Monday 24 February 2014

Help available for Fire Recovery

Kirsty Skilbeck will be our go to person for support for properties affected by the fires. RCL isn't a big player in land management and large scale rehabilitation - we've got our hands full educating Riddells residents and speaking out for Riddells bush to MRSC and half a dozen agency programs. 

But Kirsty can link people affected into  the support that is being organised. Here is her summary of the situation and what's available.

The following local Landcare groups have had been impacted by the fires:
  • Upper Maribyrnong Catchment (Landcare) Group - roughly 70% of group's area burnt
  • Clarkefield and District Farm Landcare Group
  • Sunbury Landcare Association
  • Riddells Creek Landcare Group
See the maps on the Victorian Landcare Gateway that show the extent of the impact of the fires on local Landcare groups.

These maps are being loaded onto the Gateway as they are produced by DEPI GIS staff and its hoped that maps of those groups impacted will be on the Gateway by COB Friday 21 February. Note: some areas of South Gisborne that were burnt do not have coverage by a Landcare group. 

Assistance for Landholders
There are a huge number of landholders affected and in need at this time, and some will require property visits with advice on what they could do and how to go about it. We hope to assist landholders by providing:
  • advice
  • property visits
  • distributing information
  • conducting workshops on silt traps, erosion control, revegetation, pasture management, stock management, weed identification and management and whole farm planning.
I anticipate that lots of my time will be directed towards helping landholders. Landcare has played a significant role in fire recovery in other regions and has successfully helped many landholders get their lives back on track. Helping landholders at this time will also show the relevancy of Landcare and improve our connectedness with the broader community.

Fencing
There is currently an enormous job for landholders to remove and replace both boundary and internal fences. The overall length of the fences burnt is still being assessed, however some reports suggest that more fencing might need to be replaced than occurred after the 2009 fires, given the large number of landholders (about 600) impacted by these fires.  
BlazeAid is currently gearing up to assist with the fencing effort and we hope to channel volunteers where help is needed. The Fencers without Boundaries program (using primarily corporate volunteers), which was implemented in the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network region after the 2009 fires, will move south to assist with the local fire recovery effort. 
Land Class Fencing
The fires provide an opportunity for landholders to put best practice land management systems in place, possibly changing their fencing to fence to land types, creating shelter belts, protecting waterways and remnant vegetation etc. See brochure on Land Class Fencing
http://www.landcarevic.net.au/resources/for-land-managers/bushfire-recovery-resources-for-landholders/fences
 
Workshops
The Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network, in conjunction with the Upper Maribyrnong Catchment Group, Department of Environment and Primary Industries and Melbourne Water is organising a series of workshops and field days for landholders who have been impacted by the fires. This includes workshops on:
  • Soils, pasture recovery, erosion control, stock management, water quality
  • Sediment fencing for erosion control (field day using rice straw)
  • Equine land management in a bushfire recovery context
  • Whole Farm Planning
  • Revegetation
  • Weed control                          
The program of workshops is currently being developed - more details on these workshops in up-coming bulletins.    

Funding
A range of funding options are available for fire affected landholders. However, landholders will require guidance to navigate the range of financial assistance available, as there are number of different funding sources depending on where landholders are situated. Please contact me if you require funding. In addition, the Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network and the South West Goulburn Landcare Network will be applying for funding to assist with the fire recovery process.
Macedon Ranges Shire - Bushfire Recovery Workshops - 1 March 
The Shire has organised workshops for farmers on 1 March. Go to http://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/Council_the_Region/News_Media/Latest_News/Workshops_for_farmers Council has asked if there are any Landcare members or groups that would like to/be willing to have a stall at this event run by the Shire centred around fire recovery, which will be held in Romsey on 1 March, to please let William Terry (Macedon Ranges Shire - wterry@mrsc.vic.gov.au) know. William is particularly interested to know if anyone who has experienced a fire before would be willing to speak about the land recovery process at the Romsey event. Unfortunately I will be away on 1 March. If you or your Landcare group would like to have a stall at the Romsey workshop I can make sure you have plenty of information to hand out and can bring you up to speed on what we may be able to offer.

Fire Recovery Coordination in Mitchell Shire 
The Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network and South West Goulburn Landcare Network facilitated a meeting (in Wallan on Thursday 19 Feb), which was attended by: local government, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Goulburn Broken CMA, Melbourne Water, Upper Goulburn Landcare Network, Broken Catchment Landcare Network. This meeting was held to learn lessons from the past and to ensure that there is coordination and collaboration among all groups and agencies on the the delivery of the fire recovery efforts.

Macedon Ranges Shire Natural/Agricultural Environment Recovery Sub-Committee
I have been invited to participate on the Natural/Agricultural Environment Recovery Sub-Committee meeting that Macedon Ranges Shire Council has organised and can feed any thoughts you have to this committee. They are very keen to have a landholder on the committee so let me know if you would like to have a voice in representing fire affected landholders to Council. 

Plants for Revegetation
Ian Taylor (Western Plains Flora) has donated 2,000 plants to assist with the fire recovery efforts. If you would like to access some of these plants please contact me to get a voucher for 50 plants (one box of tubes) that you can collect from Ian's nursery. Please note the plants you require may not always be in stock and may need to be ordered in advance.
Volunteers
Among some of the ways that you may be able to assist with the fire recovery process include pulling down and erecting fences, helping put up silt barriers, moving logs along contour lines to help limit movement of top soil, revegetation and planting shelter belts. Let me know if you are willing to help in any way.

Bushfire Recovery Resources for Landholders Website
A new page has been established on the Victorian Landcare Gateway where bushfire recovery information can be easily accessed http://www.landcarevic.net.au/resources/for-land-managers/bushfire-recovery-resources-for-landholders

Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network Facebook Page
I have set up an Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/upperdeepcreek  sharing updates on the bushfires and Landcare issues.

If any of you have ideas on how else we can assist landholders, questions, or would like to offer your assistance, please let me know.

Kirsty Skilbeck
Landcare Facilitator
Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network
and providing support to Jacksons Creek EcoNetwork
0409 608 030
udc.landcare.facilitator@gmail.com

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