Gippsland Farmer February 2025

ALESSON FORALL AUTU BULL GIESCHE ATIGER

Leongatha South winery Bass Phillip had its 2022 Gippsland Premium Pinot Noir rank inside the top100 Australian wines of 2024 according to tasters at James Suckling. Gippsland Farmer spoketoBass Phillip General Manager,Adam Francis on the ranking. Photo: TomHayes

Fine wine ranks high

TomHAYES

AT the end of 2024, the tasters at James Suckling compiledtheir officialrankings for Australia’s top 100 wines of the year

From the morethan 2200 wines that were tested in asix-month period, two Gippsland wines ranked inside the top 100.

James Suckling tasters ranked the wines basedoff anumber of criteria, including basis of quality,availability, price, and ‘wow’ factor

The first local wine to make the top 100 list was Bass Phillip’s Pinot Noir Gippsland Premium 2022, from Leongatha South, which rankednumber 44 with ascoreof97. The tasting notes from James Suckling

stated: “Pureand sophisticated aromas of dark cherries, raspberries, cassia bark, and we earth. The palate is medium-bodied withfinelyintegratedtanninsand bright acidity, givingnotes of blackberries, tobacco leaves, and graphite. Very tightlywound and focused. Opens up in the glassand shows its purity.”

The first Bass Phillip vines wereplanted in 1979 by the first owner,Phillip Jones, from whom the current owners bought the business, believed to be the first vines planted in South Gippsland.

Gippsland Far mer spoke to Bass Phillip General Manager, Adam Francis, after the Pinot Noir’s inclusion into the top 100 ranking.

Mr Francis moved to Adelaide in the early 2000s, after growing up and spending his early yearsinSuf folk (eastcoastofthe United Kingdom).

Followingasuccessfulcareer in construction, Mr Francis, his wife and two daughters moved to regional Victoria to take over the reins at Bass Phillip from 2020.

“My brother -in-law is awinemaker in France,inBurgundy, he didsomeconsulting with Phil (Mr Jones) back in the early 2000s,” Mr Francis said.

“They heardthat this was coming up for sale, wanted aBurgundy winemaker to associate their name with this, so he (Mr Jones)asked his peopleinFrance, and they put him onto my brother -in-law.

“And he (Jean-Marie Fourrier) in tur n got in touch with myself and my wife and said, ‘How would we feel about running a winery in Victoria?’”

Mr Francis told Gippsland Farmer that he always had an interest in wine and winemaking. Growingupinthe UK, he had familyfriendswho werewine importers, which exposed him to the industry.

When Mr Fran cis ’s ist er ma rri ed a Frenchman, and he got the chanceto travel to France in thelate1990s and early 2000s, which opened the door for him to get his first experience in winemaking and harvesting.

Continued -Page26

Livestock ID threat

AVICTORIAN court has cracked down on a threat to the national livestock identification system. At the Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court recently,livestock agent Andrew Wilson pleaded guilty to four charges for traceabilityoffencesunderthe Livestock Disease Control Regulations 2017.

Mr Wilson was sentenced to an aggregate fine of $2500 with conviction. Plus,an order for costs of $341.79 was also given.

Agriculture Victoria Compliance Manager, Daniel Bode said on fouroccasionsin Octoberand November 2023, Mr Wilson sent cattle to an abattoir in Tongala, Victoria without recording or forwarding the property identification code prior to their dispatch.

“This resulted in the loss of lifetime traceability for atotal of 61 animals,” he said.

The Magistrate considered Mr Wilson’s priorconvictions for related offending in 2017 and 2021, his guilty plea and actions taken to prevent further of fending. The Magistrate also commented that the offending had consequences of significance and general deterrence was necessary to send amessage.

Mr Bode said the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) is Australia’s system for identifying and tracking cattle, buffalo,and bisonfor disease control, food safety, and market access purposes.

“An effective traceability system is critical to protecting Victoria from biosecurity

risks and ensuring access to international markets,” Mr Bode said.

“The NLIS provides infor mationabout aproduct’s journey from farmtothe end consumer and enables prompt responses to food safety incidents, emergency animal diseases and also protects the reputation of Victoria’s livestock industry as asupplier of quality meat and dairy products for domestic and export markets.”

Mr Bode said the detection of the offending and thoroughinvestigation conducted by the department had ensured potential risks to Victorianlivestockand consumers wereavoided.

“The outcome of the matters brought bef or et he co u rt se rve da sas tr ong reminder the Victorian community takes biosecurity seriously,” he said.

“The vast majority of Victorian producers do an excellentjob helpingtoensurea strong biosecurity system is maintained.

Astrong biosecurity systemnot only protectsour agriculture sector, butalso our environment, biodiversity, cultural heritage, economy and way of life.”

For moreinformation on NLIS, including training on how to usethe system, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/nlis

Anyone wish ing to make as pecific compla int in regar dtolivestock welfar eortraceabilitybreaches can call AgricultureVictoria on 136 186, or email at: aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Couple fined for chargesrelatingto animal neglect

ACOUPLE from Kallista in the Dandenong Rangeshas pleadedguiltytoanimal cruelty of fences at the Wonthaggi Magistrates’ Court recently, bothreceiving afineof $2000 without conviction.

Nicole and Frank Pytellek pleaded guilty to two charges of neglecting to supervise and preventing access to aboggy area on their property at Toora, resulting in unnecessary pain or suffering caused to aheifer stuck up to its neck in mud.

The accusedalso pleaded guilty to two charges for failing to comply with aNotice To Comply (NTC), and aggravated cruelty in respect of asteer with eye cancer

TheMagistrate commented the responsibility fell on them to keep the animals safe, healthy, and well, and the offending is taken seriously because of the vulnerability of the animals.

Agriculture Victoria Compliance Manager, Daniel Bode said the couple wereabsentee

owners and persons in charge of amob of about 32 cattle.

In response to acomplaint, Agriculture Victoriaofficersattended the property in September 2023.

“TheAgVic of ficers observed asteerin extremely low body condition and with an advanced eye cancer measuring 15 centimetres wide and 11cm deep,” Mr Bode said.

“An NTC that was issued to provide treatment was not acted on.”

Additionally, aheifer was discovered, whose body was completely bogged in a dam. Therewas nothing to prevent livestock accessing this area.

Both animals wereeuthanised to prevent further suffering.

Mr Bode said apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfarebreaches can jeopardise Victoria’s reputation as ahumane and responsible produceroffood, which can, in turn,affect all producers.

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Firesafety plan crucialfor livestock

VICTORIAN producersare moreawarethan most of the importance of being prepared and havinga plan in place for livestock during afire.

With the fireseason upon us, livestock ownersshouldbeprepared and have aclear strategy to apply in the possibility of afire emergency on their farm, says Agriculture Victoria.

Akey factor in minimising the threat to livestock during abush fireoronextreme firedanger days is to identify safer areas on-farmwherelivestock can be moved to. The area you choose will depend on the type of livestock and their expected behaviour during afire.

To reduce potential injury and death to livestock you should consider relocating

stock to designated low-risk areas during days of high firedanger and Total FireBans.

Low risk areas include bareareas such as ploughed paddocks, areascultivated and kept free of combustible vegetation, bared-out paddocks -provided they are welldefended by firebreaks, irrigated paddocks, or paddocks containing green summer crops stockyards that can be wet in advance.

However,the yards must be well defended as the firefront passes.Dams and swamps areanother possible option.

All low-risk areas should have sufficient drinking water to enable stock to remain in the area for extended periods of high fire risk and high temperatures.

Sto ck ya rd sh av eb ee nk no wn to

successfullyhold stock during afireif protected by afirebreak. Ifthisisyour preferred option, consider using asprinkler system since stock being held together on ahot day can suffer heat stress.

Horses should not be locked up in small areas or stablesbut moved to anopen paddock with minimal vegetation, so they can move freely. Horses and cattle areadept at avoiding afire, moving themselves to safe open areas and usually suffer minimal burns if left to do so.

If equipment such as rugs, halters, and flyveils remain on horses, the plastic may melt, and metal buckles can burnthe animal. Therefore, consider using rope halters for easier handling and management. It’scrucial notto open gates thatmay

allow stock access to public roadways, as any animals will be ahazardtotraffic in smoky conditions.

On days of extreme firedanger or on the day before, stockshould be moved into lowerrisk areason-farm, or onto asafer property.

AgricultureVictoria advises livestock owners to act early and do not get caught trying to move stock as afireapproaches. Listen to weather forecasts and observe your own environment to help you decide when to put your plan into action.

For further assistance on preparing a farmand livestockbushfireplan, phone the AgricultureVictoria Customer Service Centreon136 186.

Livestock owners need to have aplan in place for livestock.

Photo: iStock

Managing animal welfare during periods of heat

Jeff CAVE

AS we move through summer,heat stress in livestock can become amajor issue, both for productionlevels and animal welfare, but thereare precautions that youcan take.

The ideal temperaturerange for cattle is between 5°C and 25°C, and for adult pigs just 18°C to 20°C.

It is importanttoremember high-producing livestock, such as dairy cows, are the animals most sensitive to heat stress. Poultry have been known to perish due to heat stress on very hot days.

As temperatures rise, animals use their energy to cool themselves-this results in reducedproduction or weightgain. Feed intake is also reduced.

Humiditycan alsoplaya role in heat stress. For any temperature, the degree of heat stress increases as humidity increases.

Heat stress can significantly impact the production andanimalwelfareof your stock. Check your livestock daily, looking for any signs of stress during hot weather

Heat-stressed livestock will seek shade drinkmore, eat less, stand rather than lay down, pant, may produce less milk, and can be less fertile.

On hot days, givelivestock unlimited access to shade or shelter and good quality, cool drinking water.Make sureyou are ready to implement your fireplan. Avoid moving animals during the hottest part of the day and try to avoid moving on extreme days.

High-quality feed should be given during the evening when it is cooler,aslivestock aremorelikely to consume it.

If you arenot living at aproperty, arrange for aneighbour to check on animals in your absence.

By making some minor management changes and taking alittle extra careofyour livestock in extreme hot weather,the effects of heat stress canbesubstantiallyreduced delivering betterwelfareand production outcomes.

For further infor mation, see your local veterinarian or AgricultureVictoria veterinary or animal health officer

Dr Je ff Cave is an Agr icu lt ure

Victoria Senior VeterinaryOfficer

Seek signs of blue-green algae in dams

LIVESTOCK owners should look for signs of blue-green algae when inspecting farm dams, troughs and other water sources, particularly duringthe warmer months, when algal blooms aremorelikely to occur

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, arebacteria that canmultiply rapidly under certain conditions.

Blue-green algae is morelikely to occur when the water is warmand enriched with nutrients like phosphorus or nitrogen.

While blue-green algal blooms typically appear as green paint-like surface scum in water,they can also be reddish-purple or brown incolour.It can be difficultto

tell blue-green algae from other less toxic algal species.

Blue-green algae may contain toxins that damage the liver or nervous system.

Drinking contaminated water can kill livestock quickly and anumber of livestock may be affected at the same time.

Animals exposed to affected water supplies may continue to die over aprolonged period. In milder cases,productivity losses may occur,which in dairycattle may be seenasdecreasedmilk yield.Ifasuspicious bloom is found, farmers should move their stock to an area on the property with asafe, alternative water source.

SPRAYING

• Weeds

• Liquid fertilizer

• Pesticides

SPREADING

• Fertilizer pellets

• Powder/granules

• Seed

PHOTOGRAMMETRY

• Farm mapping

• Contour maps

• Crop health

• Aerial photography

Farmers should plan for managing water availability in the event that ablue-green algal bloom impacts their primary livestock drinking water supply.

The plan should include calculating how much water livestock would requireif the primarywater supply was unsafe to drink andidentifying additional alternative onfarmwater supplies that could be utilised quickly.

In the medium-ter m, yourplancould incl ude im pr oving w ater re tic ula tion systems, considering options for treating blue-green algae affected water,or agist your stock elsewhereuntil your farmwater is safe again.

Alesson for all: Gurdies fire

HE chose to stay, but won’t do that again. AGurdies local, who watched abushfire arrive at his doorstep, is urging everyone to listen to the advice of authorities and leave early when it comes to fire.

Glenn Skrobalak was at his home in the Gurdies on December 20, 2024 when the large bushfire started to unexpectedly head towards his home and property.

People wereadvised to evacuate the area, but despite having abag packed and ready to go, Glenn decided to stay -a decision he says he now regrets.

“My initial thought was to stay and defend the property and Iprobably regret that now seeing how severeitwas and how fast it came. Idon’t think Iwould be doing that again,” Mr Skrobalak said.

“I thoughtI was well and truly capable having been in other high-pressuresituations and handled them well, but this was totally different. Iwas just exhausted.Ican workall day outside,but seven minutes of that Ihad well and truly had enough.”

It was at that point that the Corinella CFA Captain, David Cox and Kernot-Grantville CFALieutenant,AndrewBlackney were driving past as part of the fireresponse at the time.

Despite not having atruck, Mr Cox saw Mr Skrobalak standing in his property

“looking panicked” andswoopedintohelp.

“Wecould see Glenn just standing out therebyhimself, we could seethe panic starting to come and Isaid ‘wehave to go and help him’,” Mr Cox said.

“Anyone out therethat day would have done the same thing.It’s just our instinct.”

Mr Cox approached Mr Skrobalak and using Mr Skrobalak’s firepump and hose, got to work fightingoff spot fires and defending the property.

Mr Skrobalak saidwatching Mr Cox work was incredible and it really opened his eyes

to how much skill is involved in fighting afire.

“I never would havethought to do the things that he was doing,” Mr Skrobalak said.

“I have neverexperienceda bushfire before, and Iwas just so overwhelmed by howincredibly trained David and the CFA wereand when the situation changes how quickly they react to it.

“I really do believe he (Mr Cox) stopped it from not only engulfing our place but all of our neighbours’. Idon’t really have words to describe how grateful we are.”

Ashort time later,the Glen Alvie brigade wasable toget some appliances into Mr Skrobalak’s property and completely tackle the fire. Both Mr Skrobalakand Mr Cox said this incident highlighted the importance of listening to advice and leaving early.

“Wewould rather people arenot there-it does hinder our firefighting abilities,” Mr Cox said.

“Things can be replaced, but imagine never getting to hug your loved ones again, imagine never being able to see them again.”

Mr Skrobalak said he was extremely grateful for the work of David and the other firefighters that day.

“Don’t stay, it’s not worth it,” he said.

“Take offand you can hope for the best but at least you will be safe.”

Tips for leaving early during abushfire event:

-Ona ‘Catastrophic’ day, leavinghigh risk bushfireareas the night beforeorearly in the morning is the safest option; -You can go to family or friends in a low fireriskarea, ashoppingcomplex, library or another community building in alow-risk area, and;

-Plan your route and ensureyour car has enough petrol so you don’t need to stop. Read mor ea bout leav ing ear ly at: cfa.vic .gov. au/pla n-pr epar e/ before-and-during-a-fire/leave-early

Corinella CFACaptain,David Coxalongside Gurdies local Glenn Skrobalak.

