Bendigo bank to stay in Burra - South Gippsland Voices Newspaper
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July 5th, 2021
People power prompts bank Bendigo bank to stay
backflip in Burra
Community meeting earlier this year helped show the Bendigo Bank the town was The bank is here to stay but with reduced hours
serious about retaining its bank. Photo supplied Shirley Arestia
The Korumburra community have triumphantly campaigned to keep its last This can be done by moving accounts and loans across to the Korumburra
remaining bank branch open. branch of the Bendigo Bank, and can even be as simple as visiting the branch
and asking for any existing accounts with another Bendigo Bank branch to
The Bendigo Bank retracted its decision to permanently close its doors in be changed to (or “domiciled” with) the Korumburra branch.
mid-August after the community rallied to retain the branch. Residents and “This is a huge win for Korumburra, and it is a genuine example of a com-
the town’s Korumburra Business Association and Korumburra Round Table munity working together to make a difference,” a KBA spokesperson said.
were behind a series of public meetings, letters to bank managers, and meet- Korumburra’s Paul Rothier said the successful outcome demonstrated “un-
ings held with the Bendigo Bank’s state manager which ultimately swayed derlying strength” in the town.
the branch’s decision to stay. “I was amazed by the reaction of the community. Everybody came out and
stood up,” he said.
While the community’s last remaining bank remains, limited hours will be “From a shop point of view, I would have had to shut the shop for an hour to
introduced from August 16, operating from 10 am to 2 pm, Monday to Fri- go to Leongatha to bank.”
day.
“Our full Bendigo Bank is staying in its current location, with a five-day-a- While the display of people power received a positive result, Paul said he
week service and ATM. The bank will be consulting with local businesses to is concerned, however, that big businesses are considering pulling out of
determine current banking practices, and the operating hours each day may Korumburra at a time of rapid growth.
extend down the track, to factor in the business community’s requirements “Why haven’t the council administrators gone to big businesses to keep
or if there is evidence of customer need,” a Bendigo Bank representative them in the loop that this area is progressing, houses are being built, people
said. are moving into the area?
“A community meeting was convened and local community members also “They haven’t informed them of the status of the area, and I find that very
went into action via social media and gathered almost 1000 signatures on disturbing.”
petitions presented to the bank. Many residents also sent letters and emails
to the bank expressing their concern about the closure.” Facebook posts about the bank’s backflip were flooded with congratulations.
Vicki Marlene said; “That’s good news. People power at its best.”
While the Bendigo Bank have backflipped on their decision, KBA said now Christine Furness commented; “Such fantastic news for Korumburra, our
is the time for the community to “step up and support our local bank with businesses and residents!! Well done and thank you to everyone involved in
our business.” the massive effort of lobbying!”
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 1
Lies, lies and corrupted intergenerational
report statistics
Today the fifth so-called “intergen- ple, even under the IGR assumptions,
erational report” (IGR) is finally I’ve written before that “In Australia, “per capita real GDP growth will
released. After a long delay, and no- an increasing number of people (vol- slow only slightly, the IGR will say,
doubt copious tweaking to make it as untarily) work past 65, off-setting an from 1.6 per cent over the past 40
bleak as possible, Federal Treasurer increase in the average age and sta- years, to 1.5 per cent.”
Josh Frydenberg lays it all out. The bilising our workforce participation
problem is, the IGR is based on one ratio.” Did anyone notice the Recent Re-
big, fat lie. serve Bank statement that the pause
Let’s look at this central economic But ‘stabilising workforce participa- in Australia’s migration program will
and demographic assumption. tion’ now looks like a pessimistic es- lead to higher per capita living stan-
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg timate! The COVID-19 pandemic has dards for Australians?
outlines how 30 years ago, for each actually helped to drive Australia’s
person aged over 65, there were 6.6 overall workforce participation rate There are other fallacies in the IGR
people of ‘working age’. Today, there to all-time high of 66 per cent. It was but the central assumption of lower
are 4 working-age people, and by around 61 percent in 1980 – and has workforce participation is the key
2060-61, there will only be 2.7 for been steadily growing since, despite issue to focus on. Everything else in
each person aged over 65. In other a gradually ageing population that the the report falls down like a house of
words, ‘the economy’ can’t afford an IGR claims brings workforce partici- cards once this big lie is exposed.
ageing population. pation down.
The IGR is a key weapon used by
Sounds scary, hey? This again proves my point that major party politicians to uphold a
ageing does not determine or lower system of governance and economics
You’d think workforce participation overall workforce participation. So- that is corrupt to the core – one that
had gone down in the last 30 years, cieties adjust. Australia’s healthy and is designed to benefit the few at the
with worse to come. It hasn’t. The welcome gradual ageing process has expense of the many.
opposite has happened. More on that been accompanied by higher work-
later. force participation. Win, win. All of this demonstrates that the IGR
is yet another case of lies, lies and
But isn’t living longer a good thing? There is still a lot of slack in the mar- statistics.
And what is ‘working age’ anyway, ket with many people across all ages
you may ask. unemployed and underemployed. Re- It is clear that the IGR engineers con-
cent estimates put this number at over clusions to support a pre-conceived
According to the IGR’s central eco- 2.5 million Australians (19.0% of the narrative. It also ignores that personal
nomic assumption, you are apparent- workforce). income taxes are only part of the tax
ly working (and paying taxes) if you economy, and that the (our) Reserve
are 15-64 years of age. Conversely, So what’s the real agenda and why is Bank of Australia has an unlimited
you are not working (or paying taxes) Federal Treasury’s IGR ignoring this amount of money to print to pay for
if you are 65 and above. clear and empirical evidence? any “so-called” budget deficit, in-
I kid you not. The IGR authors at cluding COVID support and our aged
Federal Treasury have clearly not left Mr Frydenberg will say the fiscal pension system (which should be uni-
the 20th century. and economic challenges associated versal). But we’ll leave that contro-
with a smaller and older population versial idea for next time.
