Gippsland Farmer February 2024

Phone: (03) 5135 4444

February, 2024

Loving Dairy

LONGWARRY PUSH AFTER PAKENHAM

By PHILIP HOPKINS

PLANS to build new livestock saleyards at Longwarry will be sped up to cater for the impending closure of the Pakenham saleyards in June.

Capital raising for the development that Longwarry Saleyards Pty Ltd chairman, Greg Price, said would cost “north of $20 million”, will be the first priority, Keith Anderson reported in the Warragul and Drouin Gazette.

Mr Price said the abrupt decision to close Pakenham by mid-year meant Longwarry needed to go ahead as soon as possible, but 2027 was the most realistic date for the new yards to be brought into operation.

This left a three-year gap where district farmers would have to sell stock at Koonwarra, east of Leongatha, Sale or Yea, he said. The case to build the years at Longwarry wasn’t viable while Pakenham was still operating.

The Pakenham Livestock Exchange transacts about 100,000 store and prime cattle a year, drawn mainly from Gippsland, the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula. Koonwarra, which Victorian Livestock Exchange also owns, has a throughput of 150,000 head a year.

Pakenham VLE’s managing director, Brian Paynter, told the online site Beef Central that some of the materials from Pakenham would be used to help upgrade VLE’s Koonwarra site. It was VLE’s hope that many of the cattle sold through Pakenham would be moved across to Koonwarra, about an hour away to the south-east.

“That is why we’re committed to developing and spending even more money at Leongatha, to build a new truck wash and new areas to hold cattle, and we will look at sale days,” he said.

The livestock manager with Alex Scott & Co at Pakenham, Dave Setchers, told Beef Central some cattle would move across to Koonwarra, but others may be redirected to Yea or Kyneton, with transport costs an issue.

To keep costs down for clients, he said the closure could force more cattle to be sold direct rather than through physical yards. “Which is not ideal, the auction system is a great thing and it certainly sets the hook price, and we don’t want to see everything go that way, but it is certainly going to have to happen,” he said.

Longwarry Saleyards P/L was formed by Warragul district stock agents, farmers and rural industry suppliers after VLE said it would close the Warragul saleyards it had operated since 2018. Warragul held its last cattle sale in December 2019.

The Gippsland Jersey ‘Farming Conversations’ Calendar for 2024 is out now.

Denison farmer Ross Anderson speaks on his resilience as a Gippsland dairy ry y farmer.

STORY - PAGE 12

Continued - Page 3

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

RURAL NEWS

Beef group still learning after 20 years

FARMERS are always keen to improve their beef farming skills and knowledge.

That’s what prompted a group of West Gippsland farmers almost 20 years ago to do something about it.

Warragul BeefCheque Group (WBG), whose motto in part is “Grow more pasture, Produce more beef”, was formed in 2004, offering local farmers the chance to seek the

answers they’d been looking for to improve beef production.

These dedicated farmers, led by president Rob Jackson, hold about 10 meetings a year, which are usually held on a member’s farm.

Each meeting consists of a unique topic, such as weed management, use of fertilisers and growing better pastures, that

are delivered by experts in the industry, including vets, agronomists and university lecturers, to name a few.

There is a planned field trip and a mid-year dinner ending the year with a Christmas barbecue.

The group formed as a result of local farmers coming together after attending a Pro-graze course conducted by Agriculture Victoria in 2004.

The WBG formed in that year and has been going strong ever since and celebrates 20 years of continuous operation this year.

Dianne Davey, the outgoing president of WBG of nearly 10 years, when asked what is the WBG said, “Warragul BeefCheque Group provides a fantastic, high end

learning experience on all aspects of beef production in a social and community minded setting”.

The WBG is suitable for all experience levels from those starting out in farming, needing guidance, to the very experienced farmers who are able to offer the group the benefit of their knowledge.

Farmers who think you might benefit from being part of this very active and knowledgeable group, from animal husbandry to herbicides, can phone Rob Jackson on 0419 540 910, or the treasurer, Tony Wrobel (0450 352 200).

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Longwarry to offset closure of the Pakenham saleyards From Page 1

DESPITE objections to setting up saleyards at Longwarry, Baw Baw Shire gave planning approval for the development provided a start was made on the project

by February 2026.

Mr Price said he thought new investors would come from locals involved in the industry when the capital raising went ahead.

