AUTUMN 2019 AUTUMN

VOL 19 – 19 VOL Rural News

The word is out: The Farmers Fauna Fact

and Makers Market is coming! CHERRY BALLART The South Morang Farmers and Makers Cherry Ballart, or Native Cherry, Market is an initiative of Council’s is a common small tree (3-8m) in Economic Development Team which will woodland / open forest communities provide our growing community with direct and roadsides in the City of Whittlesea. access to locally grown produce and You’ve probably seen them and not made goods. Our mission is to strengthen really noticed as they are sometimes the local economy by supporting local confused with pine trees or she-oaks. farmers and businesses, while providing a sustainable alternative for quality goods. The tree is hemiparasitic, meaning it can photosynthesise but gains extra In 2016, Council’s Agribusiness Program nutrients by attaching its roots to conducted a feasibility study which host plants, including grasses. The demonstrated an overwhelmingly positive succulent red cherry-like fruit is eaten response from the community for a by black-faced cuckoo shrike, king Farmers Market to be run in our growth parrots and crimson rosella. areas. It’s a significant tree to the first Local farmers and potential stallholders Australians as it’s used in welcome were surveyed and provided a positive to country and cleansing ceremonies, response with over 30 potential easy parking and setup. The location is also the wood used to make stallholders expressing an interest to be a two minute walk from South Morang station spear throwers and the involved. Following this study, we are and Westfield Plenty Valley, allowing for sap to treat snake bite. excited to announce the launch of the residents to travel to the market with ease. South Morang Farmers and Makers Following the launch, the Market will run Market. as a pilot project for the remainder of the The City of Whittlesea has an abundance year. Depending on the success of this pilot of talented artists, passionate farmers project, Council will investigate if the market and businesses and what better way to will continue on an ongoing monthly basis. celebrate this than to run a monthly market Come along to the exciting launch and in the hub of our growth area. celebrate what has been made and grown The Market will be launched on Saturday in your own municipality. Anticipate a 18 May and will run on the third Saturday joyous occasion with live music, food, kids’ of every month. The market calendar was activities and more. planned to avoid conflict with any existing If you would like to be involved as a markets that our community, farmers and stallholder or would like to find out further businesses may already attend. information about the market, please contact The Market will be held at Council’s Civic Randa on 9217 2367 or email business@ Centre in the public car park, allowing for whittlesea.vic.gov.au

Spray rig for hire The Kinglake Landcare Group hire out their spray unit and trailer for single day or weekend loans at a very reasonable rate. It’s a great way to tackle those larger spray jobs without investing in a rig of your own or worrying about storage. To enquire about Thomas N (Natureshare) hire, contact 0419 858 580. Cherry Ballart. Inset: The cherry-like fruit. Guests enjoying the fine array of produce sourced from the Plenty Valley.

neighbouring municipalities. Locally made The lunch was followed by the launch of cheese, cold meats, fruit, vegetables, Just Add Water, a book by the Friends Plenty on breads, dips, wines and soft drinks of Toorourrong. The book focuses on showcased the enormous variety the the personal recollections and photos, show Plenty Valley provides. mostly from family albums, of the people who were involved in the construction, Food Technology students from Whittlesea The inaugural Friends of Toorourrong maintenance and social activities of Secondary College planned and prepared Table of Plenty lunch was held on March the northern end of ’s first the feast and Food and Beverage students 29 at Toorourrong Reservoir Park. The water supply system. The system which from Melbourne Polytechnic performed 120 guests enjoyed canapes and drinks comprises the Yan Yean, Toorourrong and front of house duties. The many generous along the dam wall before being seated Wallaby Creek catchments. at the 39 metre long table. Wurundjeri producers and suppliers were fundamental elder, Ian Hunter, played the didgeridoo to the success of the Table of Plenty and The production of the book was the and Steve Foy played the bagpipes in an the City of Whittlesea were proud to be result of many local community groups amazing welcome for the guests as they able to support the event. The feedback coming together. Books are available sat down for lunch. The three course meal received has been overwhelmingly for sale for $40 from the Whittlesea was sourced from local producers and positive with many expressing a desire that Courthouse on Tuesday mornings or email suppliers within the City of Whittlesea and the lunch become an annual event. [email protected] or call 0427 510 092.