What actually matters is what por- must be met with a “well-targeted,
tion of the population is working, skills-focused migration program”. A long-lived society with low popu-
not what portion is 65 and above. lation growth is clearly the best out-
Bingo. come for our economy, environment
This tricky and obsolete ‘working This is despite it being scientifically and society.
age’ assumption in the IGR, upon proven that migrant Australians age
which the whole report hangs, will at exactly the same rate as everyone It’s time to stop the corruption of
be endlessly spun by politicians, ac- else – and that immigration has no our major political parties and public
tivists and the media in coming days, material or long-term impact on age- policy by the all-powerful property
weeks and months. Yet as any eco- ing. industry lobby and other vested in-
nomics 101 student - often 19 and terests.
studying full time for the next few No independent, self-respecting
years - should know, there is an in- economist or demographer would Australia should hold a stand-alone
convenient truth here: Age does not associate themselves with this Ponzi national ‘population plebiscite’. It
determine workforce participation. demographics. would give all Australians the choice
The IGR also gnashes its teeth over between the current government tar-
Repeat: Age does not determine lower fertility, but totally ignores one get of around 40 million by 2050 and
workforce participation. of the key reasons – skyrocketing a much more manageable 30 million.
housing prices driving up Austra-
Workforce participation is more so lia’s cost of living – and then doubles The latter can be achieved with one
determined both by economic oppor- down on one of the key drivers of this simply policy change - lower annu-
tunity and reducing discrimination in housing affordability crisis, being al permanent immigration program
the workforce. Over recent decades, government-engineered rapid popu- from the recent level of around
opportunity for and discrimination lation growth. 200,000 back to our average annual
against women have both significant- permanent intake level during the
ly improved, allowing much greater Talk about a self-defeating policy twentieth century - around 70,000.
workforce participation for women agenda.
of all ages. Workforce ageism is an- Lower immigration is not “anti-im-
other area we can greatly improve on, The IGR was cooked up as an idea migration” as some will assert. Low-
along with employers taking up their to napalm our society into accepting er immigration is the most pro-immi-
responsibility to increase training and something it is sceptical about and gration thing we can do. It will help
education for Australian youth. has never been properly consulted on to rebuild broad public confidence in
– high immigration-fed rapid popula- our immigration program for the long
COVID-19 and the shutting of Aus- tion growth. term. Critically, a manageable rate of
tralia’s borders has inadvertently immigration will also help to prevent
helped in this regard, with less access Rapid population growth – as op- voters being driven into the arms of
to cheap and exploitable migrant la- posed to slow and managed popu- political parties with extreme immi-
bour. We’ve seen much-improved lation growth - has many economic gration policies.
outcomes, with the Australian Bureau and environmental costs and rela-
of Statistics (ABS) revealing that tively few benefits, even under the William Bourke
youth unemployment just hit a 12- pessimistic workforce participation President Sustainable Australia Party
year low. assumptions in the IGR. For exam-
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 2
This rainforest was once a grassland savanna maintained by
Aboriginal people – until colonisation
John Glover’s paintings show open eas outside the modern plantations on Diemen’s Land company and, later, a Our data unequivocally proves the land and savanna ecosystems. Under
savannahs and grasslands in Tasma- the Surrey Hills are home to rainfor- politician. landscape of the Surrey Hills was an the right set of climatic conditions,
nia. (1838) Art Gallery of NSW est. Curr criticised Hellyer for overstat- open grassy eucalypt-savanna with any fuel will burn and increasing fuel
On first seeing the Surrey Hills from ing the potential of the area to curry regular fire under Aboriginal manage- loads dramatically increases the po-
If you go to the Surrey Hills of north- atop St Valentine’s Peak in 1827, Hen- favour with his employers, for whom ment prior to 1827. tential for catastrophic bushfire.
west Tasmania, you’ll see a temperate ry Hellyer – surveyor for the Van Di- Hellyer was searching for sheep pas- Importantly, the speed at which rain-
rainforest dominated by sprawling emen’s Land company – extolled the ture in the new colony. forest invaded and captured this Indig-
trees with genetic links going back splendour of the vista before him: These contrasting perceptions are an enous constructed landscape shows
millions of years. an excellent country, consisting of historical echo of a debate at the centre the enormous workload Aboriginal
It’s a forest type many consider to be gently rising, dry, grassy hills […] of Aboriginal-settler relations today. people invested in holding back rain-
ancient “wilderness”. But this land- They resemble English enclosures Authors such as Bruce Pascoe (Dark forest. For millennia, they used cultur-
scape once looked very different. in many respects, being bounded by Emu) and Bill Gammage (The Biggest al burning to maintain a 60,000-hect-
The only hints are a handful of small brooks between each, with belts of Estate on Earth) have been challenged, are grassland.
grassy plains dotting the estate and beautiful shrubs in every vale. ridiculed and vilified for over-stating Learning from the past
the occasional giant eucalypt with It will not in general average ten trees the agency and role of Aboriginal Aus- Our research challenges the central
broad-branching limbs. This is an ar- on an acre. There are many plains of tralians in modifying and shaping the tenet underpinning the concept of terra
chitecture that can only form in open several square miles without a single Australian landscape. nullius (vacant land) on which the ten-
paddock-like environments – now tree. These ideas are criticised by those uous and uneasy claims of sovereign-
swarmed by rainforest trees. who either genuinely believe Aborig- ty of white Australia over Aboriginal The temperate rainforest in
These remnant grasslands are of im- And when first setting food on the es- inal people merely subsisted on what lands rests. Tasmania’s Surrey Hills are a
mense conservation value, as they rep- tate: was “naturally” available to them, or legacy of colonialism.
resent the last vestiges of a once more The kangaroo stood gazing at us like by those with other agendas aimed
widespread subalpine “poa tussock” fawns, and in some instances came at denying how First Nations people
grassland ecosystem. bounding towards us. owned, occupied and shaped Austra-
Author provided He went on to note how the landscape lia.
Our new research shows these grass- was recently burnt, “looking fresh and New research backs up Hellyer
lands were the result of Palawa people green in those places”. We sought to directly test the obser-
who, for generation upon generation, It is possible that the natives by burn- vations of Hellyer in the Surrey Hills,
actively and intelligently manicured ing only one set of plains are enabled using the remains of plants and fire
this landscape against the ever-present to keep the kangaroos more concen- (charcoal) stored in soils beneath the
tide of the rainforest expansion we see trated for their use, and I can in no modern day rainforest.
today. way account for their burning only in Drilling in to the earth beneath mod-
This purposeful intervention demon- this place, unless it is to serve them as ern rainforest, we found the deeper
strates land ownership. It was their a hunting place. soils were full of the remains of grass,
property. Their estate. Two hundred eucalypts and charcoal, while the up-
years of forced dispossession cannot The landscape Hellyer described was per more recent soil was dominated by
erase millennia of land ownership and one deliberately managed and main- rainforest and no charcoal.
connection to country. tained by Aboriginal people with fire. We drilled into more than 70 rainforest
Myths of “wilderness” have no place The familiarity of the kangaroo to hu- trees across two study sites, targeting More than the political implications, That’s why Indigenous fire manage-
on this continent when much of the mans, and the clear and abundant evi- two species that can live for more than this data reveals another impact of dis- ment could help save Australia from
land in Australia is culturally formed, dence of Aboriginal occupation in the 500 years: Myrtle Beech (Nothofagus possession and denial of Indigenous devastating disasters like the recent
created by millennia of Aboriginal area, implies these animals were more cunninghami) and Celery-top Pine agency in the creation of the Austra- Black Summer.
burning – even the world renowned akin to livestock than “wild” animals. (Phyllocladus aspleniifolius). lian landscape.
Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage A debated legacy None of the trees we measured were Left unburnt, grassy ecosystems con- Michael-Shawn Fletcher, The Uni-
Area. Critically, Hellyer’s accounts of this older than 180 years (from 1840). structed by Indigenous people accu- versity of Melbourne
British impressions landscape were challenged later in That’s just over a decade following mulate woody fuels, in Australia and This article is republished from
Today, the Surrey Hills hosts a vast the same year in a scathing report Hellyer’s first glimpse of the Surrey elsewhere. The Conversation under a Creative
60,000-hectare timber plantation. Ar- by Edward Curr, manager of the Van Hills. Forest has far more fuel than grass- Commons license.
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 3
The truth about seasonal shopping and major supermarkets
to large supermarkets like Woolworths waste.
and Coles simply because it’s more • Accredited farmers’ markets – These
convenient. Instead, we should be do- are markets where local farmers,
ing everything we can to reduce our small plot owners and even backyard
eco-footprint. And one of the ways to growers come together to sell produce
do this is by choosing shopping venues they’ve grown themselves.
where the focus is more on individual • Community-supported agriculture
customer satisfaction and community (CSAs) – These are essentially com-
support than on the bottom line. munity farms where local residents
As demonstrated by the ethical shop- provide support that may include
ping pyramid found on Sustainable labour, time, expertise, costs and/or
Table, this would mean that you pledging to buy part of the harvest
should, where possible, get your fresh when it is planted.
produce from the following places: • Grow your own, food swaps – Grow-
Ethical Shopping Food Pyramid By ing your own fresh produce is always
Sustainable Table the best option because you control
• Farmgate or fresh off the boat – what pesticides and fertilisers you
Some farmers and local fishermen are use, as well as being able to harvest
more than happy to sell directly to the produce as you need it. And when you
public. So hang around the docks or have an excess of anything, you can
take a drive out to the country and ask trade with another local home grower
around. who has done the same.
Australian apples are harvested in between February to April, but through different methods of • Food co-ops – These are mem- Become a seasonal shopper
storage growers provide almost year-round availability on most apple varieties. ber-owned stores/groups that use their At the end of the day, it is not the re-
collective buying power to purchase sponsibility of supermarkets or any
According to a recent Statista report, And a side effect of the bushfires in trients. Foods that have to travel long
bulk quantities of groceries that are other type of shop to help you be-
the retail grocery market in Australia 2019/2020 and the global pandemic is distances are also harvested early and
locally and ethically sourced, and that come a sustainable eater or shopper.
is worth around AU$90 billion per that we also want to eat more sustain- left to ripen in refrigerated cargo holds
may also be organic. You need to make the effort to edu-
financial year and is dominated by ably and locally as possible. rather than in natural sunlight. All of
• Food hubs – These are businesses or cate yourself on what produce is in
two, large national companies. These And, this happens to translate to eat- this adds up to fruit and veg that is not
organisations whose job it is to source, season at what times of the year, find
are Woolworths and Coles, each with ing seasonally. But if we don’t know quite as healthy as it seems.
market and distribute from local and out where the products you’re buying
around 30 per cent of the market share what is in season and the stores where More ‘natural’
regional producers specifically for have been sourced and do what you
– although Woolworths is slightly we do most of our shopping make it Off-season produce doesn’t just mag-
wholesale, retail and institutional de- can to contribute to protecting the en-
ahead. Lagging some distance behind difficult to find that information – then ically wait for you to be ready to buy
mands. vironment.
in third place is smaller supermarket how can we be sure that the fresh pro- it before it starts to ripen. It has to be
• Bulk food stores – These are stores Eating seasonally is just a small part
chain Aldi, with just 11 per cent of the duce we’re buying is supporting the grown in artificial environments or
that offer bulk quantities of unpack- of a much larger equation when it
market share. environment? chemically treated so it can be safely
aged produce, usually dry goods such comes to how our food affects our
With so many taking advantage of this Why should we eat seasonally? stored for any length of time without
as pulses, grains, flours and more, carbon footprint. How it was grown,
one-stop shopping for everything from It makes perfect sense that food that turning into a rotten overripe mess.
most often sourced locally. Their use harvested, stored and transported
simple hardware and small appliances hasn’t been shipped across an entire And that means pesticides, preserva-
of little to no packaging also supports also have an impact. Certain foods,
to frozen dinners and fresh produce, ocean before ending up on our dinner tives, wax coatings and then ripening
sustainability by reducing landfill such as beef, also contribute more to
our local supermarket has the ability
greenhouse gasses than most naturally
to influence everything from which
grown plant-based foods.
brands or products become household
There are some who will say that sea-
favourites to the type of food we eat.
sonal eating makes life difficult for
Major supermarkets’ influence on sea-
the average shopper and it doesn’t do
sonal eating
much to help the environment. But the
Australian apples are harvested in be-
benefits of seasonal eating more than
tween February to April, but through
outweigh any negatives, particularly
different methods of storage growers
when it supports local producers who
provide almost year-round availability
are prone to more humane and ethical
on most apple varieties.
farming, as well as practices like crop
The fact that the asparagus we’re get-
rotation and allowing the soil to rest.
ting in June might come from Peru or
This adds up to fresh produce that is
Mexico, the summertime citrus fruits
more nutrient-dense, tastes better and
may come from Egypt or California,
is far easier on your grocery budget.
and the tomatoes we get in winter
were probably grown in greenhouses
Mark Pearton writes a blog at
are things we don’t consider.
tackan.com.au
Between modern consumerism and
By shopping at the following outlets we can support a healthier food system.
the desire of supermarkets to satisfy
our every purchasing demand, most
people have completely forgotten that plate reduces our carbon footprint, agents are needed before
fresh produce actually has seasons. thereby combatting climate change they’re ready to be sold.