“The industry and public support for saleyards at Longwarry has been overwhelming,” he said.

The Longwarry yards would be a major asset and benefit to the district farmers, stock agents and the wider Baw Baw and West Gippsland economy and community, Mr Price said.

Pakenham, Victoria’s fourth-largest saleyard by throughput, has been forced to close due to growing urbanisation, rising land values and escalating land taxes on Melbourne’s eastern metropolitan fringe.

When the Pakenham saleyards opened in February 1999, it was the first privately-owned, fully-roofed, soft-floored, multi-agent modern livestock exchange in Australia. It became a model for new saleyards across Australia.

The Pakenham saleyards replaced the Dandenong saleyards that had operated for 20 years, which in turn had replaced the 130-year-old Newmarket saleyards in inner Melbourne in 1987. Both were also squeezed out by expanding urban development.

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RURAL NEWS

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Vic dominates food exports

VICTORIA is Australia’s biggest food and fibre exporter, state government figures show. Exports by Victoria’s farmers and food manufacturers rose by $1.3 billion, or seven per cent in value, to a record $19.6 billion in 2022-23, 24 per cent of the national total.

The other states’ totals of Australia’s food and fibre exports were Western Australia at 20 per cent, New South Wales with 17 per cent, Queensland with 17 per cent, South Australia at 11 per cent and Tasmania at one per cent, with ‘Others’ (ACT and NT) combining for 11 per cent.

Food exports accounted for 81 per cent of the total and fibre 19 per cent. Victorian export volumes grew by one per cent to 12.7 million tonnes, up 179,000 tonnes on the previous year.

Grain was the largest export in 2022-23, increasing by 26 per cent to reach $5.6 billion in value, while meat was the secondlargest at sector $4.5 billion (23 per cent).

Dairy, with $2.52 billion, fell by two per cent but was still third with 12 per cent, followed by horticulture, up 13 per cent to $1.6 billion, at 8 per cent, driven by big rises in grapes and almond exports.

However, Victoria’s dairy exports fell by 22 per cent in volume to 515,000 tonnes, but Victoria was still the No.1 exporter by value in dairy. Victoria was also the Australian leader in horticulture, animal fibre, and skins and hides.

Food and fibre exports increased in the majority of Victoria’s key markets in 202223, led by China, Japan and the US, and inroads continued to be made in other strategic markets including Singapore, South Korea and Indonesia.

In 2022-23, Victoria’s top export markets by value were China $4.7b (up four per cent), Japan $1.68b (up 13 per cent), United States $1.6b (up two per cent), New

Grain exports increased in 2022-2023, due to high prices and favourable growing conditions.

Photo: File

Zealand $1.13b (up 15 per cent), Indonesia $1.02b (up 21 per cent), Singapore $994 million (up 57 per cent), Malaysia $827m (up12 per cent), South Korea $810m (up 22 per cent) and United Arab Emirates $693m (up 36 per cent).

The report said grain exports jumped due to high prices and favourable growing conditions, with wheat, oilseeds and barley representing about 84 per cent of total grain exports.

Meat was Victoria’s second-largest export industry, with sheep meat and beef exports contributing more than $3.7 billion.

“Victoria continues to be a regional food processing powerhouse with a 12 per cent increase in beverage exports,” the report said.

“Animal fibre exports increased in value by 13 per cent to $2.3 billion underpinned by increased demand for wool grease and yarn products.”

Notable export achievements in 2022-23 were:  China remains the highest value market despite the value falling from a third to a quarter since 2020;  Japan surpassed the US as Victoria’s

second-most valuable market following average annual growth of 22 per cent since 2021;  The US is still the third-most valuable market, with meat exports, despite falling, 29 per cent higher than in 2021;  Exports to Pakistan grew by more than 200 per cent;  Exports to the Middle East rose by more than 35 per cent, with demand for dairy, wheat and meat high in the UAE;  India is the largest market for Victorian food and fibre in South Asia, and;  Indonesia and Malaysia are now among Victoria’s top 10 markets for grains, dairy, prepared foods, seafood and forest products.

Food and fibre sales represent more than one-third of Victoria’s overall exports.

More than 70 per cent of the food and fibre produced in Victoria is exported.

Victoria has a network of 23 international trade and investment offices and trade mission program help local exporters gain access and contacts in key markets.

