Hi <<First Name>>,
Welcome to July at NTVLC. This newsletter was due weeks ago but regretfully, the news we were waiting to share with you is MIA.
A few months ago we hurriedly put together a grant application for the Gippsland Transport Environmental Projects (GTEP) Pilot Program.
The application for weed control and revegetation of the Apple Tree Wetlands in the Black Spur Creek wetlands project area was duly prepared and submitted (which was a sterling effort by all the people involved - and there were a lot). We were meant to find out by the end of May, however here we are…Whilst understanding this was a pilot program and things didn’t go quite a smoothly as one would have hoped, we still are waiting to find out whether we did or didn’t. Enough of this frustration. We will let you know if and when we find out, but we couldn’t wait any longer to prepare this newsletter.
The group also submitted an Victorian Landcare Grant application for a one day carbon farming and regenerative agriculture workshop delivered by Regenerative Australian Farmers, and a revegetation workshop. When we called for expressions of interest for project funding we only got one suitable reply. This was included in the grant application. Please think about a project for you place if you are considering revegetation, protecting remnant vegetation, erosion control in a gully or shade and shelter (climate change mitigation) plantations. Grants are announced most years, so it pays to have a project ready to take advantage of any funding available.
Last meeting
Our last meeting should have been a joint meeting with the Tarwin Lower Landcare group, however a snap lockdown fixed that. We are planning to reschedule and have tentatively nominated September 26th as the day for our joint meeting/walk.
The meeting before that was also a joint meeting bush walk with the Arawatta Landcare group. We went pittosporum killing in Hammans Bush. The photo at the head of this newsletter shows a felled weed, the stump of which was immediately painted with herbicide. It was great to see how the bush responded to light once again getting through to the ground, and the number of desirable forest species regenerating. Well done to the Arawatta crew on this ongoing project. The results are really heartening.
Its AGM time (and your official notice of meeting)
I know that annual general meetings don’t push most peoples buttons, but they are an (annual) part of running a community group.
We aim to make the pain of enduring minutes, reports, financial statements as easy as possible by holding the event at the Meeniyan pub.
We are planning the AGM to be held on August 7th at the pub, 6.00pm meeting start food after. If you can’t come for a meal, just turn up for the meeting. We will even shout you a drink.
Please RSVP using the button below, and also please, turn up or send in a proxy quickly so we can achieve a quorum. We have 28 and possibly 29 families as members, so to make a quorum we need 15 families attending- or a proxy from you. We value your membership, but hope you also value the work the group puts into improving our local environment and helping our members achieve their natural resources management goals.
It is likely that all committee members will renominate for their positions this year, however if you fancy a spot as secretary - its yours! Many hands as the saying goes - if you would like to be involved running the group then by all means offer to help. There are lots of things that need doing; some are ongoing roles and some occasional and one off efforts.
If it all goes to custard and there is another lockdown ( please no!) it will be zoom again. We will be in touch.