These days, we are used to walking and helping the environment. But So what needs to change?
into a supermarket and getting just when the argument can be made that By shopping at the fol-
about any fresh fruits and vegetables just driving to the supermarket can lowing outlets we can
we want, no matter the time of year. counteract the benefits of buying local support a healthier food
Savvy shoppers might notice that – why should we eat seasonally? system.
some of their favourite fruits and veg- Save money The thing you have to
etables are more expensive in certain When you are buying food that isn’t remember about nation-
months. Or they may actually pay at- in season, it usually means that it ei- al supermarket chains is
tention to the little stickers that say, ther has had to travel a long way or that they have the finan-
“this item was imported from (insert has been grown in carefully controlled cial burden of keeping
country here).” But beyond that, su- conditions. And that can make it more their shareholders happy.
permarkets don’t actively try to keep expensive. Fresh produce that has This means they have to
their customers informed on what been grown in local, natural environ- cater to the needs and
fresh produce is actually in season at ments means lower production costs wants of an entire coun-
the moment. That’s not to say they and therefore a lower price for you. try while maximising
don’t do it at all. Better nutritional content their revenues in any way
Major chains like Woolworths and Studies have shown that certain veg- they can. What this boils
Coles have started to include pro- etables such as spinach and broccoli down to is that if we want
ducers profiles and seasonality charts have different amounts of vitamin C supermarkets to support
on their websites. It’s not something depending on the season they were seasonality, we as con-
you’ll find while casually browsing grown in. Further, other studies have sumers have to change
the site, though. Food trends for 2021 found that once a fruit or vegetable is the way we shop.
Ethical Shopping Food Pyramid By Sustainable Table
show that we want to eat healthier. harvested, it starts to lose certain nu- We should stop heading
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 4
Tip treasures inspire Fish Creek man
It’s simply gobsmacking what some people
turf out: a rare Yamaha three-wheeler, count-
“Sometimes I would be getting stuff that would
be entirely ruined, but it wasn’t always easy to
WANTED
less lawnmowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, fix them,” Rhys said.
Paper Boys or
hydraulic jacks and a portable generator are One major repair included three mowers from
the tip, various components are taken from
each, to reengineer one working one.
But despite having never had any previous ex-
Girls or Older
perience with mechanical engineering, Rhys
said he could draw parallels from his work
within the field of information technology.
“It’s very similar to IT work in that you look
persons
at all the variables that are required, and you
have a process you follow through from start to
finish. In servers, I would have to understand
all the different software components and how
they interact with each other – it’s the same
process, just a different field,” he said.
Looking to the future, Rhys suggested all tips
should develop a repurposing program. For in-
For Newspaper Delivery to
stance, the Bairnsdale tip has a recovery cen- FOSTER Mailboxes
tre, as well as running repair workshops help-
ing the community to fix their appliances and
machinery rather than simply bin them.
“Washing machine motors can be turned into Need reliable people
Own bike or walk
hydroelectric systems; put them into special
containers and add a turbine and invertor,” he
said.
“That is what I call repurposing. Think about One to Two hours per week
the tip as a resource.”
The rare Yamaha three-wheeler Rhys It’s a resource not just for the mechanically
Freeman found at the tip and repaired minded either, Rhys said. It’s a resource for
artists too, with a “huge variety of possibilities,
Contact Don Hill 0407 231 478
among a few of Rhys Freeman’s recent finds.
But perhaps more astonishing is how the Fish
textiles, timbers and metals.”
“I think it’s very important for people not to
editor@southgippslandvoices.com
Creek local taught himself not only to repair lose their ability to be creative and to make
a myriad of machinery but also to weld and things – it’s fundamental to us.”
re-engineer them, in the span of just a few While Rhys said fixing older machinery and
months in isolation. appliances raises complex questions around
Striving to challenge himself, the brilliant emissions, he feels it is important people use
minded individual began collecting discarded what already exists and not rush out to buy a
tools and equipment to mend during Victoria’s new item at the first sign of trouble.
lockdown.
“One of my close friends in Melbourne, Si-
mon, is a metal worker and longtime mechanic
with an interest in saving equipment,” Rhys
said.
After relocating from Melbourne to his Fish
Creek property before lockdowns were en-
forced, Rhys found that he finally had the time
– and the space – to try his hand at mechanical
repairs. Restricted to his property, Rhys resort-
ed to over the phone advice from friend Simon,
and tutorials on the internet.
“On the internet, you can find all sorts of things
about metalworking, welding, electrical engi-
neering, deconstruction of components, and
safety issues,” he said.
“I wanted to understand an engine, so I thought
‘what’s a thing everyone has and everyone
How Do horses cross RailTrail at Roughead Street?
throws out?’
“I thought, alright, I’ll find a few push mowers See letter to editor page.
and have a look at what is going on.
A friend’s abandoned mower was his first proj- Some horses will handle crossing the rail trail “gap” at Roughhead Street in their own
ect before he began working with local tip at- way while others will need some training to do it safely.
tendants to retrieve other machinery.
“In the beginning, I was getting frustrated be-
cause there was nothing really wrong with the A mower Rhys restored
push mowers, just dirty air filters and cracks in
the housing, which were a bit ridiculous that
people were throwing out,” he said. “Buying an electric lawnmower, or repurpos-
“That’s the issue with lawnmowers; they are ing a petrol mower, what is the answer? I don’t
too cheap; people just throw them out.” think it’s simple,” he said.
After a series of easy fixes, Rhys was hungry “For example, one of the little mowers I fixed
for something more challenging. had nothing wrong with it at all - I could mow
“After a while, I found some that had a few for 40 minutes on half a cup of fuel. It is very
more serious issues. I wanted hard stuff and efficient.
not simple problems. “The emissions involved in building something
“[One had an] engine that had seized, and I might be more than keeping an existing item
had to pull it all apart and find what was wrong running. Making a whole mower, and running
with it. it on electricity, takes more resources.”
“A three-wheeler all-terrain vehicle I found at Rhys is an energy advisor consultant, assist-
the tip had about 50 things wrong with it.” ing companies and household to save on their
When completely repaired, the rare Yamaha energy bills, and is also a trained horticultur-
three-wheeler, called a Yamahauler, could sell ist. He has recently begun selling some of his Training needed (left) whilst horse on right has the perfect solution
for up to $5000. mended and remodelled items.
