DONALD BIRCHIP Phone: 5497 1222 Phone: 5492 2735 Email: The Buloke Times Fax: 5492 2863 [email protected] Email: [email protected] birchipblc@ Est. 1875 bigpond.com Published Tuesdays and Fridays PRICE (inc. G.S.T.) $2 PP331336/0000 1 Friday, April 30, 2021 For the Shire of Buloke, and the districts of Birchip, Charlton, Donald, St. Arnaud, Watchem and Wycheproof Queen’s Prize to Alister Larmour (By David Lee) Birchip Rifle Club member Alister Larmour, of Charlton, has won the prestigious Victorian Queen’s Prize in F open class on the Wellsford Rifle Range in Bendigo. The Queen’s Prize was Queen’s Prize in F open held over three days and class, with a score of 474.44, eight stages on April 16, 17 from Albert van Wyk of and 18. Rosedale with 474.39, and The two days before the in third place, Frog Lowe of Queen’s Prize are set aside Goondiwindi with 474.37. for “The Syme”, often re- It is believed to be the ferred to as the warm up for first time that a Queen’s the Queen’s. Prize has been taken out by Alister finished in fourth a rifle shooter from this area place in “The Syme” in a since the late G. W. Letts won field of Australia’s top F the Victorian King’s Prize at open class shooters. Williamstown in 1949. Day one of the Queen’s Alister also placed third series consists of 2 shoots at in the “Perce Pavey”, which 500 yards and one at 600 is the aggregate over the full yards. At the end of day one 5 days of the competition. Alister was in 12th. place. Birchip club members Day two of the competi- were following Alister’s tion is shot over 700, 800 and progress throughout the 5 900 yards. Alister finished days, and the text line was first at 700, second at 800 very busy. All were proud of and fourth at 900, to take out his achievements, as they all the day two aggregate. know how hard he has Day three was shot over worked and how dedicated 900 and 1000 yards, with Alister is to his shooting. Alister finishing sixth in the To win a Queen’s Prize is day three aggregate. an outstanding achievement, Alister’s consistency over and there could not be a the three days saw him finish more deserving winner. Well in first place and take out the done, Alister. • Councillor Rod Fyffe, OAM, presenting F open Queen’s Prize to Alister Larmour. Council Meetings Reopen to Public Buloke Shire Council will welcome a public gallery back for the first time in over a year at its May Ordinary Meeting of Council. Ordinary meetings had been “Council is excited to once closed to public in-person at- again open our doors to the tendance due to the COVID- community and invite every- 19 pandemic since Council’s one back to attend our meet- meeting back in April 2020. ings in person,” said Mayor, During this time, inline Cr. Daryl Warren. with directions from the “Community participation Minister for Local Govern- is a key plank of any demo- ment, Council had been live cratic process and getting streaming its ordinary meet- involved ensures an opportu- ings via its website. The nity to influence decisions fluctuating nature of the that affect us all.” pandemic had seen meetings There will be COVID held as a mixture of entirely Safe measures in place at the • Left to Right: Crs David Vis, Bronwyn Simpson, Daryl Warren (Mayor), Alan Getley, Carolyn Stewart, and Graeme virtually, face-to-face, and Wycheproof Supper Room, Milne. even a hybrid of both. • Continued on page 2. Funding Boost for Calder Corridor The Australian Government has unlocked over $22 million to deliver Strategic Importance initiative,” upgrade and other improve- and Red Cliffs and a south- five priority upgrades and scoping and development works on the Calder the Deputy Prime Minister ments along the corridor. bound overtaking lane south said. “A northbound and south- of Hattah are the initial prior- Highway between Melbourne and Mildura. Victorian Minister for Trans- bound overtaking lane between ities to be delivered,” Minister Deputy Prime Minister and is investing in greater freight the Australian Government’s port Infrastructure, Jacinta Marong and Bridgewater, Allan said. Minister for Infrastructure, productivity to reduce costs for commitment to improving Allan, said the funding would upgrades to the Baileys Road Federal Assistant Minister Transport and Regional Devel- regional Victorian businesses. safety and productivity on deliver an initial tranche of Intersection at Sea Lake, for Road Safety and Freight opment, Michael McCormack, “These projects on the the Melbourne to Mildura vital upgrades, including new installing wide centrelines Transport, Scott Buchholz, said the Australian Government Calder Highway are part of corridor under our Roads of overtaking lanes, an intersection between the Sunraysia Highway • Continued on page 2. The