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

RURAL NEWS

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Drainage the key to stop soil erosion RECENT storms have caused soil erosion on farm roads, tracks and driveways across Victoria.

Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer, Clem Sturmfels, said the key to controlling this damage was drainage.

“Good surface drainage, wide stable table drains and closely spaced run-offs to direct the water away from the roadway are vital.

Additionally, the roadway needs to have stable, well drained foundations and a hard-wearing gravel, concrete or bitumen surface,” Mr Sturmfels said.

He said Class 1 or Class 2 materials, a mix of quarry dust and larger aggregate, makes for a very stable and hard-wearing surface without the need for a surface seal.

“Roadways can be constructed on quite steep slopes using these techniques. A wellbuilt road should only require occasional grading and a top dressing with gravel every few years,” he said.

“Roadways cut into the side of a hill will need regular culverts or other forms of cross drainage.”

A simple speed hump or roll-over is a cheap and easy way to divert water.

“Wherever possible, roads, tracks and driveways should follow ridgelines to minimise the need for cross drainage,” he continued.

Mr Sturmfels suggested the best way to create good surface drainage was by crowning up the centre of the roadway.

“The crown needs to be high enough to rapidly shed water away from the centre of the road. An alternative method, commonly

Storm-affected road problems.

Photo: File

used on bush tracks, is to slope the road surface into, or away from the side of a hill,” he said.

“Roadside table drains should have a flat base to spread and slow the speed of the water and ideally will have a good cover of grass to protect them from erosion.

“A well-established grass table drain can safely carry a similar flow of water to a typical rock lined drain. If using a rock lined drain, it’s important to make it wide and deep enough to carry the anticipated flow.

“Run-offs or cut-off drains are used to take water from the table drain to a safe disposal area. They should be spaced 50 - 100m apart on gently sloping roadways but only 15 - 20m apart on steep roads, tracks and driveways.”

For more information visit agriculture.vic. gov.au/farm-management/soil/erosion or email Clem Sturmfels on clem.sturmfels@ deeca.vic.gov.au

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

RURAL NEWS

Tips to stay snake safe this summer

AMBULANCE Victoria (AV) is urging people, particularly in regional Victoria, to be on the lookout for snakes and know what to do if you, or someone you’re with, are bitten.

Victoria’s snake season is typically between September and April, with sightings more common in the summer months and in rural areas.

Paramedics recently responded to a serious snake bite incident in Dargo, where crews managed a challenging case in a remote location.

AV Clinical Support Officer, David Moors, said the Dargo patient felt light tingling in their lower leg before developing respiratory distress, cramping and nausea around two hours later.

“This incident occurred in a very remote location, quite a distance from the nearest hospital in Bairnsdale,” he said.

“Paramedics reapplied a pressure bandage and immobilised the limb to slow blood circulation to the affected area.

“The trip back from Dargo to Bairnsdale Hospital was just under two hours, so the crew arranged for another AV paramedic to meet them on their way back to administer antivenom while en route to hospital.”

Thanks to their quick-thinking, the patient had improved and was experiencing no pain by the time they arrived at hospital.

AV Director Emergency Management,

Justin Dunlop, said this summer, paramedics had been responding to snake bite cases across the state much like the Dargo case. It was a timely reminder for people to know what to do if they find themselves a victim of a bite.

“There’s an increased risk of snakes during the warmer months, particularly in places such as bushland, farms and campgrounds,” he said.

“Most snakes in Victoria are venomous and a bite can be life-threatening.

“If someone is suspected to have suffered a snake bite, even if you’re not sure, you should call Triple Zero (000) immediately.”

Snake bites may cause pain and swelling around the bite, or there may be very few signs left on the skin and can be easily confused with a scratch from a branch or twig.

“It’s vital you know what to do while waiting for an ambulance; if a snake bite victim becomes unresponsive, you should follow DRSABC and start CPR if they are not breathing,” Mr Dunlop said.

“For conscious patients, keep them still and reassured while waiting for help and only move them if it is too unsafe to stay put.

“Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage around the affected areas from the top to the bottom of the limb if possible.”

New mobile app for pests

A NEW mobile app, MyPestGuide Trees, is available to industry, government, and citizen scientists, empowering all to easily identify and report invasive pests and diseases that could threaten native, plantation and urban forests.

While many potentially damaging pests and diseases exist overseas, Australia has robust biosecurity measures in place to mitigate these risks.