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 5
Chainsaw sculptor turns old wood into art
Chainsaws mightn’t come to mind as your aver- work.
age artists’ tool, but for Andrew Noble, it’s his “I get as many photos as I can of the subject from
implement of choice for creating magnificent different angles, do some concept drawings, and
carved wood art. It’s an artistic medium that’s a lot of the time I’m just taking little bits off, then
gained traction in South Gippsland too, with standing back and looking at it again,” he said.
many of Andrew’s pieces popping up across the “It isn’t until you get to the final centimetres that
region. One of the most well-known - and now a you get to the final shape.”
major landmark - is the ‘Toora’s Dog Tree’ just From eagles, kookaburra, wombats, dogs, and
east of Toora, featuring a number of intricately people, Andrew has had an array of carving re-
dogs of different breeds and sizes carved into the quests. He’s even made a full-sized pelican, a
stump of an ancient cypress tree. carved dairy farmer and calf, and a piece featur-
The Leongatha teacher of thirty years said he ing two bears with beehives made from black-
first began carving just three years ago. wood for Blue Tree Honey Farm in Dumbalk.
“I stumbled on a YouTube clip on carving during “I’ve finished a life-sized statue of the Mandal-
a holiday break,” he said. orian and that was 40 hours [to complete],” he
“I had a chainsaw, so I gave it a go, and about six said.
hours later I had an eagle finished. “The key thing I enjoy doing is dogs, especially
“I had the rest of the holidays, so thought ‘I like for those who have lost pets, and pieces that re-
this, I’ll just keep going.’” mind people of what they’ve had. I like to use the
Having seen his exceptional creations, a friend wood that is from the area, it’s nice to keep that
encouraged Andrew to enter them in the Leon- heritage going.
gatha art show. Andrew did – but he didn’t re- “I wanted to give extra life to trees that are grow-
ceive all of his pieces back. ing for a hundred years or so. Cypress tends to
“One of the directors bought two of my pieces,” get piled up and burnt, whereas I can give it new
he said. life,” Andrew said.
“A year after that, I asked to take a day off school Recently, Andrew has rescued several trees from
and concentrate on my carvings and it’s devel- the flames to be turned into art. He’s even had
oped from there.” local farmers reach out to donate felled trees.
Now, Andrew spends three and a half days teach- “Australian Cypress is probably the best wood;
ing and the rest of his week carving. Starting it’s readily available, and most of the time I’m
with a piece of wood, Andrew begins carving salvaging it,” he said.
large block sections off first before putting a spe- “Instead of being burnt, it’s given a new pur- From eagles, dogs and people, Andrew enjoys carving a variety of subjects
cialised carving bar on his chainsaw for refined pose.”
A giant goanna carved by Leongatha’s Andrew Noble
For the carvings Andrew doesn’t paint, he ap- in, and to be able to work in that is pretty cool,”
plies a “good quality acrylic sealer” which pro- he said.
tects it for two to three years at a time. Andrew has begun crafting more commission
His latest completed carving is a giant goanna pieces this year and said he was eager to pursue
‘Toora’s Dog Tree’ creatively carved by Andrew in Toora. the venture and see where it leads. For more in-
“My work environment every day is pretty formation, or to see more of Andrew’s projects,
amazing. I get to appreciate the area that we live visit his Facebook page: Resurrected Timber.
Have Your Say On Victoria’s Gas Substitution Roadmap New dates for workshop on Why
Stories Matter with Beatrice Imbert
The Victorian Government is seeking nesses use natural gas for heating, cook- It will identify policies and programs Council Big Arts Small Halls project
feedback from industry, businesses and ing and hot water – the highest natural to reduce the use of natural gas, reduce launched at the same time as Covid jumped
the community about ways to reduce gas usage in Australia. Gas also plays a fugitive emissions which result from on us all again at the start of June.
our reliance on natural gas, including critical role in Victorian manufacturing leaks, venting and flaring of gas and
more sustainable options like renewable and industry. help inform long-term planning and in- We featured one of the artists works and
hydrogen, biogas and electrification. Victoria has a wide range of options vestment decisions for gas use in Victo- location in an earlier edition. Here is an
Minister for Energy, Environment and to reduce its reliance on natural gas rian homes and businesses. update on Beatrice Imbert’s workshop
Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio last and meet its net zero goals, such as Community members, business and in-
week launched the Gas Substitution switching gas appliances to electricity, dustry are encouraged to read the con- WHY STORIES MATTER
Roadmap consultation paper, which sets improving energy efficiency and accel- sultation paper and have their say on the with Beatrice Imbert
out options to reduce emissions from erating the use of alternative gases like challenges and opportunities as Victoria
gas use to help halve the state’s carbon renewable hydrogen and biogas. transitions its energy to more renew- Storytelling workshops in Loch Artspace
emissions by 2030 and reach net zero The Roadmap, which will be released able sources and ensures it is on track to
emissions by 2050. later this year, will outline the Gov- meet its emission reduction targets. Sunday July 4, 11, 18 and 25:
The gas sector currently contributes ernment’s plan to decarbonise the gas To give feedback on the Roadmap visit 10.00am - 1.00pm.
almost 16 per cent of Victoria’s green- sector while ensuring Victorians have engage.vic.gov.au/help-us-build-victo- Tuesday July 6, 20 and 27:
house gas emissions. More than two access to an affordable, secure, reliable, rias-gas-substitution-roadmap. 10.00am - 1.00pm.
million Victorian households and busi- and safe supply of energy. Friday July 23: 10.00am - 1.00pm
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 6
New disability worker registration gives regional Administrators label two ratepayers
Victorians with disability a safe choice as not a high enough standard
Victoria’s disability workforce will mitment to upholding the safety and disability, including in regional ar-
Administrators reverse last be a personal judgement and not
be stronger and safer under a new quality of the workforce for people eas. The launch of worker registra-
month’s Council resolution on a decision based on the rigorous
Victorian Government disability with disability. By registering from tion also shadows the current Royal
Leadership Policy evaluation method employed in the
worker registration scheme, giving 1 July, disability workers will not Commission into Violence, Abuse,
regional Victorians with disability be charged a fee in the first year and Neglect and Exploitation of People program. The number he chose ap-
At the May Council meeting the pears to not be an evidence-based
greater choice and better protections. can have their experience recognised with Disability, which has heard cas-
administrators passed an upgraded value and it was noted by the
without needing a qualification. es of the disturbing mistreatment of
leadership program policy in time Council spokesperson that the
The first scheme of its kind in Aus- regional Victorians with disability.
for the second leadership group to numbers were rankings not a val-
tralia, voluntary disability worker People with disability and their
be approved at the June Council ue representing the standard of an
registration will open on 1 July to carers will be able to easily check Melanie Eagle, Chair of the Disabil-
meeting. applicant.
allow workers to be independently if a disability worker is registered ity Worker Registration Board of
assessed by the Disability Worker through a public list on the Victori- Victoria, which regulates registered
The renewed policy allowed for Administrator Zahra said:
Registration Board of Victoria. an Disability Worker Commission workers and sets their standards,
Council approved applicants that “This is one of the most important
Across the disability sector, differ- website. said everyone living with disability
did not make the final shortlist of elements of council work during
deserves a safe
25 available places to be added to this period of administration as
choice.
the “team” if anyone dropped out
in the early stages of the program.
