“WILL OUR RAIN RETURN?
WHAT HELP CAN WE GET?”

4.00 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. Wednesday March 11, 2009
Mechanics Hall, 143 Inglis Street, Ballan.

Four speakers from 4.00-6.00 pm on drought assistance:
What can a Rural Financial Counsellor do for you? (Brian Gardiner)
Assistance available to farmers through Centrelink (Janine Ryan)
Availability of stock water from Shire stand pipes (Andrew Bainbridge)
Bores as source of stock water (Elissa McNamara, South’n Rur. Water)

Dr Harvey Stern, Bureau of Meteorology, at 7 pm on
“What has happened to our rain?”

Prof David Karoly, Earth Science, Melb Uni, 7.30-8.30 pm
“Why has our rainfall declined? What is the likely future trend?”

Ring or leave message for John on 0428 354 635: State number of people, name(s), phone number and which parts you will attend. OR: E mail same details to John at: .

Further information is availible from the South West Climate Change Forum website at : http://www.swccf.com.au/ .

• The CPRS is a cap & trade system
• The government will cap the no. of permits
• 70 % of permits will be auctioned off, 25 % will go to trade exposed sectors that are emissions intensive and 5-6 % will go towards the electricity adjustment scheme
• The scheme will target the 1000 highest emitters, who represent 75 % of all emissions
• The feds are committed to reducing Australia’s emissions by 5 % (unconditionally, even if there is no international agreement on set reductions) and up to 15 (if there is an international agreement on emissions reductions)
• Incentives and financial support will be offered to offset additional costs but this will be reduced over time
• The Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority will be established in 2010
• Business will be encouraged to favour clean energies or more efficient energy practices
• Agriculture (which represents 16 % of emissions) will not be included until 2015 (with the final decision to be made in 2013)
• revegetation of the native environment is seen as a viable means to offset costs through the aquisition of carbon credits

Further information can be found via the Department of Climate Change here :

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/index.html
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/emissionstrading/index.html

DPI & South West Climate Change Forum will host an information session on Emission Trading Schemes and Carbon Calculators on Monday 2nd March 2009 1.00-3.00pm at DemoDairy (7161 Princes Hwy, Terang). Further information is availible from the SWCCF website http://www.swccf.com.au/ .

I also offer my condolences to those families who have previously been affected by bushfires. For many of you recent events will have awoken the trauma that you have suffered.

I also would like to offer my praise to all the emergency service workers (including police, ambulance, doctors, pilots, CFA members, counsellors, etc.) and the many members of local communities who have shown great courage and compassion in assisting their fellow human beings. Great work !

Lets hope the 2008-2009 Victorian fire season is finished.

Groups might include Landcare Groups, School Groups, Community Groups and shires. The aim of this initiative is to restore native habitat in the Hopkins Moyne catchment, through revegetation, remnant protection and weed management. Reserves must have high biodiversity potential and the potential to become an assett to the wider community.

Reserves will not be eligible if they have access to other sources of funding, such as funds from the Department of Sustainability or that are being actively managed by a local shire. Reserves set up on private land will also be considered. Once a list of appropriate projects has been compiled, Basalt to Bay will seek corporate sponsorship to provide funding for individual projects.

Expressions should be no more than a page and include the name of the reserve, size, title of the project, location of the project, information about any current mangement plans or lack of plans, reasons for the project, community groups likely to be involved in works, community benefits &/or spinoffs and also costsings for plants/direct seeding, weed treatment, contracting and fencing and any known flora/fauna or threatened species. Seedlings would be subsidized at $1.50 per plant(including guards and sticks), while fencing would be subsidized at $4/m. Please also include a photo of the site and if possible an aerial or satellite image of the site (Google Earth will do an ok job).

Townships which fit under the Basalt to Bay umbrella include : Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Orford, Yambuk, Koroit, Allansford, Hawkesdale, Kirkstall, Mortlake, Caramut, Glenthompson, Penshurst, Dunkeld, Woolsthorpe, Bushfield, Panmure, Ellerslie, Emu Creek. Other areas within our boundary may also be included. Expressions for this year close on the 30th April, 2009. It is not expected that project funding will be availible until late this year. For further information please contact myself, Richard Hudson on 0458 268 119 (Thursday or Friday) or email me at richardb2b@gmail.com. Expressions of interest can be emailed or sent to me C/O Glenelg Hopkins CMA, 241 Lava Street, Warrnambool, 3280.

If you are considering fencing only, Basalt to Bay maybe able to fund revegetation in 2010-2012.

Please call or email Tania Parker, to discuss any projects you have in mind.

If anyone in the network has any other potential corporate sponsors in mind, please let me know.