Media Releases

Fire safety training assists traditional owners with cultural burning

Twelve Traditional Owners from the Duduroa Dhargal and Bangerang Aboriginal Corporations completed an extensive fire training course in June, aimed at giving them enhanced skills in wildfire suppression and controlled fuel reduction burns.

The training, held over several weekends, helps Traditional Owners meet insurance and administrative requirements for undertaking cultural burning.

What is ESG? Find out more at Wodonga conference

The impact of the global environment, social and governance (ESG) movement is a hot topic with customers, processors, bankers, insurers and investors. Australian agriculture is not immune, so what does that mean for those in the sector?

A conference at La Trobe University in Wodonga on 28 July will offer the opportunity to learn more about what ESG is and what it means now and in the future for all producers, processors and retailers.

Lower Kiewa Catchment Stewardship survey seeking public input

The North East Catchment Management Authority (CMA), together with RM Consulting Group, are inviting landholders in the Lower Kiewa catchment to share their aspirations for the region via an interactive map and survey.

The closing date for the map and link has been extended a week until Wednesday 22 June. There are two components:

1. The interactive map allows respondents to pinpoint the locations of challenges, values and opportunities on a map. They can also add comments and pictures and interact anonymously with other pinpoints that other people have included.
2. The questionnaire survey allows respondents to delve deeper and provide more detail with their feedback.

2022 Victorian Landcare Grants now open

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio has opened the latest round of the Victorian Landcare Grants, with $3.35 million funding available to Landcare and environmental volunteering groups and networks for on-ground works, education, and capacity building projects that protect, enhance, and restore our land and natural environment. 

Grants of up to $20,000 are available for on-ground projects and support grants of up to $500 are available to help with group administration and running costs.

Helping our threatened birds one grant at a time

Sixteen north east Victorian landholders have received grants under the third and final round of the Bush for Birds project.

The grants will support the landholders to create and improve habitat for the critically endangered Regent honeyeater and Swift Parrot. 

Among the round 3 grant recipients is Gianni D’Ortenzio from Everton Upper.

Mr D’Ortenzio has a strong interest in both the environment and landscaping and has previously worked to create some award-winning cottage-style gardens.

He is now turning his botanical interests towards what he can do for the environment and threatened woodland bird species.