Goulburn-Murray Water has removed the blue-green algae warning at Lake Eildon following a significant decline in algae levels.
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The warning for Lake Eildon was issued on April 22, and remained in place for 86 days.
G-MW water quality coordinator Bianca Atley said G-MW would keep testing for further changes to blue-green algae levels.
“We will continue undertaking water quality monitoring and if blue-green algae reach levels deemed unsafe by national health guidelines, a warning will be issued,” she said.
Stay up to date with current blue-green algae warnings at https://www.gmwater.com.au/news/bga or call 1800 013 357 and select the blue-green algae information option.
Have your say about the future
The Lockington & District Place Based Plan consultation period has begun, and the community is invited to share ideas and insights to help shape the future of the area.
Community members are invited to the Lockington General Store and Lockington Recreation Reserve in the coming weeks to share their aspirations for their district.
For those who can’t make the in-person sessions, you can provide feedback via an online or hard-copy survey. Visit the Lockington Business Centre if you would like a hard-copy survey or assistance to complete the online version.
The pop-up sessions will be on Wednesday, July 31 at the Lockington supermarket from 11am to 2pm; and on Saturday, August 10 at the Lockington Recreation Reserve from 11am to 3pm.
Australia’s first Agritourism Summit will be held on August 29 at Bowral in NSW.
The summit will feature expert speakers who will share their journeys on building and expanding an agritourism business.
Attendees will learn from successful case studies, gain practical advice on how to start their own agritourism on-farm experience and discover the latest trends shaping the future of the industry.
Sessions will cover a range of topics including how to deliver a visitor experience while running your day-to-day farming operations, regulatory considerations, marketing tips and sustainable practices.
Pictured at the pavilion opening are Joan Grimwade, her great-grandchildren and other family members; Mitchell Shire councillors Fiona Stevens and Rhonda Sanderson; and Seymour Agricultural & Pastoral Society president Vivian Beaumont and past-president Jason Ronald.
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The recent naming of the Fred Grimwade Pavilion in Kings Park, Seymour, honoured the contribution Mr Grimwade made to the community during his lifetime (1933 to 1989).
He served on the council of the Seymour Agricultural & Pastoral Society for more than 25 years, was a Victorian MP from 1967 to 1987, and was a Pyalong Shire councillor.
Seymour Agricultural & Pastoral Society president Vivian Beaumont welcomed the naming of the pavilion, which was funded jointly by Mitchell Shire Council and the Federal Government.
Mr Grimwade’s wife, Joan, was joined at the opening by her eldest son Martin and his wife Jane, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren — four generations in total of the Grimwade family.
She thanked the council and the society for naming the pavilion after her husband.
Gardens are ‘ticking time bombs’
The Invasive Species Council has welcomed the news that a national plan to tackle escaped garden plants and aquatic weeds will be developed.
“An incredible three-quarters of all listed weeds in Australia are escaped garden plants and every year the problem gets worse,” Invasive Species Council’s Jack Gough said.
Many people don’t realise their own garden or fish pond could be a “ticking time bomb”.
“Plants like English ivy, Amazon frogbit or pretty gazanias that they’ve bought legally at a local nursery or online could get into the local environment and take over,” he said.
“But this isn't a Bunnings problem, or an individual nursery or weedy plant species problem — it's an industry-wide problem. Effective regulation by the government is the only way to solve this.”
Deer harvest report now available
The Game Management Authority’s Estimates of the 2023 Deer Harvest in Victoria report shows an estimated 137,090 deer were harvested in 2023. This is 11 per cent more on the 123,400 deer harvested in 2022 and a 59 per cent increase on the long-term average (86,400).
Sambar deer were the most harvested species with an estimated harvest of 106,500 deer, of which 53 per cent were female. Fallow deer were the second most harvested species, with an estimated harvest of 27,500 deer, of which 59 per cent were female.
The number of licensed recreational deer hunters in 2023 was 52,321, an increase of 3.6 per cent from 2022 (50,478). Of the 52,321 licensed deer hunters, 60 per cent actively hunted in 2023. On average, active deer hunters harvested an estimated 4.3 deer over 10.5 days.
The most popular hunting areas were around the towns of Mansfield, Licola, Omeo, Warragul and Dargo. The highest number of deer harvested were around the towns of Mansfield, Licola, Dargo, Omeo and Benalla.
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