Photo: Contributed

Astark reminder for local risks: LA blaze

RECENT fireevents in Victoria have shown thatthe risk of devastating bushfires similar to the catastrophic fires seen in Los Angeles in California, remains avery real threat for Australian communities, according to the Howitt Society.

The tragic fires in Pomonal, near the Grampians, in February 2024 -where45 homes werelost, and the Mallacoota fires of 2020 -where128 homes weredestroyed, highlight the increasing vulnerability of towns and homes situated close to the bush, says the group, named after the 19th century scientist Alfred Howitt.

Howitt Society President,Peter Flinn said while these events wereonasmaller scale compared to the LA disaster,the underlying factors remain strikingly similar

“These fires weredriven by acombination of long-unbur nt fuels, extreme dry con di tio ns ,a nd hom es loc ate dn ea r bushland. When strong winds kicked in, they propelled embers long distances ahead of the firefront, igniting homes that were largely unoccupied due to pre-emptive evacuations,” he said.

Lookingback further, Mr Flinn said Victoria’s history of bushfiredisasters included the devastating Black Saturday fires of 2009, whichclaimedthe livesof 173 people -120 of those in the Kinglake area, and 46 in Marysville -and destroyed morethan 2000 homes.

“In terms of loss of life, these fires were far morecatastrophic than recent fires in Califor nia. Other Australian states have also faced similar tragedies, further underscoring theongoing danger posed by bushfires,” he said.

“The saying, ‘those who cannot learnfrom history aredoomed to repeat it’, serves as astarkreminder that fire disasters are often the result of predictable patterns: a volatile mix of meteorological conditions, topographical factors, and fuel types.

“While weather and geography arebeyond our control, fuel management is afactor we can actively address.”

Mr Flinnstressed thatthe key to mitigating the intensity of fires was reducing the available fuel.

“Nofuel equals no fire; less fuel equals less intense fire.” he added.

The Howitt Societymaintains that broadscale fuel reduction programs areproven to reduce the severity of fires over largeareas.

The RoyalCommission, following the 2009fires, recommended that at least five per cent of Victoria’s forests be treated annually, while successfulprograms in Western Australia target six to eightper cent annually.

YetinVictoria, Mr Flinn said only about 1.3 per cent of the forest area is currently managed for fuel reduction.

“It is critical that land managers take a proactiveapproachtofuelmanagement across Victoria’s forests to reduce the risk of futuredisasters. This should be atop priority as part of ongoing firemitigation efforts,” he said.

“The lessons of history areclear.Wemust act now to prevent futuretragedies.”

Pregnancy plan program

Hannah MANNING

DURINGadifficultseason,somecowswill have atough time getting back in calf. Many spring calving herds arejoining their cows and in some cases these cows areinpoorer condition than normal. Limited feed availabilitymakes getting back in calf abig ask for the cows. Due to the season,there is ariskof reduced conception rates for many farms. We can’t change what has already happened,but if farmers pregnancytest early they canmakeinformed decisions about empty cows.

Cows canbepregnancy tested from six weeks, meaningfar mers can sell empty cows earlier to prevent feeding unproductive stock.

In alean year pregnancy testing also gives farmers achance to examine their stock andkeep and feed only their most valuable stock.

The cost of owningand maintaininga beef cow for ayearishigh,soevery cow on the property must be fully productive. Even if they have calves at foot, nonpregnant cows areonly partially productive. Given the year,early weaning is also worth considering.

If you need assistance in formulating a plan foryour cows, ExpressionsofInterest arenow open for far mers in droughtaf fected areasof southwestVictoria to register for afreeone-on-one consultation with afarmadvisor

Theprogram offers eligible farmers the opportunity to sit down with aconsultant to discuss the best way forwardfor their business in the current season.

The o ne-on-onei ncludes ad rought management planning session of up to three hours and follow up call to develop aDrought Management Action Plan. For moreinformation about dry seasonal conditions anddrought support visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons,or phone 136 186.

Dr Hannah Man ni ng is the Agricultu re Vi ctori aL ivestock Industry Development Officer, Colac

EOIs areopen for farmers looking for a consultation.

Photo: iStock

Business course free forfarmers

AgricultureVictoria invites business owners to take part in the

AGRICULTURE Victoria is inviting far m business owners and managers to take part in afreeonline business program.

The program supports farmers to build on their knowledgeand skills to strengthen theirfarmbusiness andbebetter equipped to managethe risksassociated with avariable climate.

The online program, starting this month (February) on Wednesdays, runs over six weeks and is suitable for livestock, grains, mixedfar mers, horticulturalists, and apiarists with past participants rating the program very highly for satisfaction and benefits gained.

The project leader,Kit Duncan-Jones, said participantswould improve their skills and knowledge to better preparefor and manage risk, adapttochangeand strengthen their farmbusinesses.

“The course is designed to help farmers set and achieve their individual business goals and is relevant to those who arenew to farming and young farmers, as well as moreexperienced farmers,” he said.

The programwillconsistoffivesessionsonkey far mmanagement topics, including:identifying and managing risks; strategic planning andsetting business goals; financialmanagement; budgeting and profitable decision making; managing people on farm; succession planning and farm safety, and; climate risk and natural

resource management business planning.

As part of completing the course, participants will be offered a one-on-one session with an experiencedfar mmanagement consultant to review their business plan.

Mr Duncan-Jones said participants would be supported by AgricultureVictoria staffand farmbusiness consultants from Rural People Co.

“Online deliveryofthe course allows far mers from anywhere in thestate to participate, from the comfort of their own homes or workplace and without the added time commitment of travel,” he said.

“If you’reafar mer whowantstobetter manage your business, strengthen yourfarmresilienceto withstand future droughts and shocks, and set up your farm for success now and into the future-this is the program for you.”

To re gi ster i nter est, comp lete t he sho rt surv ey at: for ms.o ff ice.c om/r / wUGjPY3MvJ

For moreinformation, phone Sarah Clack on 0417 316 345, or email her at: sarah. clack@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The FarmBusiness Resilience Program is jointly funded through the Australian Gov er nm en t’ sF ut ur eD ro ug ht Fu nd and the Victorian Gover nment’sFuture AgricultureSkills Capacity Fund.

IN the January edition The Gippsland Farmer printed the incorrect editorial under the Alpine Angus name in the Beef Week Previewfeature. The team at Gippsland Farmer sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused to Alpine Angus.

online program. Photo: iStock

PuzzlePage

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Eight-legged animal(6)

4 Aboardgame with let ter-tiles(8)

9 Mosquito- borne disease( 7)

11 Inhabit antofTel Aviv,say (7)

12 Levelofhot or cold (11)

13 Biologicalblueprint (1,1,1)

14 Food of theOly mpiangods(8)

16 Banish (5) 19 Teams(5) 20 Agolden anniver sary (8)

22 Dazzle (3)

24 Englishscientist whoexplained gravity (5,6)

26 Territor yruledbyanIslamic monarch (7)

27 Princess Diana’smaiden name (7)

29 Grotesque imitation (8)

3

9-LE TTER WORD

Usingthe nine letters in the grid, how manywords of four letters or morecan you list? The centreletter must be included and eachletter may only be used once. No colloquialorforeign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns endingin“s”.

30 Forblink ing(6) DOWN

To

Pakist anic apit al (9)

Duck harvest rises

THE Game Management Authority (GMA) has released the EstimatesofDuckand StubbleQuail Harvest in Victoria2024 Report.

Results show an estimated 391,900 game ducks wereharvested in 2024,which is 22 per cent above the long-termaverage of 320,000. Of the 21,383 licensed duck hunters, 60per centactively hunted in 2024.

On average, activeduckhunters harvestedanestimated30.3ducksduring the season over an average of 8.9 days. The three most commonly harvested species werethe Pacific Black Duck (39 per centofthe totalharvest), GreyTeal (25 per cent of the total harvest) and Australian Wood Duck (24 per cent of the total harvest).

Sale was one of the most popular hunting areas, along with Kerang, Boort, Horsham, and Shepparton.

Results also show an estimated 457,400 Stubble Quail wereharvested in 2024.This is almost triple the long-ter maverageof 159,000 and is the secondlargestStubble Quailharvest since telephone surveys began in 2009. Of the 25,788hunters licencedtohunt Stubble Quail,22per cent actively hunted in 2024.

On average,active quail huntersharvested an estimated 79.4 Stubble Quail for the season over 8.5 days. The most popular quail huntingareas wer earound the towns of Shepparton, Echuca, Rochester, Ballarat, and Colac.

GMA Director of Strategy and Research, Simon Toop said the research was based on infor mationgathered from randomly selected licenced game birdhunters who voluntarily participated in the surveys.

“Favourable environmental and breeding conditions and moreactive hunters likely

Report results have shown an increase in average harvest. Image: Contributed

resulted in an increase in the number of ducks and quail harvested,” he said.

“The information hunters provide helps build astronger understanding of gamebird harvest trends and hunting activity in Victoria and I’d like to thank all hunters who participated in the surveys.”

Throughout 2024, around 3458 licenced game birdhunters weresurveyed to collect information about their hunting activity, including how many game birds wereharvested, where hunting occurred, hunting methods used, and the species of game birds harvested.

The report provides estimates of the total harvests of ducks and Stubble Quail by VictorianGame License holders and provides insights on hunting activity during the seasons.

The report is produced annually by the GMA in collaboration with an independent telephone survey company and the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research.

For a full copy of the Estimates of Duck and Stubble Quail Harvest in Victoria 2024 Report, visit:gma.vic.gov.au/research/ duck-research

Cheaper nuclear “can nullify” the

Philip HOPKINS

PEOPLE in rural andregional Australia bear adisproportionate burden from the energytransition, but including nuclear power in the energy mix is cheaper - by up to 44 per cent -inthe medium-termfuture

Thatwas akey findingofthe report by ind ep en den tc on su lt an ts F ro nti er Economics, whomodelled theimpact of including nuclear power in the National Electricity Market (NEM).

It is based on the Integrated Systems Plan (ISP) of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and does not include WesternAustralia or NorthernTerritory. At stake is how much farmland will be lost due to wind and solar farms.

The federalOppositionhas proposed buildingseven nuclear power stations on the sites ofcoal-fired power stations, including Loy Yang in the Latrobe Valley, and use existingtransmissionlines. The Opposition has based its policy on the Frontier Economics report.

The m ana gin gd ir ec to ro fF ro nti er Economics,Danny Price, said his firmhad funded and directed the report, but had consulted with the federal Coalition about their nuclear plans.

“The modelling approach and assumptions do not necessarily reflect the federal Coalition’s view about how nuclear power would be included in the national electricity market (NEM),” he said.

The analysis uses AEMO’s ‘Step Change’ and ‘Progressive’ scenarios through to 2051 to comparethe costs of nuclear power.A thirdscenario, Green Energy Exports, was not modelled because it was deemed unlikely to occur

AEMO considers Step Change the most likely-aworld withrapid growth in electricity demand as electrification of services

provided by fossil fuels (mainly coal, gas and oil) gives way to rapid development of wind, solar and energy storage.

The Progressive scenario, deemed one per cent less likely, also assumes growth, but not as rapid as Step Change.

The Coalition regards the Progressive scenario as mostlikely, in contrastto federal Labor’s pursuit of Step Change.

The report says this dif ference has big imp lic ati ons for pol icy :S te pC han ge requires morelandfor windand solar farms, and moretransmission across rural and regional Australia; required land and transmissioninputs areneeded in advance to give investors certainty,and; moremoney will have to be spent in advance to bring about development.

Mr Price said: “You can’t comparerenewable energy and nuclear power generation and costs like apples to apples”.

Many commentators simply and erroneously comparedthe cost of arenewable generator (wind or solar) plus the costs of back-up generationto the capacity and operating costs of anuclear power station.

“Such crude assessments do not account for the fact that much morerenewable capacity is required to produce the same amount of electricity compared to anuclear power station,” he added.

“Nor does it account for the requirement to storesurplus electricity from renewable sources as well as the back-up generation. Such simple comparisons also neglect to take into accountthe enormous amount of

investment required to connect renewable generators located in areas wherethereis presently no or inadequatetransmission network capacity.

“Thereisalso an enormous cost to rural andregional Australians who have to bear adisproportionate burden of the energy transition -first with the loss of jobs in the coal generation sector and now they have to bar the loss of amenity from living with windand solarfar ms in their community, and expensive newand augmented transmission networks across their land.”

This loss of amenity “is alegitimate economic cost”,but many calculations ignored transmission costs entirely, he said.

Mr Price said Frontier Economics’ modelling, which looks at the total energy system, had concluded:

 The AEMO’s Progressive scenario including nuclear power is 44 per cent cheaper than the Step Change model without nuclear;

 Using aStep Change model with nuclear will be 25 per cent cheaper than using renewable and storage alone, and;

 Nuclear power in Australia’s energy system is cheaper in both scenarios.

Asummary of the scenario cost findings for the periodfrom2025 to 2051,including the impact of different transmission costs, is:

 AEMO’s preferred Step Change is by far the most expensive, with combined generation and transmission costs of $595 billion. These do not include consumer energy resources or distribution costs;

 For AEMO’s Step Change scenario, using nuclear power,the total NEM system costs can be reduced by about $150 billion from $594 billion to $446

Frontier Economics hasfound rural Australia to bear aburdenfromthe transition. Photo: File

burden on the regions in transition

billion -25per cent cheaper than renewables and storage, and;

 For AEMO’s Progressive scenario, using nuclear power,the total NEM system costs can be reduced by $106 billion from $437 billion to $331 billion -also 25 per cent cheaper than renewables and storage.

The federal Coalition’s stance is close to the Progressivescenario including nuclear power,which is 44 per cent cheaperat$331 billion compared to the federal Labor government’s AEMO’s Step Change scenario. This is estimated to cost $594 billion, the report said.

Mr Price said the cost differences between the AEMO cases and the nuclear alternative weresolarge, the costsofnuclear capacity could doublebeforethe costsof AEMO’s approach and the nuclear alternative were equivalent.

“It is very unlikely thatthe inclusionof nuclear power in the NEM would, in practice, ever be moreexpensive than AEMO’s approach,” he said.

The report’s modelling does not include the costsof consumerenergyresources (rooftopsolar panels and behind-the-meter batteries), the costs of upgrades and extensions to the distribution networks, northe costs to consumers who switch appliances and equipment that use gas to electricity.

“These costs werenot accounted for to maintain consistency with the ISP,which also does not account for these costs.These missing costs will be very large and when they aretaken into account, the total cost of the transition of the electricitysector will be well above atrillion dollars over the next 25-30 years if Australia continues with AEMO’s transition plans,” Mr Price said.