“For someone
This was to avoid wasting avail-
living with dis-
able places and have less than 25
ability, knowing
applicants in the program.
their worker is
registered pro-
The process as described in the May
vides confidence
Council meeting is quite lengthy
they have the
for the applicants. A lengthy ap-
right skills to de-
plication form is completed online
liver high quality
ahead of a shortlisting panel com-
services.
prising three Council people-two
internal and one external person.
“Registration sup-
ports increased
The shortlist applicants are then in-
professionalisa-
terviewed by the panel and a final
tion in disabili-
ranked list of Council approved ap-
ty work and for
plicants is submitted to the Council
people seeking
meeting for official approval by the
services to find
Disability workers can now be registered under a statewide scheme administrators.
workers they
know have been
Less applicants than required ap-
independently
plied to round two and the deadline Administrators found two
ent onboarding checks, standards Disability worker registration is a assessed as safe, skilled and profes-
for applicants had to be extended aplicants not of high enough
and screenings in place for disabil- key part of the Disability Worker sional.”
much like the first-round process. standsard for the program
ity workers may vary in consisten- Regulation Scheme – a new set of
After Council had found extra ap-
cy or may not exist in some cases. regulations to strengthen protections Victorian Disability Worker Com-
plicants, the process continued but, you know madam chair better
Registration fills a critical gap by for Victorians with disability and missioner Dan Stubbs said: “I’m
in the end, only 24 applicants with than most that the introduction of
ensuring registered disability work- ensure the quality of the disability really pleased to be part of imple-
two being ineligible since they a community leadership program,
ers meet rigorous standards and are workforce. menting a registration program that
were not ratepayers etc. a wide ranging one, was one of the
assessed for safety, skills and pro- recognises the excellent, high-qual-
fessionalism, no matter how they are The new safeguards were estab- ity work so many disability workers key recommendations of the Com-
The final list of 22 approved ap- mission of Inquiry which of course
employed or how the services they lished in response to recommenda- do in Victoria.”
plicants was shown to the admin- you were an important member of.
deliver are funded. tions of the Victorian Parliament’s
istrators in a briefing session. On Madam chair, this small change
2016 Inquiry into abuse in disability Disability workers can apply to reg-
the Council policy approved in the which I have made in moving this
By becoming registered, disability services which evidenced alarming ister starting 1 July at vdwc.vic.gov.
May Council meeting all 22 should motion which is different from the
workers can demonstrate their com- abuse and neglect of Victorians with au.
have been accepted since the pro- recommendation is to ensure we
cess approved them and the policy have a consistently high standard
called for the top 25 applicants to of participant in this program,
be included. hence point 2 ensuring that we
have a score of 70% or above as
The administrators made a key part of the requirements for the
change at the Council meeting program.
which in effect made irrelevant the So, madam chair I am sure you
Council policy approved of in the will agree with me as would Ad-
May meeting. The administrators ministrator Brown that we have
introduced an amendment that re- been fortunate to have had a very
quired applicants to have a “score” good group of people participating
of 70% or greater to be accepted. in the program right now through
Two of the applicants were there- intake number one and I am con-
fore excluded from the program fident that we will have an excel-
Graeme’s paintings will be on display at the because of this amendment by the
administrators which was intro-
lent intake for number two which
will continue the high standard of
Fish Creek Hotel dining room from July 2nd duced after they saw who was ac- the program and its participants to
cepted by the policy and officers date.”
for two months. Come along and view the gallery for the program.
of his oil paintings which will be available for purchase. This was confirmed by a Council
We also again raise the concern that
the administrators keep claiming
spokesperson when this newspaper this is a widespread program fol-
made enquiries about this sudden lowing advice from the Commis-
Check out Graeme’s reversal of a Council policy ap- sion of Inquiry recommendations
proved only 4 weeks earlier. when the current program appears
website for more of his at odds with the Commissioners
Administrator Zahra made the fol- recommendation.
incredible work at: lowing comments during the June
Council meeting to “justify” his Widespread does not mean limited
https://www.myrteza.com/ exclusion of two acceptable ap- to 20 people and the Commissioner
plicants. His “slur” that the two did not suggest excluding individ-
The Way Home-oil painting by Graeme Myrteza applicants were not a high enough uals or particular groups from the
standard of applicant appears to program.
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 7
Sticks in the sand? Venus Bay mangrove Korumburra development stunted, needs
revegetation explained new committee to thrive
Bamboo stakes at Venus Bay’s Doyles Beach er area, install an information board, run educa- Korumburra is a diamond in the rough, just wait- be established: the leading goal being the beau-
Road mightn’t make for the prettiest picture, tion programs about the value of mangroves, and ing to be polished to perfection. But unlike other tification of the main street with trees and seats.
but they are playing an important role in the also water test to determine any trends that may Victorian towns such as Beechworth and Bright, “Next would be the railway precinct; it’s abso-
much-needed revegetation of mangroves. Com- be impacting the health of the mangroves. which have been beautified and are now bustling lutely important. That becomes the next 50 years
munity concerns over the stakes recently erupt- “The work is all being done by volunteers and tourism destinations, Korumburra has been left of growth from a recreational and commercial
in a state of suspension. point of view,” he said.
“People want to see Korumburra kick on,” long Third priority project, in Paul’s opinion, is Coal
time Korumburra resident, Paul Rothier, said. Creek Community Park and Museum.
“But you drive down the street and it’s shabby. “It’s been undernourished for years,” he said.
It’s not a pretty or attractive town to come into. “If we could take out the little building at the
“The only development the town has ever done front and move that to another location, drop the
in the 40 years I’ve ever been here is Kelly’s car park two meters deep, remove the toilet block
Bakery and the Post Office. That’s the only thing and set up a café, it could be a whole new attrac-
the town has ever done.” tion for the area.”
Yet, the town’s lack of development means it’s This redesign would create more visibility of
the perfect canvas to create something truly Coal Creek’s stunning main building from the
unique, and a destination that pulls travellers highway, and consequently, attract more visitors.
from near and far. A fourth project Paul put forward was the update
“There’s a history that is gone, so let’s create a of the town’s swimming pool and public facil-
whole new modern history,” Paul said. ities.
“But people need to back it and have their opin- “With new people coming into the area, our rec-
ion.” reational areas need to be enhanced,” he said.
