Female sheep

 The Rotary Club of Maffra Community Market will be held on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at the Island Reserve, McMahon Drive, Maffra (at the back of Woolworths car park) from 9am until 12.30pm. Everyone welcome.  Maffra CWA branch will be selling tickets for their Mother’s Day raffle on Thursday, May 5, 2022, outside IGA from 9am.  The Rotary Club of Maffra Community Street stall caravan is available for hire on Fridays. Enquires to Semmens, Hatch and Anderson, 1-3 Pearson Street, Maffra or phone 5147 1944.  Maffra Indoor Bowls Club will commence their 2022 indoor bowls season on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at 1pm. Names on list in clubhouse phone 5147 1974 or to Bev on 5147 1169.  The Rotary Street stall caravan this Friday, April 29, 2022, will be held by St John’s Anglican Church. Homemade goodies will be for sale.

www.gippslandtimes.com.au

Aussie expertise helps our Indonesian friends

THE local experience of landholders, communities and government agencies working together to protect the Gippsland Lakes was recently shared with land managers from the Lake Limboto area of Indonesia. Staff from the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s (WGCMA) Land Management Team shared the story of improving waterway health over the last twenty years. The workshops were organised by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) as part of Australia’s Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesia on sharing water knowledge. Case studies were exchanged on Lake Limboto in Indonesia and Lake Wellington and the Gippsland Lakes more generally. Populated by subsistence farmers, the Lake Limboto area is affected by sediment and run off having a negative impact on waterway health. WGCMA Lands Program co-ordinator Anthony Goode was in attendance at the workshops. “It was fascinating to see the challenges facing Indonesians which are in some ways similar to those faced here 20 years ago,” Mr Goode said. “One of the major differences however is the scale of the population around Lake Limboto. Where we might work with a few hundred farmers working medium to large scale businesses, the Indonesian team works with thousands of smaller, subsistence farmers growing corn, avocados or working in aquaculture, so they are quite different approaches needed in the two environments.” WGCMA Land and Biodiversity Team manager Shayne Haywood also participated in the workshops to discuss how Gippsland farm businesses have been assisted to change practices. Examples included reducing run-off from paddocks entering waterways to mitigate negative impacts on the Gippsland Lakes. “Initiatives include whole farm plans, which help farmers design the most effective ways to irrigate and save water,” Mr Goode said. “Incentives to develop re-use dams where irrigation water that runs off paddocks is stored and

The local experience of landholders, communities and government agencies working together to protect the Gippsland Lakes was recently shared with a visiting delegation from Indonesia.

Photo: Contributed

re-used rather than allowed to flow into drains and then into the Lakes. “Assistance to switch to more efficient irrigation techniques, save water and reduce run off were all discussed and explored.” “These type of interventions over 20 or so years have seen significant water savings, reduction in nutrients flowing into the Lakes and increased profitability of farm businesses.” The Indonesian delegates to the online forum were interested to hear more detail on a range of subjects ranging from data management and decision processes to measuring the success of projects over several years. “They were certainly asking some tough questions by the end, which is great and encouraged us to reflect on both the progress of our work so far and how we might improve it into the future,” he said. “One of the key aspects of all the work we do are the relationships we have been able to build up over many years with landholders, other government bodies and people like farm consultants to help drive and reinforce the constant need to keep on the path we’re on.”

Nursing graduates (excluding those in a graduate year) of either general, psychiatric nursing or an enrolled nurse are eligible to apply for an Amy Roseby O’Neill and Nancy Callinan Scholarship.

Established by local Sale couple, Jenny O’Neill and Gerard Callinan, in honour of their nursing mothers, the scholarships will see recipients receive up to $1500 for support with things like course fees, educational materials, accommodation, travel and childcare. The contribution has been matched by CGH and will see $10,000 in total available to local nurses and those currently working in healthcare training to become nurses.

Applications will be accepted until 31 April. More information is available at www.amyandnancy.com.au.

Job Vacancies ç Please visit the recruitment section on our website: www.cghs.com.au

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