Despite the inclusion of nuclear,renewables will continue to dominate electricity output. Under the Step Change scenario,

when 13,000 MW of nuclear capacity is included,wind and solar capacity grows from 24,000 MW in 2025 to 72,000 MW by 2051. Nuclear capacity would account for just 8per cent of NEM capacity.

If wind and solar generate 60 per cent of the electricity under Step Change with nuclear included, nuclear power stations would generate 29 per cent of electricity.

When the Progressive scenario includes nuclear,wind and solar grow from 24,000 MW to about 46,000 MW by 2051 -about 50 per cent of electricity. Nuclear would generate 38 per cent of electricity with just 13 percent of total capacity.

Mr Price said using nuclear,about half the amount of gas generation is required comparedtoAEMO’s Step Change approach.

“This is because nuclear power is providing some of the back-up for the system that would otherwise be filled by gas. The effect of halvingthe demand for gas for gas powered generation will be that moregas is available for industrial gas users,” he said.

“Thelower demand forgas-powered generationwill ease pressureongas prices for industrial gas users.”

Whether Australia chooses AEMO’spathway or the lowercost solution including nuclearpower, there will be substantial costs involvedinsupplying Australia’s growing electricity demand in any case.

Mr Price saidcontinuing with coal generation would not lower the long-termcosts.

“Every coal-fired generator that currently existswill reach theend of theiroperational

lifeduring the modellingperiodto2051. Indeed, many coal generators areclose to the end of their operational lives now,” he said.

“The assumed patter nof coal closures used in the report modelling is very similar to the announced by the owners. Nuclear power stations aremodelled to replace around 65 percent of existing coal-fired generators.”

Even building new coal stations would not cost less than nuclear

“This is because the capital cost for a replacement coalgenerator withcarbon captureand storage -which, realistically, is theonlyway existing coal generators would be permitted to repower or anew coal-fired generator to be built -is, according to the (CSIRO) GenCostestimate, about the same as used in the modelling in this report for nuclear power (about $10,000/kW3),” he said.

“With the fixed costs of replacement coal being equivalent to nuclear,and having a shorter life than nuclear,and with higher variable costs, replacement coal generation would cost morethan nuclear power.”

Mr Price saidthe economy was much better off in the Progressive scenario with nuclearpower compared to AEMO’s preferred Step Change solution using primarily renewables and storages.

It was 44 per cent cheaper and likely to be moreeconomic than replacing existing coal generators.

“Including nuclear power inthe NEM could also help lower the economic costs imposed on rural and regional Australians by avoiding the loss of amenity from having so many wind and solar farmsand new and augmented transmission networks on their land,” he said.

Nuclear energy would have apositiveeffect on rural Australia according to reports.

Photo: File

Positive future forfarmers: Report

Philip HOPKINS

STRONG production estimates, relatively steady commodity prices, and global economic growth provide apositive immediate futurefor Australian farmers overthe next six months, according to the Australian Agricultural Outlook 2025,areport by Bendigo Bank and Rural Bank.

Three main themes will affect the farming outlook, according to the report: seasonal conditions, trade conditions, and economic growth prospects.

The outlook for the major agriculture sectors are:

 Cattle: Alift in beef production and strong export demand give apositive outlook, even with softer pricing;

 Dairy: Producers face tighter margins with lower far mgate prices but improving local production and appreciating global prices provide a cautiously optimistic outlook;

 Horticulture: Above average production and positive demand will of fset lower domestic prices. High production costs continue to weigh on margins across the sector;

 Sheep: Prices to remain relatively fir mabove the five-year average levels, being supported by aslowdown in supply and strong export demand;

 Wool: The Australian wool industry is expected to remain in aholding patter nuntil economic conditions allow consumer demand to increase, and;

 Cropping: Above average production combined with ongoing volatility in the global grains sector will create marketing opportunities.

Curr ent estimates by the Bur eau of Meteorology arefor above average rainfall likely for large partsof eastern Australia over the first quarter of 2025.

With about two-thir ds of Australian agricultural products exported, the supply and demand dynamics of global markets remain key to ongoing growth across the sector,the report said.

Beef production is forecasttolift marginally over the next six months as slaughter rates and processing capacity improves. Demand for Australian beef is set to remain firmasthe US reduction in supply favours Aussie producers. Australian cattle prices will marginally ease across the first half of 2025 due to high supply.

“A life in beef production and strong export demand gives apositive outlook, even with softer pricing,” the report said.

Australian milk production is forecast to reach about 8.5 billion litres at the end of the 2024/25 season.This is a1-1.5 per cent rise and would put production close to the five-yearaverageof8.54 billion litres

“Monthly production this year has been an average two per cent higher than last year,” the report said.

Global milksupplyisexpectedtoremain largely stagnant in the coming six months. The European Union herdcontinues to decline asslim margins, restrictive environmental regulations and ongoing effects of bluetongue disease see farmers reducing their herds or exiting the industry.

“This is somewhat of fset by consistent growth in cow productivity, but milk output is still forecast to decline marginally from 2024 to 149.6 million in 2025.”

US production will rise as herdnumbers increase, but annual production will remain relatively flat. New Zealand output continues to bounce back after acouple of years of below average production, with production five per cent higher than last year

Australia’s domestic demand will remain consistent, while global demand will be volatile. Farmgate prices areunlikely to see further step-ups, but global prices will make moderate gains.

While local prices aren’t likely to lift further,improving local productionand

stronger global pricing provide optimism for the 2025/26 season.

In horticulture,the outlook remains broadly positive, with irrigation remaining akey driver of production. Labour supply is improved, with backpacker numbers at recordlevels, although sourcing workers is still aconcern, with 34 per cent of employers struggling to recruit labour,according to the National Farmers Federation Horticultural Council.

Alow Australiandollar, decentquality and moderating inflationary pressurewill lift both export and domestic demand. Fruit and vegetable prices areexpected to ease slightly on the back of strong supply. Above averageproduction and positive demand will offset lower domestic prices continue to weigh on margins across the sector Australian lamb supplywill be lower than the first half of 2024 but above the levelsofthe past six months. Improved economic conditions domestically and from Australia’s tradepartnerswillsupport demand, but Australian lamb prices will be steady to marginally lower but should remain above five-year average levels.

“Firmprices and morefavourably seasonal conditions should support the industry into 2025,” the report said.

Australianwool supply isexpected to remain below last year’s levels due to the decline in the national flock. Demand will stay weak until economic conditions improve in China and Europe.

Wool prices will be relatively stable as the marketwaits for an uptick in consumer demand.

“The Australian wool industry is to remain in aholding patternuntil consumerspending increases,” the report said.

The AustralianAgricultural Outlook 2025 predicts apositive immediatefuturefor farmers, over the next six months. Photo: iStock

Demand for purchasing land remains subdued, latest Rural Bank data shows

FARMLAND in South and West Gippsland had the highest median price per hectare last year,according to Rural Bank’s analysis of farmland value.

At the end of the first half of 2024, the medium dollar price per hectareinSouth and West Gippslandwas $28,062. Eight per cent lower than the same time the previous year Next was the Ovens Murraywith $19,610, 4.6 per cent lower.The median price for Victorian farmlandwas $14,562/ha, 6.7 per cent lower than the second half of 2023,

but 1.9 per cent higher year -on-year

Rural Bank said the median price in the two West and South Gippsland regionsfell, after rising 105 per cent over the previous seven half-yearly periods of growth.

South and West Gippsland had 44 transactions in the first half, down 17 per cent year -on-year,which Rural Bank described as mostly stable from the second half of 2023, sitting at arecordlow.

In East Gippsland, the median price per hectaremarginally rose -2.5 per cent -from the second half of 2023 to $13,492, with 46

transactions, which weredown marginally by 2.1 per cent.

Five of the state’s eight regions recorded medianprice declinesinthe firsthalfof 2024, with the state’s major dairy regions registeringthe largest declines. Strong growth continued in the Mallee and Central regions.

The report said Victorianfarmland values had stabilised over the previous18months, with the median price holding within five per cent either side of $15,000/ha.

This was the18th consecutive half-yearly

period with ayear -on-year increase.

However, the increases of less than two per cent in the previous two halves were well down on the four consecutive halves of growth over30per cent in 2021 and 2022

“With interest sitting unchanged and at the highest point since 2011, demand for purchasing land remained subdued,”Rural Bank said.

“Commodity prices remaining stable also contributedtoweaker demand for purchasing new farmland, with buyers not having sufficient capitaltomake larger purchases.”

Assessing heat tolerance in dairy cows using the latest artificial intelligence technology

INNOVATIVE sensor technologies, such as those used on dairy cattle, aregenerating large data sets that open up new research opportunities.

The DairyUPteam is takingadvantageof this, in aproject that aims to improve the accuracy of the Heat Tolerance Australian Breeding Value (ABV).

Unde rt he superv isio no f Dr Anna Chlingaryan, Dairy UP PhD student, Alice Shirley, is using data from rumen sensors to explore how cattle respond differently to heat events.

The team is using artificialintelligence (AI) tools to develop ahybrid AI-based model to improve the assessment of heat tolerance in dairy cows.

The model drawsupon morethan20

years of historical climate and dairy cattle production data to improve the identification of moreheat-tolerant animals.

By collab orating with DairyBio and DataGene, Dairy UP researchers aim to contribute to abetter tool for breeding dairy cattle with improved heat tolerance.

The current Heat Tolerance ABV,published by DataGene, allows farmersto identifyand breed animals with greater ability to tolerate hot, humid conditions, with less impact on milk pr oduction.

However,itisderived only from genomic DNA testingand has relatively low reliability, leading to slow uptake by farmers.

The research will develop phenotypesindicators of animal performance that can be measured in commercial animals -to

add to the model for theHeatTolerance ABV

Combining genomics with traditional and new measuresofheat tolerance should improve the reliability and accuracy of the Heat Tolerance ABV

The re se ar ch us ed d ata f ro mt hr ee Australian pasture-baseddairy farms with morethan 1400 cows fitted with rumen sensorstomonitor corebody temperature, every 10 minutes, 24 hours aday.

Awater threshold model has been developed to track the impact of drinking on core body temperature.

Climate datafromthe past 20 years obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology has been usedtomatch observationsfrom the cows.

Initial research hasfound significant variation between animals’ cor ebody temperatureand their drinking behaviour and demonstrated core body temperatures incr eas ed at lower Te mp erat ur ea nd Humidity Indexlevels than previously thought.

The research will continue with acollaborative project undertaken by DairyBio and La Trobe University PhD student, Laura Jensen under the supervision of Professor Jennie Pryce that will combine the animals’ genetic and performance datawith avariety of approaches, including the sensor technologies from the Dairy UP project.

Mor ei nf or ma tio nc an be foun da t: dairyup.com.au

CM142, acost effective pasture innovation for Gippsland farmers

Anew ryegrassendophyte is making wavesinthe Gippsland farming sector, offeringhighperformance ryegrasses at aprice point that makessense for farmers.

CropmarkSeeds’ CM142endophyte is emergingasacost-effective solution for those seeking robustpastures with similar benefits as otheradvanced ryegrassendophytes in the market.

Introducedinearly2025 with Gippsland conditions in mind, CM142 features an exclusivegenetic background and optimised alkaloid levels to deliver a balance of performance, persistence and animal safety

Its introductionwithtwo brandnew ryegrasses,Elevatetetraploid and Stampedediploid perennial ensures farmerscan achieve productivepastures without overextending their pasture budgets

Peter Notman of Notman PastureSeeds at Poowong highlights the significance of CM142 forlocal farmers.

“Elevateand Stampede CM142 perennials provide acost-effective option that performaswellasother high-endophyte productsinthe market in theGippsland trials we’ve seen.

“Having worked withAR37for the pastdecade, we’ve gaineda deep understanding of howtointegrate advanced endophytesintodiverse pasturesystems.

“Ourexperience ensureswecan confidentlyrecommend CM142 as part of atailored approachthat meetsthe unique needs.

“Whether you’reonthe heavy Foster

flats, lighter countrynearTraralgon, or thered soils of Warragul,I think we have enough experience to place the endophyticgrasses in theright spottofit different pasturesystems.

“Endophytesingrassesaren’tjust about science they’re about knowinghow to placethem effectivelyonthe farm.

“One of CM142’skey benefitsisits reduced levels of epoxy-janthitrem

alkaloids, which have been shown in trials to significantlylowerthe risk of ryegrassstaggers.

“This featuresupports Stampede and Elevate’sanimalhealth during the challenging summermonths, significantly reducing the risk of ryegrass staggers compared with standardendophytes ryegrasses andensuring livestock remainmoreproductive and stable in hotterconditions.

“Additionally,CM142 is helpingto enhance pasture persistenceand yields, making it an ideal solution for farmersfacing the challenges of variable conditionsinwarmermonths andthe ever-risinginput costs.

“MultipleGippslandfarmers have trialed the productin2024 withgreat feedback so far.”

Peter emphasises itspracticality:

“Farmers I’ve chatted to lately arelooking for solutions that are costeffective, more productive,and persistent.

“CM142 inthesetwo new grasses checks all those boxes while being mindfuloftheirbottom line.”

Formoreinformation, visit notmanpasture.com.au/cm142

Monge from Moetooktothe ground to excitement go

Katrina BRANDON

STOPPING at no cost the 2025 T raralgon Rodeo went ahead at Glenview Park, despite a thunderstorm and heavy rain falling at the start of the event

Around 1000 people attended the Sunday, January 12 rodeo, with patrons enjoying classic country fun and entertainment

Music blared and people slid in the mud heading from

one end of the grounds to the other to get a view of the show and to visit stalls featured around the arena

Right out of the chute, broncos and bulls came ready to throw cowboys and cowgirls around, adding further challenge to the already wet ride and course

Junior barrel racers flew through the barrel-racing courses, some with crowd encouragement such as local Glengarry girl Joe McGennisken, who also got

Thunder in the sky and on the ground

inner -arena assistance from her mum, Chantelle, to motivate her pony The commentator bellowed “the pony wanted to make mum run!

Dodgem cars and twirly teacup rides were also a fixture throughout the afternoon, alongside many food and product holders

Local Wellington/Latrobe artists Three Chain Road closed the show on stage

Glengarr took on the JuniorBarrelRacing category,s ng unique mother-daughter experience.

Many bull riders braced for har mpa right boxatthe Traralgon Rodeo.

Bianca McDonough the Traralgon Rodeo.

Photos: Katrina Brandon

Thelma’s fountain of farm knowledge

BRANDON

Katrina

FORMER Gippsland far mer Thelma Hutchison has the knack of sharing knowledge with next generation farmers.

She started her career as akindergarten teacher,but that changed when Thelma’s husband, John, took the plunge into the agriculturalworld, after abrother -in-law askedifthey would be interested in share farming.

