Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Incorporating news from the Eppalock Primary School, Axe Creek Fire Brigade & the Axe Creek Landcare Group.
In this issue you will find the opportunity to support Eppalock PS • Welcome
with a Mango fundraiser—A guilt free way to indulge and help • Community Notice Board
your local community.
• CFA News
Importantly, the CFA update shares some valuable information • Eppalock PS Update
about preparing your property for the Summer ahead as well as
changes to the law about open air fires. • Axe Creek Playgroup
As always if you have anything to share with the community, • Landcare’s Latest
please email us at axecreeknews@gmail.com • Church News
• Kids Corner
Advertise your Business AND help the Community Thank you to this issues
Contributors
If you would like some great local exposure for a reasonable price, then
advertise in the next issue of the Axe Creek – Eppalock Newsletter.
John Wells - Axe Creek Fire
Brigade
Full Page $100
axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 60 1
Community Notice Board
Emergency Contact Numbers
Fire, Police & Ambulance 000
(life threatening or time critical emergencies only)
Useful Websites
CFA www.cfa.vic.gov.au
Local Churches
DSE www.dse.vic.gov.au
Vic Roads www.vicroads.vic.gov.au
Term 3
Axe Creek CFA
16 Jul – 21 Sept
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CFA News From Axe Creek Brigade
LOOKING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL
Making predictions about the approaching fire season is a bit like trying to predict the football premiers
at the beginning of winter. You might feel pretty confident, at least In general terms, but then the situa-
tion changes, so that what had seemed most unlikely can become reality.
The risk of fire depends largely on long- and short-term weather patterns, which determine how much
fuel (grass, shrubs, and trees) grows, how dry the fuel gets, and then how much hot, dry and windy the
weather we have during summer.
This year East Gippsland, which has had many months of low rainfall, experienced large uncontrolled
bushfires in winter—something not seen before. While that doesn’t mean it will be an early or a bad fire
season right across the state, it would be prudent to prepare for the possibility.
You have probably heard the official predictions that spring is likely to be drier and warmer than aver-
age. This, together with the already low soil moisture in most areas, suggests that Victoria could be in for
a severe fire season, especially in East Gippsland and the mountains. The rainfall pattern for the first half
of the year was similar to those in 1997, 2002, and 2008, all of which led into severe fire seasons.
Our district was fortunate enough to receive more or less average rainfall in late winter, after a dry start
to the year. As a result the immediate threat of fire is lower, but we’re likely to see good growth of grass
in spring. The underlying soil moisture is still low, so once hot weather comes the fuel could dry out quick-
ly—and then we’ll have a problem.
The take-home message? We can’t know what sort of fire season we will have, but it’s wise to prepare
for a bad one. Our district may be fortunate enough to escape major fires, but at least we’ll be less
anxious when that hot weather arrives.
LOCAL ACTION
By the time you read this brigade members will have checked their equipment and completed their pre
-season drills, in readiness for a possible early start to the fire season. Even if there are no fires here, local
brigades could be asked to provide support at fires in East Gippsland or in New South Wales, which are
already much drier than here.
Firefighting methods have changed a lot in the past two or three decades. We still basically ‘put the
wet stuff on the hot stuff’, but at major fires there’s much more emphasis on coordinated attack by stra-
tegically positioned teams of ground crews, supported often by water-bombing aircraft. This entails
much behind-the-scenes management, and relies on highly trained personnel who operate sophisticat-
ed equipment.
As well as maintaining their firefighting skills, our volunteers undergo annual refresher training in fire-
ground safety. We practise emergency procedures for taking shelter in the unlikely event that a truck is
overrun by hot fire. We train to look out for, and avoid, trees that may have been weakened by fire. Yes,
firefighting entails dangers, but the first priority is always to keep the crews safe, so they can fight the fire
effectively, and then come home uninjured.