woodland and unfortunately they are rare in Focus on conservation Victoria with the exception of East Gippsland. Quolls face a number of threats which include habitat loss, fragmentation, introduced species, off-target poisoning and fire. Quolls were once deliberately killed by landowners for killing their Quoll-ity find chickens. Volunteers from the Australian Quoll They are difficult to spot as they are often Conservancy have found a scat (poo) in the solitary and naturally occur in low numbers Wallaby Creek Catchment area which they in the landscape. They are highly mobile believe to come from the rare Spotted-tail - moving up to several kilometres a night Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus). covering their large home ranges. They Image: David Paul The scat could be the first piece of make their dens in small caves, hollow logs evidence of the elusive quoll in the area and rock crevices where they raise their young. Quolls are in no way fussy eaters, since the 1980s. The elusive spotted-tail quoll. with wallabies, possums, rodents, rabbits, Also known as a Tiger Quoll, these cat sized birds, reptiles, invertebrates and carrion, predators are mainland ’s largest including road kill, making up their diet. with the recent discovery of some poo and carnivorous marsupial. Their coat can be a yet to be confirmed photo. almost red to dark brown and is covered in Ranger Tony white spots that continue down their tail. Fitzgerald and his team were once close to If you think you might have seen a Quoll confirming quolls in the National Park but please contact the Land Management They are found in a range of forest the evidence was destroyed by the 2009 Team on 9217 2471 and the Australian environments from rainforest to open fires. Continued surveying has paid off Quoll Conservancy on 0412 632 328. Rabbits and your responsibilities Since being released at Geelong in 1860, quickly leads to a degraded landscape. In In Victoria, under the Catchment and Land rabbits have had a disastrous impact this situation vegetation is often replaced Protection Act 1994, rabbits are listed on the Australian landscape. Rabbits with invasive weeds which rabbits will as declared established pest animals. destroy pasture, crops and native plant avoid, leading to further weed infestation. All landowners and managers have the communities impacting on both agriculture In some years a national annual loss in responsibility to take all reasonable steps and biodiversity. agricultural production due to rabbits has to prevent the spread of, and as far as been in the hundreds of millions of dollars. possible, eradicate established pest Rabbits selectively feed on certain species animals from their land. at different stages of development which Living up to two years, breeding begins in autumn and can Working with your neighbours to continue through to coordinate an integrated management early summer when program is the best way to control rabbits vegetation begins at a landscape scale. This can include drying out. Rabbits a targeted baiting program, harbour become sexually management and warren destruction. mature at three to four Rabbit control is most effective in late months and within 18 summer and early autumn as breeding has months, a single pair generally paused. So if you’re not already, of rabbits can breed talk to your neighbours about controlling up and become 184 rabbits and other pest now. individuals. Young For support controlling rabbits in your rabbits will disperse area, join the Whittlesea Pest Animal and define new Management program. Contact Jane Juliff territories ready for on 0417 127 841 or Katherine Whittaker on the following breeding 9217 2147. Land degradation as a result of lack of rabbit control. season.

and provide safe exclusion measures, is encouraged into an adjoining considerations for human safety and conservation reserve, extensive Kangaroos animal welfare (site induction and monitoring of that population and impacts a contingency plan), environment to the reserve are required. All monitoring protection, monitoring for the duration and survey results are fed back to the on the move: of the development and for six months State Government and Council with KMP’s What role does thereafter. Where an EGK population amended accordingly. Council play? Council shares the same concerns as residents for the welfare and displacement of our local wildlife and the high-risk interactions with traffic that come with increasing urbanisation. While Local Government has limited jurisdiction to manage these interactions at the time they occur, action is being taken at a strategic planning level to limit future impacts on kangaroos. At the early stages of planning a subdivision of land, an applicant must engage a qualified ecologist to determine the need for a Kangaroo Management Plan (KMP). A KMP is required if Eastern Grey Kangaroos (EGK) are present on site, or if a local population frequents or has the potential to utilise the site. Guidelines for preparing a KMP have been prepared by the State Government and a KMP must be in accordance with these guidelines if it is to be approved/endorsed. A KMP is required to be endorsed by both the State Government (DELWP) and Council. A KMP will address staged timing of a development to prevent land-locking, Kangaroo Management Plans at the early stages of development help to prevent land-locking. Event wrap-up The Whittlesea Pest Animal Management Program (PAM) has kicked off with an interactive and informative pest animal workshop hosted by Ian and Robyn Goding at their property in the northern reaches of Whittlesea. The workshop was presented by expert vertebrate pest animal contractor Peter Voutier (Feralex) and covered practical control workshop (see inset) was held techniques and information in March and the project officers are on the management of rabbits PAM update preparing a landholder resource pack and foxes. Peter brought his What? which will include: fact sheets, monitoring instructions and record sheets and many years of experience Whittlesea’s Pest Animal Management letterbox flyers for neighbours. to the conversation and (PAM) Program is a community/council his presentation included collaboration aimed at reducing pest animal Monitoring and rabbit control works will field demonstrations and numbers and associated impacts in the commence in late May, with fox and deer rural areas of the municipality. The program control being undertaken from spring. information on trapping, has received funding for three years from baiting, biological control, the State Government and will focus on Where? fumigation and monitoring. education and awareness, monitoring and Pest animal management and monitoring The conversation covered control of three target pest animal species - will take place on both private properties the importance of community rabbit, fox and deer. and public land in the rural areas of the participation and the vital role municipality including Kinglake National Why? individuals play in monitoring Park / Toorourrong Reservoir / 10 Chains and harbour management. Through the management of pest animals the Reserve, / Sherwin’s program aims to ease increasing pressure Range and Mt Disappointment State Forest. The session was concluded on our local flora, fauna and habitats, as well If you’re interested in starting some straight- with a picnic lunch where as our agricultural values and the unique forward monitoring and having a pest participants were invited to character of our rural environment. control contractor commence work on your sign up to PAM, and to provide Who? property, contact Jane or Katherine for valuable input and local more information. Landholder interest is increasing each day perspective for this program. and we’re excited to see neighbouring Jane Juliff, Landcare Facilitator landholders signing up for rabbit and fox [email protected] control works. Council will work together with the Project Working Group (PWG) to or 0417 127 841 deliver an integrated and adaptive program Katherine Whittaker, Environment that is responsive to community needs. Protection Officer The PWG includes representatives from [email protected] local community groups, Parks Victoria, or 9217 2147 , the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and the Wurundjeri Narrap team. Local artist and naturalist, Suzi Duncan, When? has kindly permitted the use of some of Ground work for PAM started late last year, her wonderful local wildlife photos for with a community drop in day in Whittlesea PAM landholder resources (see images and the first PWG Meeting. A pest animal above). Thanks Suzi!

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