While Thelmanever saw herself goinginto farming, it seemed to find its way to her “It seemed my husband was interested in sharefar ming. Iwas akindergarten teacher,and he worked at the laboratory andthen the milk factory in Poowong,”she toldthe Gippsland Far mer

“My parents wereboth farmers and were bornindairy farming areas. It was sort of there. Therewas no set plan in my head to become adairy far mer.I had always wanted to become ateacher,and that was what Iwas.”

After Thelma’s many years as adairy farmer,she was asked to become aTAFE teacher. She shared her on-farm knowledge with the next generationoffarmers, retiring from teaching at TAFE in 2019.

Generally teaching 17 and 18-year -olds, Thelma shared her insights with prospective farmers.

“I would just talk to them about real life,” shesaid

“Don’t just settle on something and lose heart because something doesn’t happen. For anyone coming through, don’t be afraid to give it agobecause the opportunities are out there, and even if it’s not actually on the farmitself, thereare so many different industries involved with farming.”

First, Thelma and John started on ashare farm for two years. They later moved onto another share farm for four years, before

leasing a third farm for 18 months, before buyingit. The far mstarted as John’s parents’ farmtofatten up Herefordcattle. Starting from scratch, Thelma said she

had to re-establish the farmagain, as there werenofences and no real cow shed. After considering their options,they contacted Rural Financefor assistance.

Over the years, Thelma hasworked in all types of dairies,such as awalkthrough dairy, herringbone, arotary and later on, arobotic dairy. Now, looking back at her time on the farm, she said therehas been many changes, with most being welcome.

“When we first started, you could just be asmallfarmwith150 to maybe200 cows200 cows was fairly big -and you did it with acouple of people and was family-owned. But now, you aretalking about 1000 plus cows, with 15 employees all doing different things” she said.

“Technology is definitely good (when) used in the correct way. They do lots of other technologyaswell,such as fertiliser.If you live on ahilly farm, you don’t have to risk your life driving around trying to spread fertiliser with atractor.You cando it with adrone. Things such as aerial mapping.”

During Thelma’s time on the farms, she enjoyed her time in the dairy most.

“I don’t mind milking because thereare lotsofthingsgoingonindairy farming,” she said.

“Once you find yourself in the cow shed actually milking, Iused to find it was my time. Nobody came to do anything, and then my favourite thing was at the end of it. Iwas out in the cow yardbecause that job was completed, and you moved on. It was sometimes peaceful.

“Would Igofarming again? Yes. Farming gave us opportunities.”

In November last year,Thelma took the opportunity to talk in apanel during the annualWomen In Dairy Discussion Group’s end of year lunch, ‘Wise Words’.

She said she enjoyed the event, being able to chat with other farmers like herself and to see others joiningthe industry, while sharing her knowledge of farming.

Thelma Hutchison wasone of three speakers at theWomen In Dairy Discussion Group lunch in Moe, who spoke about her experiences on the farm.

Photo: Katrina Brandon

Timber at the heart of Notre Dame

HOPKINS

ON the first anniversary of the state government’s closureof Gippsland’snative forest industry, France’s rebuilt historic NotreDame Cathedral has been completed in all its glory -and French native forest timber was at the heart of thishistoric project.

The oak hardwood timber used came from trees in French forests between 80-150 years old,with some morethan 200yearsold.

The rebuilding of Notre Dame received PEFC certification, the world’slargest forest certification standard, which certified the sustainability of the solid oak used to rebuild the cathedral’s roof structure. Oak is regarded as the queen of the French forest.

PEFC, founded in1999, ispresent in 56 countries.

Victoria’s hardwood native forest industry, andthe native forest industry in Tasmania,New SouthWales and Queensland, arecertified to PEFC standardthrough Responsible Wood and the Australian ForestryStandard.However, France’s achievement stands in contrast to Victoria,wherethe state government closedthe nativeforest industry. The government claimed native forest harvesting was unsustainable, but critics point to other factors -poor native forest management,environmental hysteria, intellectual ignoranceand naivete, and political malice.

The medievalframesofNotreDame’s nave and choir,built in the 13th century, and those of the spiredesigned by French architect Viollet-le-Duc, and both arms of the transept, dating from the 19th century, weredestroyed in the fireonApril 15, 2019. They wererestored identically,using the same techniques and materials as the original, solid oak.

The contracting authority for the restoration project, ‘Rebatir Notre-DamedeParis’, noted in astatement that by rebuilding NotreDame de Paris’ roof structure in wood,partof which -the great roof -is also known as “the forest”, the shared history of the cathedral and French forests would continue to be written for centuries to come.

“Like Notre-Dame de Paris, France’s forests areliving symbols of our tangible and intangible cultural heritage, so it’s important to preserve them to ensuretheir longevity for futuregenerations,” said the authority’s president, Philippe Jost.

The certification fromPEFC and the FCBA Institute of Technology (Forêt Cellulose Bois-construction Ameublement) confirms the sustainable origin of the solid oak wood materials used, and the responsible natureofthe work carried out by the contractingauthority, chief

architectsofhistoric monuments and project managers.

The mission of the FCBA, founded in 1952,istopromote technical progress and contribute to improving efficiency and quality assurance in industry.

The institute’s scope covers the entire forestry-wood and furnituresector: forestry, pulp and paper,logging, sawmills, carpentry, joinery, structures, wood-based panels,furniture, packaging and miscellaneous products.The entireFrench forestry and timber industry mobilised to supply the wood needed to meet the specifications of the project.

Actors from state-owned forests, community forests, forestry cooperatives, forestry experts, private owners and processing companies wereall involved in ensuring thateachstage of the reconstruction of the frameworks was carried out using a sustainable forest management approach, which is maintaining the balance between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the forest.

Thissystemicapproachenablesthe renewal of the forests from which the timber was sourced, thereby maintaining their multifunctionality, whilepreservingdiversity,vitality, productivity,and regeneration capacity.

According to PEFC, sustainably managed forest is aforest wherebiodiversity, soil health,water courses and wetlands are preserved.

“It is healthy and able to renew itself, whilst providing arange of benefits including timber and timber products, carbon

sequestration and opportunities for leisure activities.”

PEFC project certification stipulates that at least 70 per cent of the total volume of wood used is PEFC-certified, ensuring that PEFC’s forest certification requirements, which define and control aset of forest management rulesapplicable to all forest stakeholders(forest owners, forest managers, forest operators,forestry contractors), have been implemented.

Additionally, the implementationofPEFC chain of custody in project certification certifies that all parties involved in aconstruction or renovation project, whether certified companies or subcontractors, have applied the control principles defined by PEFC, making it possible to track the flow of certified wood at every stage of the supply chain.

The NotreDame project involved 35 PEFC-certified sawmills,175 PEFCcertified forests, and the use of morethan 80 per cent PEFC-certified logs.

PEFC’s rules for sustainable forest management and chain of custody enabled PEFCcertificationfor the entire NotreDame de Paris timber reconstruction project.

The tree selection process began in early 2021. Chief architects from historic monuments aimed to find the straightest trees possible. This enabled restorers to workonlogsmeasuring 7-20metres, with diameters ranging from 50-110cm, whilestill having the strength required to support several hundred tonnes. The trees had to be between 80-150-years-old, with some morethan 200-years-old.

The final trees wereselected, but they had to be harvested in away that respected the existing area.

For example, PEFC said the trees cut for NotreDame had reached maturity and had already seeded the surrounding soil,enabling anew generation of trees to replace those harvested. Mostof the selected oak trees came from either stateowned, communal or privatelyowned PEFC-certified forests.

The first trees werefelledon March 5, 2021and the final oak onFebruary8, 2023.

Once harvested, the logs, eachweighing 10-15tonnes, weretransported to their destination -sawmill, warehouse or processing site.

Sawmilling into structural sections took place between September 2021 and June 2022.

In all, morethan 2000 oak trees, the equivalent of 4000 cubic metres of logs, wereneeded to rebuild the spireand the framework of the choir and nave.

According to PEFC, these 2000 harvested trees made up less than 0.2 per cent of the oak trees harvested annually in France.

FCBAcalculations show thatFrance’s

oak forests regenerate 1500 cubic metres of wood per hour

The firstphaseofthe project beganwith the reconstructionofthe spireand two transept arms designed by Viollet-le-Duc, using 19th century techniques.

The second phase of the choir and the nave involved rebuilding the medieval frameworks. This required mastery of traditional,medieval carpentry skills, including squaring -atechnique for cutting beams withanaxe, which followsthe directionofthe wood fibres and makes each piece unique.

On July 11, 2023, the first trusseslarge, wooden triangular load-bearing beams 14m wide and 12m high and weighing morethanseventonnes and essential for the structureofthe building weretransported on an 80m-long barge along the Seine River to the foot of the construction site.

They werethen lifted by crane high above the cathedral’s vaults to their final positions at the top of the cathedral.

Reconstruction of all the roof structures was completed on March 8, 2024.

Morethan 100 trusses make up the structureofthe great roof -nave, choir and transept. All structural rebuilding work ended on April 8, 2024.

Christine de Neuville, President of PEFC France, said certification recognisesthe commitmentofnot onlythe client,Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, but also of the entire forestry and timber industry to the longtermsurvival of the French forest.

Mr Jost said certification recognised the strong support of all the players in the forestry and timber industry: the ONF, France Bois Forêt and its members, the mayorsofforest communities, private owners andtheirrepresentatives,and sawmillers all over France, who donated trees and processed the timber “I extend my warmest thanks to them, as well as to the hewers, squarers and carpenters who have placed their expertise at the service of the cathedral’s rebirth, as part of an exemplary restoration project,” he said.

Official figures show that 3.8 million ha of the 17 million ha of French forest -22 per cent of the surface area, areoak.

The total volume of standing oak is estimated at615 millioncubic metres, or 1.2 billion trees.

Annual biological oak production is estimated at 12.8 million cubic metres, of which only 6.5 million m3 is harvested -about half of annual production. The oakstock thusincreases by morethan six million m3 annually.

Philip

NotreDameisconsidered one of Paris’ landmarks. Photo: Contributed

Protect yourself from Qfever: Gippsland’s agricultural workers urged to be vaccinated

AGRICULTURE workers in Gippsland who have contact with cattle, sheep, or goats arebeing urged to get vaccinated against Qfever as the region continues to record high rates of infection.

This includes dairy farmers, stock agents, livestock transporters, shearers, wool sorters and abattoir workers.

Family members and others living with at-risk workers arealso vulnerable due to potential exposurethrough contaminated clothing or equipment.

In 2024, Gippsland reported 45 per cent of all Qfever cases in Victoria, marking the region as having the state’s highest rates of the disease in the past decade.

Nambr ok dairy far mer Jason Tharle knows the devastating impact of Qfever firsthand.After contracting itin2016, he was unableto workfor months while

recovering from asevereformofthe disease.

“I couldn’t work, it was that bad. Ihad to runthe farm from theliving room,I was stuck on the couch and couldn’t get off,”

Mr Tharle said.

“It was like areally badfever,Iwas drained of energy with fever,sweats and amassive headache.It got to the point where my eyes started going yellow and my skin went yellow. That was the disease shutting the liver down.”

Qfever is abacterial diseasetransmitted from animals to humans. It poses an occupational health risk for anyone working with animals, animal products and animal waste.

Qfever is spread by inhaling air or dust contaminated by birth fluids, blood or waste from infected animals.

It can cause severeflu-like symptoms

including fever,drenching sweats,headaches, muscle and joint pain and extreme fatigue. In rarecases, the diseasecan affect the lungs and liver

About 10 per cent of peopledevelop chronic fatigue-like symptoms, which can last for years.

Mr Tharle understood he contractedQ fever while calving-down aherdof infected cows, and years later,he still experiences ongoing health effects.

Gippsland Region Public Health Unit PublicHealthPhysician, Dr Shereen Labib, is urging eligible workers to protect themselves with vaccination, available through GPs for people aged 15 and over “Vaccination is the best formofprotection, and it is safe and highly effective,” Dr Labib said.

“It is very importantto let your doctor

know if you areinahigh-risk occupation.” Dr Labib said Qfever could be diagnosed withablood test and treated early with antibiotics to reduce the severity and risk of long-termcomplications.

“Washing hands and ar ms thoroughly with soapy water after any contact with animals and wearing aproperly fitted P2 mask and gloves can also reduce the risk of infection,” she said.

The GRPHU has been working with primary health providers, the community and agriculture sector,including GippsDairy,to improve awareness about Qfever

For moreinformation about Qfever and wheretoget vaccinated, visit QFever -LRH, or call the GRPHU on 51735451, and press option 1.

Supplements the answer for vitamin deficiency

Hannah MANNING

CATTLE and sheep need specific minerals and vitamins for normal bodily functions.

Many of thesevitamins and minerals are consumedingreen grass,whichisthen stored in the animal’s body.

However, if green feed is lacking for an extended period, which many farmers are facing in the current dry conditions, animals may use up their reserves of vitamins Aand E.

Usually, these vitamins arestored in the liver and through dry periods like summer, these reserves aredepleted.

In situations whereananimalisconfinement fedfor an extended period, for more than three months, for example, they may run out of these reserves.

It’s easier and has alarger success rate if vitamin levels aremaintained with supplements rather than treating the animal once their body has used up their reserves.

Clinical signs of vitamin deficiencies can include weakness, scouring, lameness, ill thrift and, in severecases, death.

If farmers areconsidering containment feeding for an extendedperiod over summer then it is advised that vitamins are added to the animal’s diet from the beginning.

Oral supplementation of Vitamin Aand Eisrecommended although not possible for every farm.

There are also injectable solutions available, however,being an oily injection it can be painful, so careshould be taken.

When considering feeding livestock for an extended period, professional advice is recommended to make sureyour mix is right. Vitamin Aand Eare just one consideration.

If you need assistance in formulating a plan for your cattle andsheep, Expressions of Interest arenow openfor far mers in drought af fected areas to register for a

free one-on-one consultation with afarm advisor.

The program offers eligible farmers the opportunity to sit down with aconsultant todiscuss the best way forwardfor their business in the current season.

The one-on-on ei ncl udes ad ro ught managementplanning sessionofupto three hours and follow up call to develop aDrought Management Action Plan.

For moreinformation about dry seasonal conditions support visit: agriculture.vic.gov. au/dryseasons or call 136 186.

Dr Hannah Manning is the Livestock IndustryDevelopment Officer,Colac

Producers connect,collabs encouraged

THE Australian cattle industry has been challenged to takeupthe fight and provide consumers with the permission they are seeking to feel good about eating beef.

Aseries of speakers at the Cattle Connect producer day in Tamworth, NSW,encouraged producers not to shy away from the complex role of cattle in the carbon cycle, butrather build trust among consumers and be their credible source of information.

Political commentator Gemma Tognini, who participated in apanel discussion alongside ecologist andfounder of The Fifth Estate,Bill Hurditch,and Alltech Global Beef ResearchDirector,DrVaughn Holder, said industry must “get in the ring” and be part of the contest of ideas.