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PREPARE YOUR PLACE FOR SUMMER NOW
When I was a boy I liked to go to the ‘flicks’ on Saturday afternoons. The (black-and-white) serial—
always a western—had gun battles and horseback chases. Sometimes a ‘baddie’ would set fire to an
innocent settler’s house, by laying a trail of gunpowder away from the house and then lighting the gun-
powder ‘fuse’ so fire ran up to the building.
Now think about your own house. Dry grass or shrubs near the house can become a ‘fuse’, and allow
fire to run up to it. That’s why we need to manage vegetation around the house before the hot weath-
er comes:
• Clean up dead twigs and leaf litter on the ground. Consider using sand or gravel mulch to con-
serve moisture.
• Remove dead wood and twigs from shrubs.
• Keep grass shorter than 100 mm. (If you cut it too short while it is still green it will tend to dry out
sooner.)
• Don’t have shrubs or other plants growing against the house.
It’s the ‘fine fuel’ (thinner than a pencil) that catches alight most easily—especially if it’s dry—and there-
fore poses the greatest risk of carrying fire towards the house.
Some other pre-season jobs:
• Remove overhanging branches near the house or sheds.
• House maintenance – ensure that gaps in timberwork are sealed and that there are no spaces for
embers to enter – under the floor for homes on stumps or with decks. Is the roof space closed to
prevent embers getting into ceiling cavities?
• Make sure fire trucks can access your place.
We need clear space 4m wide and 4m high to
drive in, and 20m diameter to turn around. Can
we get through gates and past sheds?
• Check that your property number is clearly visi-
ble to vehicles approaching from both direc-
tions. It can take a long time if crews have to try
several properties before finding the right one!
There are plenty more handy hints on the CFA web
site.
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REMEMBER TO REGISTER YOUR BURN-OFF
More and more people are taking the precaution of registering their burn-offs before lighting up. It’s
a win-win strategy—our volunteer firefighters are not called out unnecessarily, and you are not em-
barrassed by having a fire truck turning up unexpectedly.
It’s simple to do: just call 1800 668 511, and tell the operator
1. the location,
2. the date, and expected start and finish times,
3. the estimated size, and
4. what you intend to burn.
Then if somebody reports the fire to 000 the call taker can check that a burn-off has been registered,
and (unless the fire appears to be out of control) the brigade is not turned out.
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Eppalock Primary School
Bookweek
Eppalock PS Bookweek parade was held on Monday the 27th August at
school. Thanks to Sue Gentry for hosting and organising our Bookweek activi-
ties again this year. Our students worked in multi-age groups for the day on
some activities based on books nominated for awards. Our students looked
amazing with some very interesting and creative costumes. Families had obvi-
ously been planning these for quite some time and it was obvious how much
work and effort had been put in. Thanks to families for supporting this event.
Writers Festival
On Friday 10th August Eppalock PS travelled into town to attend
the first sessions of the 2018 Bendigo Writers Festival. This was an
interesting experience for our students and exposed them to a
variety of different authors. Our 3-6 group watched a session
which told us all about the books shortlisted for book of the year.
A number of our students were very keen to go home and check
out some of the titles shown. Our P-2 group attended a session
with Samantha Grover and then presented her with our own book
about soil. This was a great opportunity for our students we may
look into further sessions for our keen readers and writers in 2019.
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Melville Caves
On Friday 24th August Eppalock PS visited the Melville Caves picnic area for an excursion. It was a
great day with beautiful weather. Our activities for the day were – orienteering, bush art, cave explor-
ing and indigenous culture. We would like to thank all of the leaders of our activities – Jackie, Sal,
Rhiannon, Maddie and Luke and also huge thanks to Mr Mac and Lydia for their organisation of the
day. This day was also made possible by a generous financial donation from some of our community
members, so a huge thanks to those who helped out in this way. It was definitely a highlight to hear our
senior students come back from their ‘caving’ experience so full of excitement and personal satisfac-
tion having had the confidence to complete the challenge. Well done to all involved.
