News

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.

HVP proves its climate credentials and expects to hit net zero

HVP Plantations released its Climate Commitment Statement in November 2021 (link). The company says the good story it tells is about HVP Plantation’s climate mitigation credentials and how it expects its Victorian operations to have met, and continue to maintain net zero (that is, the annual increase in carbon captured by its plantation estate more than offsets emissions associated with growing and selling logs).

The Climate Commitment Statement will be followed by a detailed Climate Disclosure Report later in 2022. HVP Plantations General Manager Forest Resources, Dr Tony O’Hara, is drafting the report. There is a strong commitment from HVP Plantations’ staff to net zero, that is reinforced by the strong stance on climate change issues held by its main shareholders (US majority shareholder Manulife Investment Management and Australia’s UniSuper), as well as the influence of other shareholders and related companies in Queensland and New Zealand.

Kiewa Carbon Bash - How to Measure Soil Biology

15 July 2022 - Kergunyah Hall, 25 Kergunyah Rd, Kergunyah.
Free & Catered Event - 10am to 2pm.
Register here

Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups are excited to invite you all to our next installment of the Kiewa Carbon Bash. This is a free and catered event, welcome to all.

Please join agroecologist David Hardwick (Soil Land Food) and microbiologist Dr Chandra Iyer for this hands on workshop where we will explore measuring soil biology on your farm.

We will look at the different soil biology tests and look at the results from the DNA analysis of the demo farms that are part of the Kiewa Carbon Bash Project.

Please register via the registration tab or via the QR code.
Contact Project Officer Charles Daaboul at projects@kclg.org.au or on 0493 268 085.