She war ned suchdebates werenever smooth, but “we have got to position ourselves as the primary source of credible information on this issue”.

“Oneofthe challengesistotakethis complex issue and make it palatable to people in the middle,” Ms Tognini said.

“It’s about breaking down the messages into audience-appropriate information.

“When it comes to someone like me who’s walkingdown the super market aisle I want to feel good about my purchase and know that it’s been produced as sustainably as possible.”

Mor et han 500 people attended the inaugural Cattle Connect event, which was created by Cattle Australia (CA) to unite grass-fed producers with every link in thesupply chain,toshare knowledge and encourage collaboration.

The panel tackled the topic of ‘From Science to Story- communicating the carbon cycle of cows in everyday language’, following apresentation by Dr Holderonthe latest science on the role of grazing cattle in natural carbon sequestration cycles.

Dr Holder pointedout that without cattle,

the methane released by fermenting forage was far higher,with cattle critical to converting inedible organic matter into edible protein for human consumption.

“This conversation needstobeinthe context of food security for the world because that frames the type of solutions we can use to address climate challenges,”hesaid.

Dr Holder’s research was highlighted in the feature-length documentary World

Without Cows, which was screened for the first time in Australia at Cattle Connect.

The panel agreed that the documentary sent apowerful message but was only part of the suite of communications tools needed to reassurethe 99 per cent of the general public that enjoy redmeat.

“Weneedtobereally careful about the conversations we have and the way we have them,” Mr Hurditch said.

Rather than directly criticise people who aremisinformed, he recommended “sitting side by side” with people and to build trust by using questions to start aconversation.

“Then you can talk about all the fantastic things there are about livestock,” he said.

CA hosted aforum with beef industry leaders on the question of cattle methane abatement and mitigation policies, and carbon accounting methodologies.

This style of roundtable discussion is a key part of CA’s policy development process, capturinginfor mation and ideas from a widerangeofstakeholders in the beef supply chain.

Asimilarapproach was undertaken with aroundtable discussion akey plank in the development of CA’s Land Management Commitment strategy.

During the methane roundtable,key

issues wereidentified that requirefurther investigation and public debate, including:

 Shifting the focus from emissions metrics to the actual war ming impact of beef production to provide aclearer pictureofthe industry’s environmental footprint, in order to develop more ef fective and cost-ef ficient mitigation strategies, and;

 Acknowledge the cattle sector’s unique ability to sequester large amounts of carbon in grasslands and develop pathways to guide areview of the sector’s contribution to the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGGI) Invest in research and development focused on net emissions, carbon sequestration and storage, and create accessible incentives to measureand market ecosystem services.

Producers wereencouraged to not shy away from the topic of cattle in the carbon cycle during the Cattle Connect event

Photo: iStock

Autumn Bull Sales 2025

Wattlewood Angus

John and Fiona Glover are opening up their property again to host the ‘Zoetis ReproActive- MoreCalve, MoreOften Workshop’ on Thursday the 27th of Februaryahead of the 2025 Wattlewood Angus Annual On FarmBullSale on Friday the 7th of March.

WATTLEWOOD Angus is excited to host the ReproActive Workshop in conjunction with West Gippsland Veterinary Carewhere

attendees can learnhow to get the best from the genetics they invest in and the cows they breed on the land they have.

Tickets for this event can be found at www.reproactivewattlewood.eventbrite.com.au

The 2025 Wattlewood Angus Bull Sale catalogue includes progeny of Sterling Pacific, SITZ Dignity,Sydgen Enhance, and Sterling Pacific, the crowd favorite, Baldridge Command, Baldridge Alternative, and newcomer E&BWildcat.

As always, the Glover’spride themselves on producing ‘Ready to Work’ bulls with aquiet demeanor and structural integrity

The 35 bulls have not only been genotyped and semen tested, but also comply with all the Immune Ready Guidelines.

These include being tested P.I. negative and vaccinations and boosters of 7in1,Pestigard, Vibrovax and Rhinogard, making them a sound prospect to go straight out with the cows with confidence.

From 9.30am on Friday the 7th of March, Wattlewood will commence their Sale Day with inspections of the 35 quality bulls on offer and morning tea.

The sale will then startat12noonwiththe offering of the 2025 Wattlewood Angus ‘Pick Of the Pair’ Charity Heifers whereall proceeds of this package will be donated to The Cancer Council’s‘Biggest Morning Tea’ “The heifers we have chosen to donate,

happen to be the top of the autumn 2024 drop and will not disappoint any breeder looking to potentially add one of these beauties to their herd”. Fiona said.

The auction will then flow on to the 35 HBR bulls and of course, all this will be interfaced on AuctionsPlus if you can’tmake it on the day

After the sale, attendees arewelcomed to join the Wattlewood team for lunch and refreshments.

For further information about the Zoetis ReproActive- MoreCalves, MoreOften, The Wattlewood Annual Bull Sale and the Charity Heifers for The Biggest Morning Tea, please

Wattlewood Ubolt U14

Wattlewood Uniform U44

TAMBO ANGUS

Chateau Limousin

25 of the best bulls of Chateau Limousin’swill go under the hammer on Thursday 6th March at 1pm on property at Londrigan via Wangaratta.

WITH ablend on traditional Apricot and Black sires on offer including 18 poled bulls including 7Homozygous Polled.

Coupled this year with adraft of stud 15 females and backed with over 40 years of careful selection Chateau Limousin will present the finest quality Limousin genetics available.

The bull offeringwill consist of rising 2year olds and 18 month olds with an even balance of shortgestation and calving ease.

These sires aresuitablefor joiningmaiden heifers.

Also included arerugged high weight gain bulls with alarge portion of both groups of bulls having carcass weight EBV’sinthe leadingend of the breed.

With an even split between the Apricot and Black coated bulls thereisample choice on both sides.

With females being added to the on property sale for just asecond time, the McIntyrefamily areproud to offerupsome of the latest genetics in unison with some of their highly proven home grown pedigrees that have lasted alifetime.

As reflecting the bull draft, the female portion offers Black, Apricot and French Purematrons worthy of any inspection.

These include heifers not yet 12 months old, through to spring joined heifers and two autumn calving2year olds

The sale will be conducted via video format with footage shown during the sale, while the stock areondisplay

The Sale will be interfaced with Auctions Plus. Video and photos will be available via thestud’s website and facebook page.

Stud contactAndrewMcIntyreisalso available on 0428 191282 forany questions or to arrange apre-sale inspection.

Gain the $10,000 Bowman Advantage!

With cost of production on the rise and premium pricing to hit Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grids, it is essential for beef producers to incorporate proven science into their programs.

BY utilising Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s) alone, Gippsland beef breeders could gain up to $10,000 in the working life of abullbyusing Bowman Performance Genetics this year

Aseedstock producer should be providing valuable information, such as an Angus Breeding Index value -which calculates the genetic differences between an animal’s net profitability per cow joined, in atypical commercial self-replacing herdusing Angus bulls.

Bowman Performance Genetics offers a significant advantage in this field, with up to $100 $ABI (Angus Breed Index Value) gain per bull, which equates to $50 per calf produced (half the index is contributed by the bull) or $10,000 in the average working life of abull, assuming he produces 200 calves.

Stud principal, Glenn Bowman says, “We have seen significant advancement in our own 1200 female breeding herdover the last decade, by increasing Breedplan values. Everything we do on-farmisabout making things moreefficient and increasing profit. Calving is adream,with veryfew assists; growth rates areincreasing, docility and carcass traits areimproving, much of which can be put down to utilising simple selection tools such as EBV’s”.

Mr.Bowman went on to explain, “Every registered calf bornhas aTSU (Tissue

Sampling Unit) DNA taken, which can reveal from averyearly age, the lifetime breeding potential of that animal.

“When processed through the laboratory, we find that this science can sortthe “wheat from the chaff”, so to speak.

“Genomic evaluation is the most significant advancement to EBV analysis to date.

It is imperative to utilise this data created, to increase profitability and be at the forefront of cattle breeding.”

One of Gippsland’sleading beef finishers, Lindsay Marriott, who manages ‘Box Plains’, Tarwin Lower,isa big believer in incorporating EBV’s, taking steers through the JBS farm assured MSA grading system.

“Wehaveseena real difference in the cattle that come from EBV performance-focused herds to the point wherewewon’tbuy replacement steers unless we know this background information.

“All our cattle arerun through Kool Collect softwareprogram, which allows us to track daily weight gains of each individual animal.

“This is why we keep coming back purchasing Bowman cattle, as we have the knowledge, they not only have superior performance, but also grade at the top level,” he said.

Mr.Bowman pointed out, “It’snot all about choosing the highest figured animals, thereis still ahigh level of cattlemanship involved -from structural assessment, natural carcass content, pedigree research and identifying female lines with doing ability

“If we can engineer abull that notonlylooks good, but has the proven science, you can have the best of both worlds.”

To gain the Bowman advantage, be sureto checkout the next Bull Sale Thursday 13th March, 1pm at ‘Crystal Brook’ 100 Sawyer Road, Neerim South 3831.

Bowman ParatrooperT35 -excitingnew Siresold in 2024

Rangan Charolais

Rangan Charolais, situated just east of Wodongaonthe Victorian-NSW border,will hold its 16th Annual bull sale on March 21st, 2025.

CATALOGUED will be 40 all-polled Charolais bulls bred from astud herdofover 220 quality females.

“In this year’sdraft we areofferingupthe number one indexing Charolais bull in the entire breed for marbling.

And last year,aRanganbull sold to astud for $50,000, aVictorian record for aCharolais bull.” Stud principal Graeme Cook stated.

However,over 70 percent of the draft sold between five and seven thousand dollars in the 2024 sale.

Graeme said the sale represents an excellent opportunity for the stud’scommercial clients to securetop-quality genetics at avery reasonable price.

With all bulls structurally guaranteed for two years, Rangan Charolais is committed to breeding the best bulls in the business, so this represents morethan just good value; it represents peace of mind and assurance.

“All bulls areindependently assessed for structureand temperament, and all lots are breed plan recorded, genomic tested, and sire verified.

Rangan Charolais also offer free deliverytoall major selling centers within Victoria, and where possible, bulls aredelivered directly to clients’ farms.

“A Rangan Charolais bull is polled, early maturing, displaying natural thickness, suiting southerngrass-fed finishingsystems,” he added.

Rangan’sgrass-finished steers and heifers all have veryhighMSA compliance into the JBS Grass Fed Program, with the steers dressing up to an impressive 60 percent.

With these desired traits and delivering hybrid vigor into commercial enterprises, Rangan sired livestock sold extremely well, with the late November 2024 NVLX weaner sale indicative of the strong demand.

Sold by Mansfield’sButchers Flat, the Weekly Times made special mention of the yarding.

The article read ‘a highlight was the draft from Butchers Flat, with their Charolais cross steers making 412 to 444 cents per kilogram liveweight and the heifer rates up to 380 cents per kilogram’.

Graeme was obviously delighted for his client.

For Graeme, results like this make his job worthwhile.

Of course, the success over the last fifteen years in particular and the growing demand for Rangan genetics is rewarding; however, perhaps the thrill of asale that delivers strong results for his commercial clients gives him moresatisfaction.

“Knowing that our client’sfaith in our Rangan Charolais genetics was justified is what it’sall about,” he said.

2025 Sale bulls

Proof of the crossbreedingperformance of RanganCharolais genetics

P Proven A Angus genettics

Innesdale Angus will offer 32 top July/August bulls for private sale from Monday 3rdMarch.

These bulls will have full performance data and arebyproven lines.

QUARTZ Q29 -was purchased from Millah Murrahthis outstanding son of Kruse Time has impressed all that have seen him, he has been re-used at Millah Murrah after his sons topped their sale averages at $55K, his sons have natural thickness and his daughtersare outstanding, his son S36 will have his first sons available.

LIBERTY-With proven son Liberty P64 and now Freedom S68 and S97 having their first sons, it brings aNew Zealand blood line that is popular for their ability to excel in pasturefattening operations

RESOURCE We used three of his sons and now many of our bulls arefromdaughters of this line. Also agreat grandson, Magnum S100 avery impressive bull has his first sonsavailable this year.

ENHANCE -Anoutstanding sireline that has low birth and high growth and very good docility,his son R31 has manytop sons in this group with several that reach500kg at weaning.

Innesdale focuses on fast growing, thick and heavy young bulls that will add weight to their progeny,whilst having enough fat cover to be marketed at any age, and to produce high quality heifers that areingrowing demand across Australia and for export markets worldwide.

These new bulls will give clients access to some of the top bloodlines from around the world and with over 50 branded beef products demanding “Angus Beef” we will continue to see our clients being rewarded for their effort to improve their herds genetics.

This crop of bulls ‘U’ areall unassisted at birth and after agood season weaned at 446kg average.

We expect the top bulls to be close to 800kg when offered.

All bulls areDNA tested by “Neogen” forparentage and to increase the accuracy of their genetic data, the bulls are inoculated in line with the “Zoetis” protocol, tested free of Pestivirus, then double inoculated against Pestivirus and Vibrio and given an annual booster of 7-1.

These young bulls will be for private sale from Monday 3rdMarch.

Last year bulls weresold across Gippsland into WesternVictoria and NSW.

Livestock producers arewelcome to inspect the bulls by appointment at any time by calling Geoffon 0412 958 168

Quartz

Quartz S36 Liberty P64

Limousin Super Beef Production

Gavan and Judy Budge have been breeding Limousin cattle since 1976 on their farms in Latrobe Valley

INITIALLYtouse on their own commercial cattle as well as developing astud of pure French Limousin for arange of producers.

Today they areone of afew breeders with pureFrench Limousin cattle.

In addition, they have bred and selected for the best bull traits over 45 years.

Most of their bull buyers come back each year fully satisfied with the performance of their pureFrench Limousin bulls on their herd.

In years gone by Limousins had a reputation of poor docility

Since 2000 rigorous selection and the use of Docility Estimated Breeding Values have resulted in the majority of Limousin cattle having good temperament without sacrificing growth, weight, yield, and calving ease.

In today’scattle business, Limousin cross breeds areanattractive profitable option for beef and dairyfarming as Limousinbulls give both growth and finish.

Limousin is one of the most efficient breeds in converting grass to redmeat.

We now know why!

In recent research the identification of the SUPER BEEF PRODUCTION myostatin gene variant, the F94L as being significantly present in the Limousincompared to other breeds of cattle wasidentified by Dr Wayne Prichardfromthe Adelaide University

The purebredLimousin was found to have 98.3 percent frequency of two copies of the F94L gene.

They werefound to consume the same amount of feed as other animalsbut had carcases with a20percent decrease in fat while increasing prime cuts by 19 percent. This variant is not associated with higher birth weights or calving difficulties, so does not present the riskofother myostatin variants.

The pureFrench Limousin bull will give your business increased beef yield.

Please contact Gavan to discuss or inspect the bulls for sale.

