning. Don't expect warnings to be issued in any particular order. The first warning you could get could be an Emergency Warning.
Council would also like to acknowledge the efforts of local CFA Brigades, SES and individuals who assisted with the containment of fires and debris on roads over the Christmas – New Year period. On behalf of the Loddon Shire community members we thank you for your dedication and commitment to your community.
Australia Day celebrations
Later in January we will celebrate what’s great about our nation at various Australia Day events across the Shire.
The day will include the presentation of the Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Group/Event of the Year awards and Community Service Award, as well as speeches from Australia Day ambassadors.
Celebrations will be held at Boort, Bridgewater, Dingee, Eddington, Inglewood, Newbridge, Pyramid Hill, Tarnagulla and Wedderburn, for further details go to: loddon.vic.gov.au/Our-Council/Ceremonies/Australia-Day/Loddon-Australia-Day-Celebrations-2020
This year’s Australia day competition, including literature, colouring and photography centred around the theme ‘My Favourite Place’.
Climate webinars
Busy people who want to be kept informed but are not able to attend face-to-face sessions are catered for with a series of lunchtime climate webinars to be held in 2020.
Agriculture Victoria has developed the series where participants will hear from a broad range of expert speakers from Agriculture Victoria, Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO and other agencies.
The webinars offer great flexibility to anyone who has a mobile or internet connection, as they can hear from experts wherever they are, or they can listen to a recording at a time that best suits.
Some of the topics to be covered include climate guides, seasonal forecast products, seasonal outlooks, irrigation products and climate change projections.
For more information and to subscribe to these upcoming climate webinars, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/weather-and-climate/climate-webinars
Land and water management plan
A draft discussion paper has now been released for broader public consultation for the Loddon Campaspe Irrigation Region Land and Water Management Plan Renewal.
This is an opportunity for interested parties to review the discussion paper and to help shape future government funding opportunities that support local communities and farmers.
The North Central Catchment Management Authority is seeking community input through a survey to capture broader community feedback to help inform the final draft of the Plan. I encourage members of the community to participate in completing the survey which will take 10-20 minutes, the survey closes on 31 January 2020.
To review the paper, take part in the survey, obtain details of one of the sessions to be held in Swan Hill on 14 January or Cohuna on 15 January or to get contact details, visit the website http://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/projects/agriculture#node-2089.
Blue-green algae alert
Current seasonal conditions allow blue-green algae to thrive in farm water supplies. The algae can result in poisoning of livestock, including pets.
The blooms are likely to occur more often when the water is warm and enriched with nutrients like phosphorus or nitrogen. Under certain conditions, blue-green algae can accumulate in thick layers at the surface or water’s edge.
Producers should check farm water supplies daily for blooms, as this remains the most effective way of preventing stock deaths.
Contaminated water should not be used to irrigate vegetables and fruit or come in contact with plants being grown for food.
Further information on blue-green algae contamination in your irrigation water source or livestock water supply is available on the Agriculture Victoria website at agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/farm-management/blue-green-algae-issues, including a downloadable pdf.
Did you know
Total Fire Bans are declared by district - there are now 9 Total Fire Ban districts across the State of Victoria, based on Council boundaries. A Total Fire Ban can also be declared for the whole state of Victoria.
Each day during the fire danger period, the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts the expected Fire Danger Index for each district considering a range of factors including: temperature, relative humidity. wind speed, dryness of vegetation and soil (recent rainfall). Each rating has corresponding actions that people should take depending on the predicted Fire Danger.
Loddon Shire is located in the Northern Country district, to be kept up to date on fire danger ratings, total fire ban declarations and fire restrictions for the Northern Country fire district go to: cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/northern-country-fire-district