Dramatic developmental delays stemming from “The fifth project would be what the community
council processes is just one issuing holding the collaboratively decide on. But the first two are
town back, Paul believes. a priority.
Mangrove seeds are tied to bamboo stakes
ed online, but president of the Tarwin Landcare on a shoestring budget. If we are successful in
Group, Jillian Staton, explained they are serving getting a Coastcare grant, we will have the funds
a crucial purpose. to ensure that all future work is fenced and sign-
“Firstly, apologies for the apprehension and con- posted,” Jillian said.
cern the work has caused people. I completely “I felt the overwhelming majority of people were
understand that people might have thought it in favour of what we are doing, once they under-
looked horrible, we just want to do something stood what we are doing.
for the coastline and biodiversity,” Jillian said. “I know it’s not possible to meet everybody’s
“By way of background, we are trying to reha- needs but I hope that by explaining what we are
doing, and why, it will
allay concerns about
safety and unsightli-
ness.”
Member of the Tar-
win Lower/Venus Bay Beautification works on Korumburra’s main street should be a priority project says
Community Voice, Paul Rothier
Clare Ellis, wrote;
“Thank you for all the
wonderful work that “The manager of development in the South “Once the coronavirus is over, people will want
you do. I’m struggling Gippsland Shire Council, and the commission- to come to a safe, warmly place in South Gipps-
to understand why er, said the hub, the main street, and the railway land.”
people would be crit- would be completed in two years, and that two The resident of 40 years said at present he re-
ical of this, and can years are up in July 2021. I thought it was a big ceives up to five phone calls a week from new-
only assume ignorance call. They haven’t even started on two of those,” comers inquiring about land purchase, despite
about the fragile eco- Paul said. properties being “quite restrictive from a coun-
systems we are lucky Aside from council, he also felt residents had a cil point of view” in terms of development. Yet
to inhabit. Please know part to play in Korumburra’s lack of progress. people are still willing to take those risks, Paul
Bamboo stakes, containing mangrove seeds, were planted at the revegetation efforts “What opened my eyes was the closure of the said, because they see so much growth potential
Doyles Beach are appreciated and re- Bendigo community bank. The community came in the town.
bilitate the mangroves that once flourished along spected.” out of nowhere, I was amazed by it,” he said. “I’ve even had calls from the UK – people say
the foreshore. Human traffic on the foreshore, Another member, Jason Froome, commented; But that level of community spirit and vigour they’ve heard of Korumburra,” he said.
speedboats and jet skis, and perhaps nutrients “Well done guys for trying to make our perfect needs to be harnessed into a number of projects With a topography that is remarkably distinctive,
from upstream, have all played a part in their little spot even better. Regardless of whether I to see Korumburra flourish. Korumburra could well become a top-rated tour-
decline. agree with it or not, you are having a go and giv- “We need a collaboration of like-minded people, ist destination with a little polishing.
“As a result, the beach is unstable and is eroding ing to our wonderful community. Well done.” in some form of committee and group,” Paul “The important thing is, if the group gets togeth-
rapidly. The animals that rely on mangroves for Troy Daniel said; “Thanks to the hard work and said. er and we become a force, there is a membership
food and shelter are also suffering. time the team puts in to protect the environment. “We need to have people with the drive to band that is available so that businesses can join the
“And some people feel they are losing the beach It’s important that we have people who can think together, with a strong attitude, and once prog- group,” Paul said.
by the planting of the mangroves, but in actual past their own time here at beautiful Venus Bay ress is started the community will embrace it. “Small funding could then employ someone two
fact, if the mangroves go, we lose more of our and realise if changes don’t happen and efforts “With all due respect, it’s a different avenue than or three days a week, and that sole person will
coastline. You’ve got to have one to have the aren’t made then erosion will eventually destroy the Korumburra Business Association; we want market Korumburra and seek finances from the
other.” the areas we love. Just look at Inverloch and how to be independent and go alone with a strong State Government.
Plantations completed at Doyles Beach Road are erosion has changed things for our neighbours. force.” “It should be strong enough to have the fortitude
in line with current best practice as advised by Safety is important, of course, it is. Let’s find the This suggested committee would approach the to say to the council, ‘this is what we want to do
the Westernport Seagrass Alliance, and are sup- balance, learn about what needs to be done for council on behalf of the wider community to as a community.
ported by Parks Vic and DELWP. future generations, teach our kids why it needs to instigate town projects, and should the South “It’s a call to arms of sorts, for people to contact
“We collected white mangrove seed capsules and be done...I’m sure we can find some sort of bal- Gippsland Shire Council be disinterested or me. If they are interested in having a chat, we
tied them onto the bamboo stakes in the hope that ance here by considering everyone’s values and unable to pursue proposed projects, the group can get together and see what the general con-
they would germinate, which some of them have. not just our own. Good luck with the planting would then investigate other avenues and ap- sensus is.
As they germinate or die, the stakes are being and I’ll be teaching my little ones in the family proach other institutions. “I would love to be able to encourage Korumbur-
removed,” she said. to be safe around Doyle’s while maybe keeping “The main street needs to be fixed up. The Rail- ra to come out; let’s have some fun, and get this
“We ask that the stakes be left in place to give the my pups on the lead for a little bit until we’re Trail is underway now, and a lot more people place looking vibrant and smart.”
seedlings the best chance to grow.” past the new mangroves that will hopefully mean will be visiting the town to use the Rail Trail. If you’d like to express your interest, email
The Tarwin Landcare Group are now in the pro- I can keep parking in the car park in 30 years at We need to jump on the bandwagon,” Paul said. southgippslandvoices@gmail.com and your re-
cess of applying for funding to revegetate a larg- Doyle’s and not up near the main road.” Off the bat, Paul felt five priority projects need to sponse will be forwarded to Paul Rothier.