Tree Planting
Staff and students from Eppalock Primary School, along with community mem-
bers and representatives from Axe Creek Landcare Group spent the morning
planting trees for Planet Ark’s Schools Tree Day on Friday 3 rd August.
Sustainability and STEM teacher, Lydia Fehring said it was “very much a commu-
nity event”.
The children did a fantastic job planting around 300 shrub species and we were
all impressed with the level of commitment shown by all the students involved.
One of the goals was to help build habitats for small and endangered birds in
our area.
The students have been learning about habitats, endangered species and other topics related to envi-
ronmental science through a subject at school called Living Green.
“At school we have a bird that’s an endangered species, a grey-crowned babbler and the students
can all identify it by its call,” Ms Fehring said.
The morning finished with a ‘sausage
sizzle’ lunch.
The event was supported by Bendigo
Toyota.
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P/1 classroom wrote about their pets and everyone did a terrific job.
My pets are very good. I love them so so much. Their names are Wally and Monty.
Ryan
I have one dog and one cat. My cat is called Scout and my dog is Tokota. My dog is fun to play with.
My cat tries to get inside. I love them both so much. They’re both great pets. I feed them sometimes.
When Tokota was a baby she was very cute. She is fun to play with.
Frankie
My pet is named Henry. I can pat him while he is eating. He got his teeth pulled out. We did not get to
see it.
Zach
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Pick my project voting
You may have seen this project being advertised in the local media recently. Eppalock PS is part of this
initiative through a community proposal of creating a more inclusive space for local families and com-
munity members. Our joint project includes developing a playground space and undercover area
where families and local community groups could hold small events and get togethers. If you are inter-
ested in voting, there is more detail about our proposal on the website.
Meetings and activities of interest to the general public are advertised on the notice board in the
Strathfieldsaye Shopping Centre.
If you would like to be on the email list, please contact the President or Secretary.
CHRIS TZAROS
As Chris Tzaros hastily throws his supplies into his 4WD to head “out-bush” he
spares me a few moments to talk about the influences that have led him to his
extraordinary career.
Splendid fairy-wren
He can however recall the moment he took up a book and researched his first bird. “I came across a
beautiful bright coloured bird at school one day. It was dead and I wanted to know why.” That day Chris
spent his lunch break in the Strathfieldsaye Primary School library. He discovered that it was a Swift Parrot
(Lathimus discolor) and it was endangered. “It was at this moment I knew I would work with birds.”
Now a Wildlife Ecologist who specialises in birds, Chris spends large chunks of his working life in the field
monitoring bird populations and photographing them. “The presence of bird diversity indicates good
ecology in an area. Monitoring birds allows us to benchmark populations and decide on what actions to
take in that environment.” The data Chris collates is then used to liaise with the wider community and
prioritise restoration needs. He has been instrumental in conservation projects for the Turquoise Parrot
(Neophema pulchella), the Swift Parrot (Lathimus discolor) and the Grey-Crowned Babbler
(Pomatostomus temporalis).
Chris sees the role of farmers, schools and Landcare groups as crucial to the survival of endangered bird
species. The single-most important thing he wants to impress on readers is, “it’s not difficult.” When we
think about revegetation we often cast our minds to the acquisition of hundreds of tubestock plants and
the logistics of coordinating a small army of volunteers to plant them. Chris says it can be as simple as
resting your land, “the seed is often already there, it just needs the opportunity to grow.” He says, “The
biggest challenge is introduced weeds, but these can actually be managed in part by grazing. Conser-
vation is not all about excluding farming practices.”
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It takes time for revegetation to impact bird populations, often in the vicinity of 10-20 years and much
longer for species dependant on old eucalypts.
Inevitably a job like Chris’s develops a broad scope of experience and a depth of insight into the major
challenges we face in conservation. When asked what the three major priorities are for the preservation
of our native bird species, his response is unequivocal, “no more habitat loss, restore lost habitat and edu-
cate the younger generation.”
