Encouraging and educating people to understand and enjoy, while conserving, the Grampians Gariwerd National Park.
JANUARY 23 – 28: The Field Naturalists Fauna Survey Group were to be doing some surveys here on the Australia Day weekend but the fires prevented it. Rescheduled for the June long weekend.
FEBRUARY 8 Two short walks in Halls Gap, looking at the flood recovery work. Also canceled due to being a Total Fire ban day.
The Victorian Environment Friends Network Committee has belatedly become aware that the Friends of Grampians Gariwerd lost a very devoted member on August 6 when David Thompson passed away. He was well known for his great commitment to the Friends and the spirited contribution he gave to the issues he felt were important.
We apologise for the lateness of these condolences and hope that the FOGG and David’s family will accept our sympathy. David’s name will be placed in The Friends Network Memorial Book … Read the rest
It is still so dry here. Parts of the Park are looking quite stressed, and hot windy days are still scary.
Halls Gap received 23.0mm for March bringing the progressive total to 65.0mm,this compares to the same period last year with a progressive total of 88.0mm, and we thought that was dry!
Pomonal FOGG member Phil Williams has been recording the rainfall at his place since 1980 and says that should be long enough to discern some trends. The most obvious feature of the graph is the large variability from year to year.
From the lowest, 346mm in 1982, to the highest, 1080mm in 1992. This variability means that the ‘average’ annual rainfall is no use in predicting how much rain is likely in any one year. Also it makes it difficult to discern any trends. We can even out this variability by looking at a decade at … Read the rest
The Grampians National Park has had more than its fair share natural disasters. The recent history is compelling with 3 major landscape scale bushfires in 8 years (2006, 2013, 2014, totalling 87% of the park) as well as record floods and landslides in 2011. In dollar terms, the cost of reinstating destroyed assets over the past 8years is fast approaching $10million, the cost however to our environmental and cultural values is more difficult to measure, and requires specific expertise, short, medium and longer term monitoring to understand the impacts negative and/or positive.
Any impact in the Grampians from landscape scale events is felt hard by the local tourism industry. Annually, the Grampians National Park directly and indirectly contributes an estimated $400million into the Regional economy of Western Victoria(GT 2014). The Park is one of the most popular tourism destinations outside of Melbourne and the 12 Apostle and … Read the rest
This time last year we had an excellent article from Wendy on how we as a committee have to work out which issues we should lobby on, and which we do as private citizens. It is still so relevant today. (You can find it on our website). Our priority is always the issues which affect our Grampians National Park. These may be issues also affecting other Parks or may be ones unique to the Grampians.
Our committee is particularly worried about the attitude of both our federal and State governments towards the environment . Both seem intent on watering down most of the legislation which currently protects our environment. There are so many examples from all over the country- it is really depressing. Too many national parks already, “abolishing red tape” on vegetation protection etc, re-introducing cattle into the Alpine National Park …. the list goes on and … Read the rest
Greetings from the still so very dry Grampians. And fire ravaged yet once again. The January fires have burnt much of the northern section of the Park. Our Park staff have had a torrid time, and now face months of hard work. We offer them our sympathy and our thanks. In Dave Robert’s piece you will see just what a huge task they have ahead of them.
It has also severely impacted several of our FOGG members. Judith Thompson, Bill and Hennie Neve, Ewen Johnson, Rob Lucas and Bonnie Carter and others all had the fire roar through their properties and lost sheds and equipment. One member (Rodney Thompson) lost the old cottage he was living in next to Judith and his car. Proo Pyke’s property was burnt; they lost fences but no buildings, Other members lost holiday houses. I am sure all of you will sympathise with … Read the rest