Victorian Minister for Agriculture opened the Grains Genebank Developments Post-Entry quarantine facility at the Horsham-based From Turkey, we had a message from the leading genebank in April this year. scientist who was on his way back to Australia. He had The Australian Grains Genebank is a joint project a successful visit to the Middle East - examining and FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021 between the Victorian government and the Grains Research securing wild relatives of the seeds which would help and Development Corporation (GRDC), which have breeders to incorporate desirable traits in the species With the delegation to Norway was Dr. Sally both contributed $2 million to the quarantine facility. grown in Australia. His only complaint was that the Norton, leader of the Australian Grains Genebank in beer was not up to scratch in Turkey! Horsham, Victoria. Funds were used to build a 400 square metre green- house, to allow researchers to grow and evaluate more Some of the samples might find their way to the The Australian genebank was opened in 2014, and lines of exotic genetic material faster. In fact, the quar- Global Seed Vault in Norway, the so-called “Doomsday merges three seed collections from Victoria, New South antine centre will cut the waiting time to access seed Vault”. This is a long-term storage facility, built to Wales and Queensland into one national facility. It is arriving in Australia from two years to six months. withstand disasters, natural or man-made. It is deep in- located on the Wimmera flatland at the edge of Hor- Seed from varieties of pulses such as chickpeas, side a mountain on the remote island of Spitsbergen in sham, where the freezers work at -20 degrees Centi- lentils and their wild relatives found in areas like the Svalbard archipelago. It was opened in 2008, and grade (-40 Fahrenheit) for long-term storage. is the world’s largest secure seed storage. Turkey, Morocco, and other semi-arid locations are re- ceived at the genebank. Already the Doomsday Vault contains some seeds The most representative crops are wheat, barley, taken to Norway by the late Tim Fischer and by Dr chickpeas, peas, and lentils. Samples are kept up to The hope is that researchers might be able to un- Tony Gregson, a prominent figure in academia and date at regular intervals, and the genebank aims to re- lock valuable genetics which can help breed varieties crop diversity organisations, as well as being a primary generate about 4,000 different samples per annum with better tolerance to problems like moisture and heat producer who returned to the farm in Warracknabeal. under field and greenhouse environments. stress, frost, drought, pests and diseases. The Australian seeds put into the Vault included Now, the Australian Grains Genebank has added It is yet another example of how growers and the wild relatives of sorghum, rice, beans, canola, oats, “another feather to its cap” with the opening of a new general public can contribute to the constant improve- lupins, and pastures. quarantine facility. ment of agriculture. Birchip Politics in the Pub (By Claire Boyle) Join us for a beer (wine or soda water) and chat about politics and what climate change means for our communities. Farmers for Climate Ac- be centre stage. The energy Denis Ginnivan worked on tion is a movement of more transition means billions of political campaigns in the seat than 6000 farmers across the dollars of renewable energy of Indi for Helen Haines and country, who are passionate investment will flow into Cathy McGowan, and he will about climate solutions and regional Australia. Farmers, talk about creating commu- working with all levels of who manage more than 50% nity change. Cam Klose is the government to ensure farmers of Australia’s land area, will campaigns director at Farmers are part of Australia’s climate be vital in us realising our cli- for Climate Action, and he efforts. mate policies. will talk about how farmers We are hosting a “Politics Come along and find out and rural communities can in the Pub” event at the how we can seize these op- benefit from the transition to Birchip Hotel, from 6 p.m. on portunities and what they net zero. Tuesday, May 6. mean for our communities, as For too long, rural commu- well as how we can make pol- We are running similar nities have largely been an itics work for us, rather than events in Dimboola and Red • Willy Wag Tail on a fence in Wilkur. afterthought when political just for the politicians who, Cliffs. For more information decisions were being made. for too long, have presided visit https://farmersforcli- But over the coming over some of the safest seats mateaction.org.au/mallee-pol- decades, rural Australia will in the country.