The season of Larneuk – nesting birds is just finishing. Its description starts with Bleak mists, freezing winds and rain. Well this year it hasn’t been particularly cold but it has been blissfully wet and uncomfortably windy. If it hasn’t been raining the clouds have sat solidly in the valleys. For instance, in August rain fell on 24 days, as against the long term average of 14.
As at 2 September, Bellfield Reservoir is at 28% full, compared with 17% this time last year, and overall in the GWM water storages we are now at 11.2% compared to 5.7 last year. It feels good but it was nearly this high in 2007, and then went down fast. The rainfall this year is above average, but not yet markedly. The good news I think is that this time the water has been soaking in so well. One not so good result has been that the strong winds have brought down so many trees, stressed from the drought and now in waterlogged soft soil.
With the Bushfire Royal Commission sitting again, and a couple of local prescribed fire related meetings being held in the last quarter, you’ll find that once again fire seems to dominate this issue of the newsletter. As Stan says in his President’s piece, Fogg members do not see eye to eye on the role and extent of prescribed burns. Some of us have made individual submissions on this year’s Fire Operation Plan, but we haven’t as a body. I think too, that some of us have made submissions to the Bushfire Royal Commission. One of my own hopes is that there will be adequate funding for ongoing research and that this will translate into more public understanding and appreciation of the complex issues involved. Although at the moment I feel that the more I read the more confused I get!
In the meantime, FOGG is affiliated with the Victorian National Parks Association and you can read their submission by following the links on http://www.vnpa.org.au.
To quote their introduction: Fire is probably the
most difficult land management issue in Victoria, and there is a multitude of divergent opinions on how both public and private land should be managed in relation to fire…..
Most important for the VNPA is the relationship between fire and biodiversity. Just how do we manage our natural areas when climate change is predicted to bring fires of increasing ferocity and frequency?
How do we manage community safety in fire-prone areas?
Some have blamed conservation organisations for the 2009 Victorian bushfires, but generally such blame is founded on ignorance. The VNPA has supported zoned fuel reduction and ecological burns across all land tenures for many years……..
A note on the post fire regeneration:
I don’t know about the rest of the Park, but in the Wonderland area the young myrtle wattles that sprung up in thousands after the fire are today all clothed in stunning gold.
Also the Hall’s Gap Historical Association has had a query about the old sign “Peucker’s Track” which was situated close to the township. Does anyone know where the track led to, how it got its name, and when the sign was removed? If you can help contact Kathy on 5356 4679.
Finally, apologies for me still being highlighted on the home page. It’s the only page our webmaster Frank won’t let me touch! Maybe because I still need help with things like getting pictures up. Maybe when he’s back from overseas I can get him to do something about it.