Confidence at Leawood is soaring

Leawood Angus Autumn sale will be held on the 7th of April 2025 at 1pm, located on property at 1545 Princes Highway Flynn Vic 3844.

THIS year’sautumn sale line up will consist of 50, 18mth old bulls, along with 40 commercial females including spring cows and calves and 12mth old unjoined heifers.

Leawood has 3key breeding objectives: Consistency,Longevity and Profitability

Leawood achieves Consistency by 81 years of breeding grass feed Angus cattle with strong New Zealand genetics.

Their breeding desirehas not differed much over the three generations of management, this consistency is shown in their bulls and also across Leawood’sclient’sherds throughout Gippsland.

Their next 2breedinggoals go hand in hand if you get the first one, Longevity,onthe money then Profitability is achieved.

Longevity is crucial in the agricultural industry everything from Utes, stock yards to pastures. Your genetics arenodifferent

The most profitable animal on your farmis most likely the older structurally sound low maintenance cow 13 maybe 15 years old that calved down at 2years old and hasn’tmissed acalve since.

Just like the 1997 75 serious Landcruiser

This is Leawood’stakeonlongevity in cattle, reflected in their bulls with the benefit going to their clients who can expect amoreextended working life out of aLeawood Angus bull giving maximum profitability

This year’sSalebulls aresired by 16 different sires, sires selected for performance,

consistency and trouble-free breeding objectives.

Leading New Zealand Ai sires featuring in the sale areBrookwood Titan J32, Turiroa Ragnar P224 and the first offering of Cricklewood Pandemic, P056 at Leawood.

Pandemic is ahigh-capacity consistent bull that packs extra carcass into his progeny, Leawood is really pleased to be able to add the stylish thick set Pandemic to the bull line up.

He is apowerful outstanding sireused in many leading studs in New Zealand.

Titan has ticked all the boxes for Leawood.

Now with 110 progeny on the ground at Leawood.

Stud Manager Luke Stuckey is very impressed with Titans ease of calving and believes his early growth is exceptional, which is exactly what Leawood and their clients requirewhen aiming to have progeny finished earlier,resulting in ahighereconomical return per hectare.

Turiroa Ragnar P224 progeny will catch your eye in all sale pens with the extra depth and thickness displayed throughout.

Abull that will add loads of fat cover to your herd, the perfect feed conversion the grass feed industryrequires.

Leawood will featuresires Razor R347, Pirate P391, Steaks N297, Paddy P432 and more. They arebreeding so true to type for Leawood giving the stud loads of confidence in each one of its Leawood bred bulls.

They all have their slight individual areas that they stand out in.

Please don’thesitate to get in contact to discuss what bull options will best suit your herdand environment.

Big bold Banquet Bulls

The offering of 100 big bold Banquet bulls on the 27th of Februarywill combine the new with the highly proven.

LEADING the new sires for this Sale is Banquet Statesman S154.

S154 is from an outstanding cow that was purchased as acalfatfoot from the dispersal of Anvil Angus.

Anvil Emblynette P177 introduces the world famous Emblynette family from the SAVStud in the USA.

P177 has produced sons selling at $40,000, $34,000 and $30,000.

S154 was retained by Banquet and his sons show extra thickness and muscularity

He is ason of Trio Qantas Q78 who has left outstanding progeny at Banquet.

When mentioning highly proven sires at Banquet, immediately Nuttella N462 comes to mind.

Not only is N462 highly proven but highly successful with amazing consistency

His sons have been the top sellers at three of the last five Banquet Bull Sales.

The feedback from purchasers has been extremely positive.

Banquet will offer 100 PTIC commercial heifers at their Bull Sale.

These heifers were purchased from long term Banquet clients at last year’sweaner sales. They have been joined to calving ease Banquet sires.

This elite offering is agreat opportunity to fast track the improvement of your commercial herd.

Another veryexciting sirethat will have his first sons represented in the 2025 Banquet Sale is Banquet Sunrise S236.

S236 was retained for his excellent hair type, extra thickness and added fat cover

They also showcase what you canproduce with Banquet genetics.

Banquet Angus welcome you to visit their program on Bull Walk Day 20th February, Sale Day or any other suitable time.

Gippsland Veterinary

care 24 hours a day forbeef cattle farmers acrossGippsland. We

medicine focus. Our vets are encouragedtodevelopanindepth understanding

operations so that they become an integral part of the farm’s managementteam.

Pinora Angus stud will be conducting their 56th and final Bull Sale on Wednesday the 19th of March at 1.00pm.

THE Stud will present an outstanding draft of bulls to go out with.

Thereare two new AI sires represented in Landfall NewGround and Banquet Quarter Pounder,aswell as the sireoflastyear’stop priced lot Milwillah Rappa R1018 and the outstanding bull sireMilwillah Fevola M16.

The NewGround sons show outstanding growth for age, extremely sound on their feet and legs and probably the best trait they excel in is docility

The Quarter Pounder sons areall out of heifers and as well as being low birth weight they have great growth and thickness, just what you would expect aBanquet bull to breed.

Pinora is truly excited to offer these bulls in their final Sale, they area great representation of what they have been trying to breed over the years, and no one will be disappointed when they see them.

As well as being their last bull sale they are having acow dispersal on the 1st of April.

All cows will be sold with calves at foot and will have had the opportunity to be joined.

These cows arethe culmination of 68 years of breeding stud cows and Pinora couldn’tbemore proud of them.

If you would like to look over the bulls or the cows just give John or Kelvin aringand they can make atimefor your convenience.

Final

for Pinora

Brewer Beef 10th Annual Bull Sale

Mark your calendars for the Brewer Beef 10th Annual Bull Sale on February21, 2025.

Taking place in the picturesque Tallangatta Valley, this event promises to be a highlight for cattle enthusiasts and breeders alike.

MODERN Black Simmental genetics can be an ideal complement to Angus cow operations, they will inject:

1. Hybrid Vigor: SimAngus cattle combine the best traits of Simmental and Angus breeds, resulting in hybrid vigor

This means improved growth rates, fertility, and overall robustness compared to purebred counterparts.

2. Superior Growth andEfficiency: Known for their exceptional growth rates, SimAngus cattle efficiently convertfeed into muscle, making them acost-effective choice for meat production.

3. Carcass Quality: With excellent marbling and tenderness, SimAngus cattle produce

high-quality beef that meets consumer preferences for taste and texture.

4. Maternal Traits: These cattle arerenowned for their strong maternal instincts, including good milk production, calving ease, and longevity,which contribute to healthier and moreproductive offspring.

5. Adaptability: SimmAngus cattle are versatile and can adapt to various climates.

6. Docility: SimmAngus areextremely docile and easy to handle

At the recent Blue Ribbon weaner sales at NVLX Barnawartha and Wangaratta, Brewer Beef clients’ cattle again consistently sold in the tops of their categories and Brewer Beef’s own line of grown SimmAngus steers made $4.00/ kg, $1910/head.

Youare invitedtothe Brewer Beef 10th Annual Bull Sale on February21st 2025 to explorethe benefits of SimAngus cattle and discover the perfect addition to your herd.

The 45 bulls on offer include premium purebred Black Simmentals, SimmAngus and purebred Angus bulls to give buyers anumber of options for their herd.

Don’tmiss this opportunity to witness the outstanding quality and performance these cattle have to offer

Moorunga Angus Stud

Dromana based Moorunga Angus Stud will be holding its first Online Production Sale on Friday 21st March 25.

THIS sale will be in addition to the Stud’sannual bull sale, held in August each year Moorunga will be offering aselection of their herd; young cows with calves, pregnant

heifers, unjoined heifers, asmall selection of bulls plus semen and embryo packages. It will be agreat opportunitytoprocure progeny and amp; genetics from some of the studs top donor cows, and exclusive sires. The sale will be held online with Auction Plus, running from 10am and finishing at 7pm with Moorunga hosting an open day from10amto 3pm. Elders agents will be available to assist anyone new to bidding online Private inspections arealsowelcome, by appointment.

Lang Lang ShowSupreme Exhibit ,Tex as Entice T571exhibited by Moorunga Angus. GP1676665

All about the Beef at Alpine Angus

Alpine Angus have been operating for over 27 years and sell around 200 bulls annually

The 2025 Alpine Angus Autumn Bull Sale will be held on Wednesday 12th March at 1pmoffering100 HBR and APR Angus Bulls.

ALPINE Manager Chris Oswin “Our focus has always been on delivering sound, quality bulls that last with excellent structureand strong growth and carcase traits.

We do this by continually striving to maintain and develop our highly maternal cow herd.

Cows that last and grow produce bulls that do the same”

Alpine Angus run around 700 cows run mainly in the Alpine Valleys around Myrtleford as well as on agistment on the Hay plains at Narringa, South of Hay

Alpine Principal Jim Delany “Weare fortunate to have had supportfromIvone Agencies locally and the many wonderful farming families who have showcased our genetics so well at weaner sales throughout the North East of Victoria and beyond.”

In recent yearsAlpine Angus genetics have

also been sought by studs throughout Australia.

Currently Alpine Angus is represented by industryAIsires Alpine Real Deal R163, Alpine Ronaldo R232 and Alpine 38 Special S021.

Alpine Angus Real Deal’sfirst sons sold to $100,000 in 2024.

Alpine Angus offers agreat opportunityfor commercial producers to access quality,well related genetics at affordable prices supported by acommitted after sales program.

Chris Oswin “Our focus is always what makes money for our commercial clients –the stud success is an added bonus.”

The 2025 Sale team is made up of large lines of quality bulls from leading industryand Alpine sires.

Chris Oswin “Featuresires includeBaldridge Goalkeeper,Baldridge Versatile and Alpine Real Deal -all arebig growth, high carcase attribute sires with moderate birth who produce well fleshed, quiet sons that have proven highly popular over the last 18 months with all 3 producing sons that have sold for $100,000.”

Carcase quality is further enhanced by ahigh quality run of Rennylea N542 descendants as well as Alpine’sfirst sons by Te Mania Rainmaker R209.

Chris Oswin “N542 is renown as an easy calving, high IMF sireand an outstanding sireofsires,producing numerous herdbulls including Real Deal and Ronaldo, from limited use by afew Angus studs.

”SonsofN542 and Real Deal arewell represented in Alpines 2025 line up ,aswell

as Alpine Rock Solid R289, ahigh selling N542 son from an outstanding flush that also produced Ronaldo and Alpine Next Gen R272 who is currently astud sirefor Dulverton Angus and Five Star Angus.

Te Mania Rainmaker R209, anew featuresire with sons in the 2025 Alpine sale was the 2nd top priced bull at the Te ManiaWalgett Sale and produces high IMF cattle, with verydocile temperament and good frame and length. Strong bodied TaimateRoy sons with good

heads and true Angus attributes will also featureinthe 2025 Alpine sale line up.

Taimate Roy is aNZbredsirewhose first yearling sons sold extremely well at Millah Murrah and Milwillah in the spring of 2024.

Finally therewill also be arun of ET bull calves including Paratrooper brothers to Real Deal and first sons of Sitz Manor 3195, aUSA cow Alpine Angus purchased at the Sitz female sale in 2022 who currently has acouple of sons marketed by AI companies in America.

Weather predictabilityvastlyimproved

ANEW machine-learning weather prediction model called GenCast can outperform the best traditional forecastingsystems in at leastsomesituations, accordingto apaper by Google DeepMind researchers, published by intelligence firm Nature

Using ad if fusion model appr oach similar to artificial intelligence (AI) image generators, the system generates multiple forecasts to capturethe complex behaviour of the atmosphere. It does so with afraction of the time and computing resources required for traditional approaches.

The weather predictions people use in practice areproduced by running multiple numerical simulations of the atmosphere. Each simulationstarts from aslightly different estimate of the current weather This is because we don’t know exactly what the weather is at this instant everywhere in the world. To knowthat, we would need sensor measurements everywhere.

These numerical simulations use amodel of the world’s atmospheredivided into a grid of three-dimensional blocks. By solving equations describing the fundamental physical laws of nature, the simulations predict what will happen in the atmosphere. Known as general circulation models, these simulations need alot of computing power.They ar eusually run at highperformance supercomputing facilities.

Machine-learning

THE pastfew yearshave seen an explosion in ef forts to produce weather prediction models using machine learning. Typically, these approaches don’t incorporate our knowledge of the laws of naturethe way general circulation models do.

Mostofthesemodels use some formof

neuralnetworktolear npatterns in historical data and produce asingle future forecast. However,this approach produces predictions that lose detail as they progress into the future, gradually becoming “smoother”. This smoothness is not what we see in real weather systems.

Researchers at Google’s DeepMind AI research lab have just published apaper in Naturedescribing their latest machinelearning model, GenCast.

GenCast mitigates this smoothing effect by generating an ensembleofmultiple forecasts. Each individual forecast is less smooth, and better resembles the complexity observed in nature.

The best estimateofthe actual futurethen comes fromaveragingthe different forecasts. The size of the differences between the individual forecasts indicates how much uncertainty thereis.

According to the GenCast paper, this pr obabilistic appr oach cr eates mor e accurate forecasts than the best numerical weather prediction system in the world -the one at the European Centrefor MediumRange Weather Forecasts.

Generative AI -for weather,GenCastis trained on what is called reanalysis data from the years 1979 to 2018. This data is produced by the kind of generalcirculation modelstalked about earlier,which are additionally correctedtoresemble actual historical weather observationstoproduce amoreconsistent pictureofthe world’s weather

The GenCast model makes predictions of several variables such as temperature, pressure, humidity and wind speed at the surface and at 13 different heights, on agrid that divides the world up into 0.25-degree regions of latitude and longitude.

GenCast is what is called a“dif fusion model”,similar to AIimage generators. However, insteadoftakingtext and producing an image, it takes the current state of theatmosphereand produces an estimate of what it will be like in 12 hours.

This works by first setting the values of the atmospheric variables12hoursinto the futureasrandom noise. GenCast then uses aneural network to find structures in the noise that arecompatible with the current and previousweathervariables. An ensemble of multiple forecasts can be generated by starting with different random noise.

Forecasts arerun out to 15 days, taking eight minutes on asingle processor called atensor processor unit (TPU). This is significantly faster than ageneral circulation model. The training of the model took five days using 32 TPUs.

Machine-learning forecasts could become morewidespread in the comingyearsas they become moreefficient and reliable. However, classical numerical weather predictionand re-analysed data willstill be required. Not only arethey needed to provide theinitialconditions forthe machine learning weather forecasts, they also produce the input data to continually fine-tune the machine learning models.

What about the climate?

CURRENT machine lear ning weather forecastingsystemsare notappropriate for climate projections, for three reasons.

First, to make weather predictions weeks into the future, one can assume that the ocean, land and sea ice won’t change. This

is not the case for climate predictions over multiple decades.

Secondly, weather prediction is highly dependent onthe detailsofthe current weather.However,climate projections are concerned with the statistics of the climate decades into the future, for which today’s weather is irrelevant.