Chris is encouraged by a rise in popularity of nature photography, particularly from our younger genera-
tion. As a recipient of multiple Australian Geographic ANZANG Photography awards and as a judge on
the Australian Bird Photographer of the Year panel, Chris sees firsthand that photography is getting peo-
ple in to the bush, “taking photos gives people a way to engage with nature and the more engaged
people are with nature, the better.”
Chris will be back home, in October, sharing his knowledge and enthu-
siasm for birds with the community at a Workshop organised by the
Axe Creek Landcare group. Everyone is welcome.
White-fronted chat
For further details keep an eye on the Axe Creek Landcare Group Facebook page or call Adrian Mar-
tins on 0427 099 376.
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COME TO ROYAL CRANBOURNE BOTANIC GARDENS WITH US!
Within the 363 Hectare bushland area is “The Australian Garden” devoted to the presentation of
many distinct Australian landscape types ranging from the Arid Garden to the Seaside Garden.
And then there are the Display Gardens – the How-to Garden, The Backyard Garden, the Lifestyle
Garden, the Water Saving Garden, the Future Garden and the Home Garden among others. These
are designed to provide visitors with practical ‘take home” ideas.
Please contact group President, Jan Mellor (5439 3144) if you would like to join the party.
Poo Pile!
Need manure for your garden? Bags available from out the front of 125 Axe
Creek Rd at $2.00 each or phone
54393144 for a trailer load at $10-$15.00 per load.
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Church News
The Ants’ Pants
I enjoy watching “Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures”. On the show Russell looked at ants as a po-
tential food source and as weather forecasters. Of course, both times he was hurt and his (un)helpful
advice contradicted by his experience.
His attention to ants did get me thinking about their activity. Some ants have bad reputations (white
ants and the biting varieties). Yet ants are fantastic creatures. Their communities are focussed on their
needs, preparation for seasonal cycles, and ongoing survival.
They do no hibernate and compared to warmer days, they are relatively unseen through the colder
times. In the summer and autumn, they gather widely and abundantly the food reserves to get them
through winter. During winter they remain underground, producing and nurturing a new generation in
preparation for when the weather warms up again.
There is a good reason why the writer of the Proverbs in the Bible tells the lazy person (the ‘sluggard’) to
look at ants. Their industrious nature (sometimes destructively!) and preparation is commendable. We
all know someone who is more concerned with living in the comfort of the moment rather than working
to provide for lean times.
It is difficult to look forward to hard times. We would rather that life is going to get easier, better, richer,
more fertile. But experience tells us that hard times come: illness, accident, drought, fire, economic
challenges, inter-national tensions, and war.
In hard times we need good nutritious food of support and sustenance. The temptation in good times is
to produce lots of fairy floss for immediate gratification.
The writer of the Proverbs writes a great deal on wisdom and foolishness – and points out the wisdom of
ants! We don’t hear much of these ideas today. Yet in these relatively “good” times it is as important as
ever to build on wisdom, nutritious to the soul. Otherwise we lapse into foolishness, which will be ex-
posed as fairy-floss that rots the soul.
Christians believe that in accepting Jesus, our soul has been restored into relationship with our Creator
God, who is our ultimate support and sustenance. His Spirit is given by God to regenerate us, producing
and nurturing a new heart in us. We know this strong love that generously sustains us in all seasons, and
all the more so in confidence that death is not the final victor.
Like the ant, may you seek and find the sustenance of life, in our case in Jesus. And in Him find wisdom
and new life.
Steve.
Contact details are on the sign on the front of our Church at 920
Wellington Street, Strathfieldsaye.
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CWA Bendigo Northern Group
We are looking for more local women to join for fun, friendship and community service.
All Meetings are open to anyone to come and have a chat and a cuppa with us to see what we are
doing in the community.
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Community News
email us at axecreeknews@gmail.com
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Kids Corner
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