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 8
Vulnerable infrastructure in the Shire power the 4G
network
We experienced possibly a one in a 50-year change. Victoria’s draft Climate Change Strat- Gippsland is becoming warm-
event with the recent dramatic wild weather. The egy says. er and drier. In the future we can
event on 9 June led to 2 deaths, widespread flash “ Victoria’s climate is changing Victoria’s cli- expect temperatures to continue
flooding across Gippsland in Victoria, 200,000 mate has warmed by 1.2 degrees since national to increase year-round; more fre-
properties blacked out and widespread failure of records began in 1910, and we are already feel- quent and more intense down-
4G Network. ing the effects. The state is drier, resulting in pours; rising sea level including
more hot days, harsher fire weather, and longer increased frequency and height of
The events were dramatic and for the highly fire seasons. As the climate continues to warm, extreme sea levels; warmer and
unusual patterns of weather were the worst in our need to recover and build resilience between more acidic oceans; more hot days
living memory. Our Shire had 147 roads closed events will continue to increase.” and nights, warm spells and few-
and major blackouts. We lost significant old Council is responsible for leading the Municipal er frosts; less rainfall in autumn,
growth trees and no doubt wildlife. What was Emergency Management Plan for the shire. Its winter and spring and harsher fire
really concerning in the Shire was the failure of Emergency Management plan does not overly weather and longer fire seasons In-
telecommunications and power. Power and mo- deal with climate change, but it says. creased frequency
bile connectivity was lost across the Shire. The “Councils have a key role to play in emergency
length of the outage varied by location. Leon- management and supporting safety. The Role of
gatha with 3 power line coming in were thought the Municipality Council South Gippsland Shire Jo Wainer Chair of Prom Area Cli-
to be resilient but failed. Council recognises it has a key role in preven- mate Action says:
tion and mitigation activities to reduce the risk, “Scientist have been predicting
The 4G network collapsed when the backup or minimise the effects, of emergencies that may the consequences of increased
batteries ran out of power causing real problems occur in the area.” greenhouse gases for more than
for people who may have been isolated through Council’s CEO Kerryn Ellis said: “In terms of half a century. They weep now
fallen trees or flooding but couldn’t communi- municipal emergency management planning, to see their predictions become
cate. People affected were not able to connect climate change is one of the factors that is con- our new reality. This is our only
with 000 in cases of an emergency, and that con- sidered in both the Community Emergency Risk home. There is no more important
tinued for days. While the old landline system Assessment (CERA) process and in Council’s task before us than to do all we can
worked without power the back up batteries for own event review process. In terms of Council’s to stop polluting the atmosphere
Telecommunication were inadequate. broader planning responsibilities and obliga- with carbon, today, immediately,
tions, climate change is actively considered and and employ all the technologies
There have been major economic losses with factored into planning right across Council’s op- we have already to do this. At the
many towns without power shut down with erations, from issues such as asset management same time we have to stop felling
many businesses losing for up to four days. and maintenance, through to community health, forests and clearing the land and
Dairy farmers lost thousands of litres of milk wellbeing, and services. In addition, the impli- work with our farmers who are re-
and restored to using tractors to drive generators cations of a changing climate will be an issue imagining their relationship to the
to milk. While costs have not been estimated as that forms an early component of the onboard- land so they produce food while
yet, a loss of 4 days to South Gippsland would ing and transition process for the consideration improving soil biology, planting
be $60m. The cost to Council will probably top of our new Councillors later this year.’ trees, fencing waterways, and ac-
$1m. Council, according to the CEO Kerryn El- cepting the challenges of becom-
lis had 97 depot workers on the road along with Victoria’s Climate Change Strategy looks at ing carbon neutral.”
contractor cutting trees and providing backup empowering communities to respond to climate
Councils play a crucial important role his lead-
generators to the hospital and other critical in- change. It sees local councils and communities Dr Michela Borgas from Just Transition South
ership in helping build resilience in communi-
frastructure. Ausnet had 280 people working. across Victoria are playing a crucial role in our Gippsland and a climate modelling expert says:
ties’ infrastructure and adapt to the issues around
The Manager Government Relations at AusNet collective response to climate change. “The science of climate change increasingly
climate change. The new council legal, morally
Services Steve Brown speaking on ABC Gipps- highlights worsening hazards like droughts,
and economically needs to address how we can
land underscored the scale of the task state-wide It says we need to be “Investing in climate bushfires, coastal erosion and inundation and
build community resilience and strengthen the
saying there were fewer than 20,000 outages change adaptation: That helps us to avoid poten- increased storms like the recent east coast low
resilient of our infrastructure.
in the East Gippsland fires of 2019-20 where- tially massive future costs by building resilience and its extreme rainfall and winds. Communities
as more than 200,000 homes, businesses and now into our environments, our economy and need to respond with both emission reductions
farming properties had been blacked out by last society ; that protects plants, animals, and com- to mitigate growing risks and adaptation to build
Wednesday’s horrific storm event. munities – particularly those most vulnerable to resilience and preparedness to respond better to
the consequences of climate extremes.” recent shocking events.”
National Party Leader Peter Walsh visiting the
South Gippsland area, noted that restoring pow- Its adaptation priorities through to 2025 to ad- There are new legal responsibilities for Coun-
er to dairy farms needed to be a priority with dressing current climate change impacts are to: cil to plan adaptation strategies for climate
such events. change. There was a petition organised by the
“It is important that the government works with • Support place-based adaptation in- Prom Area Climate Action group of 2037 peo-
AusNet to get the power back on. If there’s dairy cluding effective and inclusive community par- ple asking council to address declaring a climate
farms still with the power off, they’re an abso- ticipation and empowerment, with special em- emergency. The petition fell of the death ears
lute priority because if the cows aren’t milked phasis on vulnerable communities. of the administrators. Australians are unique in
regularly, it can affect your whole year.” • Embed climate change adaptation into their ability to pull together in times of crisis to
He also saw the need to replace aging infrastruc- emergency management and disaster prepared- address challenges in innovative and creative
ture to protect the dairying industry particularly. ness, response, and recovery, particularly to pro- ways. Climate change is a systemic issue that
We need to rethink the resilience of key infra- tect the most vulnerable needs to be addressed at all levels of society. Pennicott Wilderness Journeys snapped this
structure and ways to reduce impacts of climate We can no longer have our heads in the sands. incredible photo at Wilsons Promontory
National Park
Spot a whale this winter
at Wilsons Prom
As the cold sets in, humpbacks and
southern right whales from the deep
south begin their annual migration
along Gippsland’s coastline, headed for
warmer waters.
Between May and November these ma-
jestic creatures can be spotted from a
number of Gippsland vantage points.
They travel solo or in small pods, and
you may spot them giving you a wave
of a fin, a blow of water, tail slap, or if
you’re really fortunate, a full breach,
rocketing right out of the ocean. A humpback whale migrating to warmer waters
So, pack your beanie and binoculars
and head for the most southerly point of bert; both prime locations to spot hump- Try your luck at Wilson Promontory’s Lighthouse, or Sandy Point’s Ned Ne-
mainland Australia, Wilsons Promonto- back and southern right whales during Sealers Cove, Refuge Cove, Glennie ale’s Lookout.
ry, or the maritime village of Port Al- their annual migration. Lookout, Pillar Point and Cape Liptrap
South Gippsland Voices Newspaper-July 5th, 2021 9
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