Futurecarbon emissions arethe greater deter minant of thefuturestateofthe climate.

Thirdly, weather prediction is a“big data” problem. There arevast amounts of relevant observational data, which is what you need to train acomplexmachine learning model Climateprojection is a“small data” problem, with relatively little available data. This is because the relevant physicalphenomena (such as sea levels or climate drivers such as the El Niño-SouthernOscillation)evolve much moreslowly than the weather

Thereare ways to address these problems. One approach is to use knowledge of physics to simplify models, meaning they require less data for machine learning.

Another approach is to use physicsinformed neural networks to try to fit the data and also satisfy the laws of nature. A thirdistouse physics to set “ground rules” for asystem, then use machine learning to determine the specific model parameters. Machinelearning has arole to playin the futureofboth weather forecasting and climate projections. However,fundamental physics -fluid mechanics and thermodynamics -will continue to play acrucial role.

Vassili Kitsios, SeniorResearch Scientist, Climate Forecasting,CSIRO

This article is republished from The Conversation

GenCast can outperform the best traditional forecasting systems in at least some situations, according to Google DeepMind researchers. Image: iStock

Healthier club grub on the menu

DINERSare gettingaccesstohealthier

menus at four Gippsland bistros under an innovative project steered by the Gippsland Region Public Health Unit (GRPHU).

The Better Bites project aims to increase healthy, affordable meal options in community clubs whichattract adiversity of patrons, from families with children to older people.

The GRPHU has enlisted Italian Australian Club, Morwell, Yarram Country Club,Phillip IslandRSL and Wonthaggi Workmen’s Club.

Thesevenuesare participating in the projectwhichiscarrying out activities to improve healthy choices.

The fir st pha se of Better Bites is

underway. It involves collecting baseline data, gathering patron and staffresponses, and observing the dining area.

The nutritional value of the top 10 selling items on avenue’s menu will be analysed by Latrobe Regional Health dietetics team members.

BetterBites Principal Investigatorand GRPHU Deputy Director,Alyce Wilson said venues will take the lead changing their menus.

Ms Wilson said even simple changes like reducing saltorswapping hot chipswith a bakedpotato can have health benefits for the community.

“Gippsland has ahigh prevalence of chronic diseases including stroke, heart

disease and diabetes and experiences higher rates of preventable deaths compared to state and national averages,” she said.

“Thereisastrong connection between the burden of chronic disease and diet.

“The clubs involved in the project have a local member -base and arevery muchpart of thesocial fabric of their communities. They see themselvesas having arole to play in the health and wellbeingoftheir members so we aredelighted they agreed to be part of this important research.”

Wonthaggi Workmen’s Club Manager,Rod Bye shared his excitement to be partof Better Bites.

“I’m thrilled to be working withthe GRPHU

team to create healthier food options for our patrons,” he said.

“And, the launch of this pr oject is coinciding withthe recent completion of renovations to the club. So, it will be fantastic to offer anew and healthier menu in our refurbished venue.”

Asmaller pilot study at Phillip Island restaurants in 2018 and 2019 used atraffic light system to label menu items, such as ‘green’ (representing best choice), ‘amber’ (choose carefully) and ‘red’ (limit).

This previous study found the sale of green menu items increased, while 75 per cent of patrons surveyed about the changes said they supported healthier menu choices.

The astonishing anddevastating firesin Los Angeles hasshockedAustralia.

To seesuchcompletely unexpected catastrophic fires wipeout whole suburbs, virtuallywith no warning.

EvenCal Fire, thefireservice,was unable to deal withthe fireslargely because of lack of water

The whole catastrophewas exacerbated by theflammablematerial that mostof the houseswerebuilt from

THE AUSSIE APPROACH

The thing that was noticed was it appearsthat none of thosehouseholds that wereburnt out appeared to have had anypreparation forafireofthat magnitude.

There wasn’t anywater tanks or pump installations that would enablethe householder to make some effort to save theirproperty.

Valiant effortstotry and control the fire with garden hoses,resulted in, as expected,poor results.

THE DIFFERENCEWITH AUSTRALIA

In Australia, Australian Pump Industries keeps on promoting theidea of preparation, particularlyinwhat’sknown as the “Urban Interface”.

The Urban Interface is that 1,000,000 maybe1,500,000 or even2,000,000 householdsthat arebuilt between the cityand the bush

Some capital citiesare surrounded by “Blocky’s” oftenwith small acreages and pets or livestock

Theseare adjacent to NationalParks and arepoorly prepared.

Many people in theUrban Interface are smartenough to have invested in awater tank and afirepump

Withsprinklersonthe roof and an ability to block downpipes so gutters around the housecan provide a“moat”todefeat an ember attack.

AussiePumps arefamous for its range of highpressurefirefighting pumps.

Theybelieve both singleand twin impeller configurationsofthe pumps provide thebestperformance andthe best value formoneyinthe firefighting pump business.

WILDFIRE ALERT

“We’vegot the biggestproduct range andwesellitthroughtop quality and responsibledistributors who realise when they sellthe Aussie FireChief or it’s big brother,the Mr Ttwinimpellerpump, their customers aregetting the very best available,”said Aussie Pumps Chief Engineer John Hales.

Aussie Pump Distributorsall around thecountryare allgeared to providing notonlythe bestpumps, hose kitsand advice, butalsothe Aussie Bushfire SurvivalGuide is readilyavailable from distributors

Thousands of theseare printed to provide homeowners with advice on how to properly preparetheirproperties.

2024 -HOTTEST YEAR YET

It is no surprise that the latestbulletins from the UnitedNational Global Compact have claimed that 2024 was the hottest year on theplanet since recordswere logged.

That’s asobering thought andobviously relates to notonlyclimate changebut the growingglobalpopulation.

When it’spredicated that we’regoing to see up to 12 billion people on the planet by 2050 we have to startthinking about how we’regoing to dealwiththe dramaticchanges in climate

It’snot just about fire butalsothe escalationofmajor weather eventsthatresult in floods and, extended droughts

PRACTICE FIRST

“Getting setup to defend aproperty is a big decision

Buy theright pump but,mostimportantly, traintouse it withthe familyand where appropriate, neighbors”, said Hales.

“Pumps shouldbefueled andready to be usedand primed with watersoit starts immediately

“Makesurethe pumphas no air leaks in thesuctionline as thatcan slow down

thepriming process and caninhibit performance”, saidHales

It’s the dry fuel, the high temperatureand worst of all the unexpected galeforce winds that createtrue disasters.

Aussie’smessageis, be prepared with the best pump,adequatewatersupply andofcourse qualityhighpressure hoses andnozzlessuitable forthe job.

PROTECTYOUR STOCK

Peopleonthe UrbanInterface generally speakinglikeanimals

Many have horses, some cattle,others sheep,goats andevenlamas

Theseanimals need to be protected in theevent of afire.

Basicrules forprotection areasfollows:

1. Spraypaint your phone number on the animal’srump, so it can be identified.

2. Remove rugs andhalters made of plastic or with metal buckles

3. Animalsshould be placedinopen paddocks withminimalgrowthbut with accesstowater andfodder.

Animalsshould have the ability to run andbeloose because theywill instinctivelyrun from afire.

SELECTTHE RIGHT PUMP

Australian Pump Industries engineers worktirelessly to produce the best productsoftheir kindinthe world.

The latest addition is a bigtwin impeller pump poweredbya13hp Honda petrol engine.

Called the Mr T QPT305SLT, this big pump will produce flowsofupto200 lpm at 80mhead

That’s quite an extraordinaryperformance andprovides 2or3 times more capability than thestandard 5.5hp Honda poweredfirepump.

EvenAussie’sFireChief,claimed to be the world’sbest lightweightportable fire pump, hasamaximum flowof450 lpm and atop pressure ratingof75m head

That equates roughly to 100psi in pressure

PAYTHE RIGHT PRICE!

Buying therightproduct is key butsois paying the rightprice

Some pumpsare on themarket at ridiculouslyhighprices,manyofthem morethandoublethe price of theAussie Fire Chief

The Aussie Fire Chief isthe only pump of its kindthatcomes with a5 year warranty

That coversthe pumpend only Hondacover theenginewiththeir 3year warranty.

“Weworkwith Hondaengineers to make sureour pumps areperfectly matched to thepower of the Hondaengine selected. “Wetake alot of trouble to make sure that we areperfectlyaligned in termsof horsepower consumptionand engine capability

“It’sacredit to Hondathat theygiveus so much supportand helpustomake sure customers getthe very best in termsofpump/engine combination” said Hales.

For further copies of Aussiesfree Bushfire Survival Guide call on yourlocal dealer or contactAussie Pumps direct in Sydney

Devastation of bush on amajor highway

This home builder is ready with afull dam and Aussie’sFireChief pump.

Contact your local Aussie Pump dealer for your free Bushfire Survival Guide

Call to monitor weather and sporecounts

ASINGLE highsporecount of 65,000 spores/gramwas reported last month in the Macalister Irrigation District.

GippsDairy is encouraging far mersin this region to monitor weather conditions and sporecounts on their far ms. Early intervention is critical.

Use prevailing weatherconditionsin combination with pasturesporecounting to predict and identify periods of pasture toxicity.

Take preventative actionwhen local pasturesporecountstrend upwards of 20,000 spores/gram, andweatherconditionslook favourable for sporulation.

For further information on Facial Eczema, visit the Dairy Australia website at: bit ly/40uanlm

Foradvice specific to your farm, see your veterinarianornutrition advisor

Water,sewer upgrades

GIPPSLAND Water is investing $2.8 million across its serviceareathis financial year to enhance water and sewer system reliability. It is part of a$21.5 million five-year renewal program, which will replace water reticulation mains,and clean and reline sewer mainsto improve the integrity of existing pipes and extend their lifespan.

Crewswill completewater main renewalsinNewborough, Noojee, Sale, Wurruk, Heyfield andMaf fraoverthe next six months. Theservice area includes 2200 kilometresof water mains and 1800 of sewer mains, which areconstantly monitoring as part of the renewal program.

Last year Gippsland Water upgraded nearly six kilometres of sewer mains in Traralgon and Morwell, and almost six kilometres of water mains in Morwell, Traralgon, Churchill,Saleand Stratford wereupgraded.

To find out whererenewals arehappening next, visit: gippswater.com.au/ waterandsewerrenewals

Borehomework

NUMEROUS bores aresunk across Victoria every year.Some generate good quantities of water,but others produce small amounts of water or water thatishighinsaltor other impurities.

AgricultureVictoria Land Management

Extension Of ficer, Clem Stur mfels,said sinking aborewas expensive, so landholders should do their homework beforehiring adrilling contractor

Access the online interactive map, Visualising Victoria’s Groundwater (VVG), allows the user to zoom in to their far m and turnonvarious coloured layers which indicate the likely depth, yield and quality of water in the area.

The map is based on drillers’ records of about300,000bores sunk over the last 130 years across Victoria.

For further infor mation about accessing groundwater,visit the Department of

Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) website.

Illegal abalone haul

IN aremote part of EastGippsland, four men from interstatehave been apprehended with allegedly morethan 1000 blacklip abalone in one of the largest illegal hauls of the past decade.

Victorian Fisheries Authority Education and Enforcement Director,Ian Parks, said the abalone,aprizedseafooddelicacy, were estimated to be worth around $17,000 on the black market.

“Fisheries officers from Mallacoota were conducting aroutine boat patrol offWingan Inlet on Sunday, January 5, when they observed four men allegedly removing abalonefromtheirshells on the rocky shoreline,” he said.

“With help fr om local Victoria Police officers, the men -fromNew South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory -were intercepted less thantwo hours lateron the WinganRoad in two carsand allegedly found in possession of acommercial quantity of abalone.”

Fisheries of ficers allegedly located 241 whole and shucked (removed from their shell) abalone on the Wingan Inlet rocks, wherethe men werefirst observed in the afternoon.

Afurther109 wholeand shuckedabalone were allegedlylocatedinone of thevehicles, whilst another 669 abalone meats were discovered in the second car

The total haul of 1019 abalone, some of which wereallegedlyundersize, weighed

energyand protein levelsoffeed. Along with energy and protein, fibre is an important factor to understand because that can limit how much an animal can eat.

“Wh en live st ock o ver eat fib re ,t hei r digestion rate slows down, causing them to leave supplementary feed in the paddock andmissout on getting enough nutrients, leading to weight loss.

Further advice can be found on the Feeding Livestock Victoriawebsite, including the Drought Feed Calculator which can help calculate the numbers.

Moreinformation aboutunderstanding feed tests and working out the cost of feeds can be foundon the Feeding Livestock Victoria website.

For moreinformation about dry seasonal conditions and drought support, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons, or call 136 186.

Food safety standards

NEW Food Safety Standards for growers of berries, leafy green vegetables and melons will come intoeffect from February 12, 2025.

Food S tanda rd sA us tral ia and Ne w Zealand introduced the new food safety and compliance standards in 2022 to the National Food Standards Code.

nearly 210 kilograms and wereseized on the spot. Most could not be released alive because their shell had been removed.

The four men will face severalcharges including taking, possessing and trafficking acommercial quantity of abalone.

Water leaks

GIPPSLAND Water is working to identify leaks across parts of Baw Baw’s water network using acoustic listening technology.

Drouin, Warraguland surrounding towns will be included in alarge-scale leakdetection program from this month.

The technology finds leaksbydetectinga distinct sound produced by water escaping apipe under pressure.

The program began in January and will continue throughthe coming months, coveringareas including Buln Buln, Nilma, Darnum, Jindivick and Rokeby.

To keepupto date with how the survey is progressing, visit: gippswater.com.au/ waterleakprogram

Feed test

FARMERS looking to buy infeeddue to poor pasturegrowth areencouraged to do afeed test to ensurefodder meets their livestock’s needs.

“Feedtestsdone properlyare the only way to know what you’regetting and if it will meet your livestock requirements,” AgricultureVictoriaLivestock Industry Development Of ficer,Hannah Manning said.

“A feed test provides information on the

Agr icu ltu re Vi ct ori aH or t ic ul tur e Standards Engagement Officer, Emily Scott, said: “the standards apply to businesses of any size that grow or complete primary or ‘early-stage’ processing such as washing, trimming, sorting, sanitising or storing of berries, leafy vegetables or melons.”

Visit the AgricultureVictoria website to learn moreabout the implementationof the standards across Victoria, and to sign up for the Food Safety Standards e-news and keep up to date with upcoming events.

Agriculturetech boost

THE Tech Council ofAustralia haswelcomed the federal government’sinvestment in theOnFar mConnectivity Program (OFCP), which assists primary producers to take advantage of digital agribusiness solutions.

The Tech CouncilChief Executive, Damian Kassabgi, said facilitating innovation and tech adoption in acritical industry such as agriculturewould drive efficiencies that will benefit the wider economy.

“Thereare exciting advancements and solutions in ag tech that can save farmers time and money so they can produce more with less while maintaining the high quality that Australia’s agricultural industry is well-known for,” he said. Australia has 2.5 per cent of the world’sagand food tech start-ups, almost double the country’s shareofglobal GDP.Listed Australian tech companies in ag tech and food tech grew by 134 between 2016 and 2021 -3.8 times faster than the average growth rate across all other tech segments.

More than 1000 abalone wereseized by fisheries officers.

Photo: Contributed

Cobrasclaim inauguralT20 crown

CRICKET

CLVT20

BY LIAM DURKIN

JOHN Keighran channelled asmaller dose of Glenn Maxwell to deliver for Churchill CricketClub.

The man known as the ‘King Cobra’ rode to Terry HunterOval last Friday, andreturned to Churchill Castle(moated by asnake pit) withthe ItalianAustralianClub Cricket Latrobe Valley Twenty20 premiership. Battling cramps and barely able to walk between wicketson occasion,Keighran finished unbeaten on 22, to go with figures of 3/14 in aMan of the Match performance in the decider against Ex Students. The Sharks decided to bat first, making the seeminglysensible decisiontobat while the light was still natural.

Unfortunately their innings lasted just 14 overs, and they wereshot out for just 66. Some calamitous run outsstifled any hopes of posting adecent total, with Rick Battista and Mitch Harris the only players to reach double figures.

Four of Churchill’s five bowlers took wickets. Assisting Keighranwas Ross Whelpdale(2/1), Chris Williams (1/17) and Ryan Harvey (1/27).

While chasing 67 would be easy enough in nor mal circumstances, a7pm start meant theCobras had to contendwith the unfamiliar challenge of batting under lights.

The Sharkscertainlymade Churchill work for the runs, and it took until the last over for the match to reach aresult.

Keighran saw aflurry of wicketsfall around him, although in fairness to the departed batsmen, the ball was almost impossible to pick up as the nightgot darker

Even Keighran himself, anoted big hitter, managed just two boundaries.

Brendan Mason made the most of what was left of some natural light, planting amonstroussix over backwardsquare leg into the construction site early in the innings.

Similar to Churchill, wicketswereshared in theExStudentscamp, although 11 extras to three in agame decided in the last over arguably had amajor bearing on the result.

Harris gave his side an early look, taking 2/15.

As well as victory, the Cobras pocketed af ew hundr ed dollars fr om the ItalianAustralian Club for winningthe tournament.

League officials reported asuccessful T20 campaign, and thanked clubs for entering close to full strength teams for the most part duringthe Tuesdaynight qualifying rounds. Agreat crowd came to Traralgon for the final,inwhat wasjustabout the per fect timeslot to enjoy some short formcricket after the working week.

The winning team was: Ryan Ayres, John Keighran, Matt Harvey, Ryan Harvey, Brae Kelly, BrendanMason, Joel Mason, Kurt Holt,Ashton Ceeney, Ross Johnson, Ross Whelpdale, Chris ‘Willow’ Williams and Deb Brighton (scorer).

Best mates play for Classic Singles title

BOWLS

CLASSIC SINGLES

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

SAME, same but different.

In arematch of last year’s final, Northern Irishinter national Gary Kelly defeated Australian champion bowler Corey Wedlock for the EnergyAustralia Classic Singles title.

In athrilling decider at Newborough BowlingClub, 48 professional and amateur players competed in 16 sections across the opening two days, eventually dropping to 32 for the much moreramped up play.

Duringthe semi-finals,Kelly overcame an earlystartfromT ony Schiavelloof Bundoora to win 25 to 15. Wedlock found it even easier than that, defeating Middle Park’s Daniel Dimery in aquick and convincing 25-3 result.

The final was set and it was no surprise to the local contingent that it would feature these two stars once again.

Kelly jumped out to afour -nil start as the temperaturesoared above 30 degrees. Wedlock answered with three close shots in arow that forced aheavy bowl from Kelly thatdidn’t come off, puttingWedlockon the board.

Some grace ful shots fr om t he Commonwealth Games athlete and once Number 2bowler in the world brought the scoreback to within one shot.

DespiteKelly not dropping in performance,

points would be won with just millimetres of difference. Desperate not to see asimilar result to last year’s final, Kelly began to focus even harder,examining his options and takingfurther time to executeas perfectly as possible.

As Kelly extended his lead to 12-6, Wedlock was visibly getting frustrated with how it was tur ning out, electing to deliver with pace to knock out Kelly’s well-placed rink. Momentum slowlybegan to swing as Wedlock nailed afew tough shots in a rowwhich eventually led to an eight-shot turnaround.

Pressurebegantomountfor Kelly as he lost his sizeable lead, but adeliberate last bowl rebounded offhis own to touch the jack, saving him from digging an even deeper hole, as he tied the scoreat 14-all.

Kelly led with twomarvellous shotson the next play, getting as close as you can get, only for Wedlock to swing in with a penetrating shot that knocked out both

Kelly’s bowls.

The match was now coming into the final stretch, and while it had been as enthralling as ever with many runs eitherway, it would stillget better.With Wedlockleading by one, Kellyhad two touchers and athird close bowl that leapfrogged himbackahead 17-15.

Kelly followed with abeautifully placed bow lb eh in dt he ja ck an dc lo s es ta s Wedlock responded, hitting his own bowl

closer and afinal shot sneaking between two, which laidperfectly to gain pointsand tie it once again.

Wedlockcontinued with two touchers as now Kelly would answer with more pace and weight sensing anothertur n, and found one that took out almost all to save adeficit. However,Wedlock pushed in front, but another three-shot swing spun the scoreback in Kelly’s favour

Both understanding the magnitude of the moment, each etched touches,however, afinalbowl from Kelly got closest to the moved jack and he nudged ahead 22-19.

Kelly was entering aflow state as he was getting closer tovictorywith two close bowls.

Wedlock was caughtout oftunewith anarrowly missed drive but then saved himselfwitha similarly paced shot that knocked both his closest - a final toucher from Kelly, and saved atwo-point dink.

Three bowls were set up for Kelly on the next play only as Wedlock disrupted that by taking them out and sent the jack off centre. Wedlock then had atoucher with the jack in its new position that brought himback within two points, 23-21.

On the final stretch withthe chance to be succumbed, Wedlock touched the jack on his first bowl, pushing it back far and behind other blockers. Kelly then carried with pace, so much so that he would trail his bowl withpacehimself,enteringa

joggingstage, as he sent the jack offinto the gully securing the win, additional ranking points and the prize pool of $3500.

Kelly praised Newborough Bowling Club after getting victory in his second year at the Classic Singles.

“I lovethiscluband appreciatecoming hereevery year,and to get up on that TV amongst some amazing players and names is pretty cool and special,” he said.

“Whatafantastic culture youhave at the club and agreat community. It’s one that’s dear to my heart because it remindsme of my grassroots and whereI came from and the club that Ideveloped my game at.” Beingthat Kellyand Wedlock areclose friends, Kelly also acknowledged his opponent.

“Thank youto my best mate Corey, it’s hard playing against your mates and stuff like that but it’s an honour to sharethe stage with them every time and Ireally appreciate it,” he said.

Both acknowledged the efforts of six-time classic singles player and Lakes Entrance bornBarrie Lester for getting them down for the second year running.

Alegends night also ran during the week of competition on Tuesday, January7 featuring Lester,Kelly and Wedlock which was well represented, and gavethe chance for local bowlers and memberstomingle with some of the best.

Churchill won the first Cricket Latrobe Valley Twenty20 Final last month.

Photo: Liam Durkin

Gippslanders treated to Phoenixwin

BASKETBALL

NBL BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

THE Phoenix rise again in the Valley. SouthEastMelbour ne Ph o enix a nd Brisbane Bullets arrivedatGippsland Region al Ind oor Basket ball Stadi um (GRISS) on the night of Saturday, January 11 for the NBL’s fourth successive regular season boutinfront of asold-outand amped crowd.

Despite ablowout scoreinthe end that read 105 to 86 in favour of the Phoenix, the game featured plentyofrunsfrom both sides and as many moments of fierce energy that kept spectators enthralled by the contest.

In what was fitted as abasketball festival, the gamebrought aprofessionalsporting match down to the regionwhilealso offering all that is catered for at aregular metropolitan game.

Heading into GRISS,there wasplenty going on beforeeven getting to your seat.

Pr ega me ente rtai nmen ts wer em an y and setup on the old maincourtsof the Traralgon Basketball Stadium included players available for meet and greets and jumping castles spread out for the kids. By the time the game was ready to start, the roof was shakingwithenergy, however,also due to the sweeping changes in weather conditionsatthe weekend, conditions within the four walls of the show court wereincreasingly noticeable.

The visiting BrisbaneBullets raised concerns regarding the safety of the venue prior to the game and the elevated chances of players sustaininginjuriesdue to the precipitation that could possibly be created on the floor from the humid weather

Unfortunately,B ullets coach Justin Schueller may havebeen right with his concerns as threeofhis men went down with injuries throughout Saturday night’s proceedings,with star Josh Bannan (knee),

EmmettNaar(oblique)and Deng Adel (groin) all suffering.

“That’sjust afrustration right now that we need to get some answers on… obviously a humid, rainy day down here, the aircons definitely didn’t geton early enough and the surface wasslippery, we identified that beforethe game,” Schueller said postgame.

Nonetheless,the game was acracking showcase between two sides eyeing afinals berth, with Brisbane just agame back of the Phoenix for fifth place.

The Bullets ran out of the gate hot with asix-pointlead and plenty of collective deep-range shots to start the affair

Pho en ix for wa rd Matt he wH ur tw as prepared to put the team on his back by scoring the opening 11 points of the game, andmade up for some early jiffs from the rest of the squad.

It was abit of abrick-fest either way for a majority of the opening quarter,withmany jump shots going awry but a final pull up three-pointer from Bullets guard Keandre Cookkepttheminfront 21-17 comethe first break in play.

Despite the Phoenix making up for their early blip and getting right back into it, they would be without the services of guard Derrick Walton Jr for the rest of the night after suffering asecond hamstring injury on the season.

Walton Jr had previously played for the Sydney Kings in aprior Gippsland showcase against thePhoenixin2022 that went into double overtime and is widely considered to be one of the greatest NBL games ever played.

Hurt continued on his unbeaten run to openthe second ter m, findingbaskets inside and out, whileBannan and the Bullets maintained their lead and pushed it to double digits midway through.

Veteran guardNathan Sobey (Phoenix) finally came alive and knocked down ahuge three that would begin to turn the tide for Gippsland’sown NBL side -with the crowd being heardafter every bucket and stop that went in favour of the Phoenix, a loud roar and applause erupted the stadium.

Another moment that was equally electric wasfromyoung Phoenix playerOwen Foxwell, who pressed hardinthe front court and poked the ball loose from Brisbane’s Mitch Norton and dove onto the floor forcing aturnover

Sobey thenhit back-to-back-to-back threes in the final two minutes of the first half and gave South East Melbourne the necessary lift and momentum to carry over into the last stretch.

Hurt and Sobey again ignited to begin the thirdquarter,making practically all of the Phoenix’s buckets, coming in many ways

morethan one. Sobey broke the game open with atough drive to the basket that gave the Phoenix their first lead of the night, from which they never really looked back. The final termbelonged to forwardJoe Wieskamp, who rose from an admitted slump to nail some impressive shots and played some equally impressive defence, which added to amatch-winning quarter for the Phoenix.

Sout hE ast Melbo ur ne ou tsco re d Brisbane by 18 points in the last quarter and 26 in the second half, giving them time to celebrate their seventh victory in arow in front of 3000 people universally in their corner

Hurt finished with 32 points, missing just fourshots,whileSobey (31)knockedin seven threes, and Wieskamp added 16 in support.

Phoenix coach Josh King credited his team’s fightbacktothe spark that was generated from the enthusiastic fans in a compact and intense homeenvironment in Traralgon.

“In the first half, we didn’t give them much to cheeraboutwith our energybut once they got going, once we performed the way we’resupposed to and we got them involved it really pushed us over the top and the crowd was tremendous tonight,” he said. Similarly,Wieskamp has played college basketball for abig program in Iowa and noticed likenessestothe relationship between the crowd and the players from his time in the US.

“I thought it was afun atmosphere, obviously they showed out (and) provided some energy for us especially in that fourth quarter.It’s always fun to play in front of asold-out crowd,” he said.

South EastMelbournePhoenix have locked into atwo-year continued partnership with Latrobe City, and will featurein another regular season match at GRISS during the next NBL season.

Thorpdale and Tigersgohand-in-hand

FOOTBALL

By LIAM DURKIN

HE might have to pull on the boots himself

Former Thorpdale footballer Rhy Gieschen has been appointed Richmond Football Club’s national recruiting manager

Gieschen has been with Richmond’s recruitingteam for the past two years since joining theclub as Victorian recruiting manager

He is theson of Maffra’s JeffGieschen, whohimselfcoached Richmondbetween 1997 and 1999.

Somewhat ironically, the paths of Maffra and Richmond have been almost identical sinceboth won premierships in 2019, and now both hold the wooden spoon. Perhaps even moreastonishing is the links between Richmond and the potato farming town.

Rhy played two seasons for Thorpdale from 2014-15,missingjust one senior game in that two-year stretch.

Richmond and Hawthor npremiership player Barry Rowlings is from Thorpdale, while the Tigers’ current AFLW coach Ryan Ferguson is the son of Thorpdale ‘everything man’ Dave Ferguson.

Essendonisalso well connected through 100 gamer Jason Winderlich and 1960s Bomber Jim Forsyth (whose son Timwon bronze in high jump at the 1992 Olympics).

All three grew up in Thorpdale.

Football is away of life for the Gieschen family. Jef fhas seen the game from all angles, as aplayer with Footscray, senior coach, and as the AFL’s umpiremanager He won two Trood Awardand Rodda Medals for the Gippsland League best-andfairest with Maffra FNC.

The Gieschen name is synonymous with the Eagles, and the family has combined

for morethan 1000 senior games between them in the redand black.

Wi nsto nG iesche nh eld the Maf fra Football-Netball Club senior games record on 253 until it was surpassed by Daniel Bedggood last year

Rhy hasworkedfor closeto15years in the AFL industry,holding talent and operationalroles at the AFL, AFLCA and AFL Victoria.

RichmondGeneral Manager Football Talent,Blair Hartley said the club felt Gieschen was ready to step into the new role.

“Rhy did an outstanding job in assisting and guiding the recruiting process in the preparation for last year’s national draft,” he said.

“He has had astrong grounding in the AFL industry, having played avarietyof roles in both talent and operations.”

Former Thorpdale footballer Rhy Gieschen will be tasked with helping leadRichmond’s list rebuild.

Photo: Contributed

Angus Glover with Gippsland-based fans following the Phoenix win.

Photo: Blake Metcalf-Holt