Even so, exotic pests and diseases can and do occasionally reach our shores and can damage the environment, including Australia’s trees and forests.

Australia’s trees and forests provide a diverse array of economic, cultural, environmental, and amenity benefits. The forest, wood and paper products sector is Australia’s sixth-largest manufacturing industry. Forestry contributes $9.2 billion to the Australian economy.

The MyPestGuide Trees mobile phone app is designed to promote, encourage, and make it easy for everyone to get involved in identifying and reporting pests sightings in trees in your backyard, street, parks or local bushland.

The app allows users to filter exotic environmental and plant pests using various criteria to identify causal organisms and, if required, submit images of pests to their state or territory agriculture department for identification.

The use of the app will assist in the early detection of new and exotic pests, potentially allowing for timely eradication of

new and potentially damaging incursions.

“The MyPestGuide Trees app is a pest identification field guide containing information on established and exotic forest pests, as well as a pest reporting tool,” said Paco Tovar, Forest Biosecurity Manager at the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA).

“By using the MyPestGuide Trees app, members of the public are helping Australia to gather data to build a comprehensive understanding of the forest pests in Australia and help support early detection of exotic forest pests,” Dr Lucy Tran-Nguyen, PHA’s General Manager, Partnerships and Innovation, added.

Everyone has a role to play in protecting Australia against harmful pests and diseases, so if you spot anything unusual on a tree or observe something you are unsure about, use the application which is available for free download via the Apple App Store or Google Play as well as a webbased version, or call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

The MyPestGuide Trees mobile application was developed through funding from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Environmental Biosecurity Office and Forest Wood Products Australia.

Plant Health Australia also gratefully acknowledges the expertise provided by Australian Forest Products Association, agriculture departments from different states and territories, forest sector organisations, and university experts.

Symptoms that snake venom has entered your body may include dizziness, blurred vision, breathing difficulties, nausea, muscle weakness or paralysis.

“Take action around your home by keeping your property clear of rocks, logs and building materials and keeping grass short.”

Snake bite prevention and tips:  Always give snakes a wide berth and allow them the opportunity to flee;  All snake bites should be considered a medical emergency;  Most, but not all, Victorian snakes are venomous;  Do not attempt to catch or kill a snake yourself;  Do not wash the site of the bite, as venom left on the skin can be used to help identify the type of snake and

required antivenom treatment, and;

 Bite marks may not be obvious -

seek help immediately and call Triple Zero (000) if you suspect you have been bitten.

If you or someone you are with is bitten:  DRSABC (Dangers? Responsive?

Send for help. Open airway. Check for breathing. Start CPR if required);  Call Triple Zero (000);  Keep patient still and reassure them;  Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage;  Splint the limb to prevent movement, and;  Wait with the patient until help arrives.

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February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

7

RURAL NEWS

Fire warning for lithium battery devices VICTORIAN fire agencies are reminding residents to be cautious when charging lithium-ion battery-operated devices after an e-scooter house fire in Wendouree on Friday, January 12.

The two-storey townhouse was protected

by CFA and FRV crews who arrived quickly after the occupants escaped to safety due to working smoke alarms.

Wendouree CFA Lieutenant, Kenneth Mitchell, said an e-scooter was on charge at the time of the call and exploded inside the kitchen and dining area.

“We arrived on scene and immediately removed the hazard from the house to stop the spread in a timely manner, and thankfully were able to halt the fire extending to the house,” he said.

“These devices can go off quite quickly and violently, so the best way to deal with them is to call Triple Zero at your earliest convenience. A fire extinguisher can be used in the first instance too.

“For firefighters, the only way crews can

A lithium-ion battery fire scare has prompted cautions.

alleviate the issue is to remove the hazard from the structure and then place it in a bucket of water to cool it down.

“Once in the water it can pose a risk of off gassing, which is the spread of dangerous substances from inside the battery that can be let out when it catches fire.”

The e-scooter scare is a wake-up call for residents right across Victoria, with

Photo: File

Victorian fire services responding to lithium-ion battery fires almost every day.

Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer Community Safety, Kieran Lenehan, said Victorians who are considering buying a product with rechargeable batteries should only buy from reputable suppliers and only use chargers supplied with the device.

“When lithium-ion batteries are damaged,

misused or fail to meet compliance standards, they pose a serious fire risk, particularly while they are connected to chargers,” Mr Lenehan said.

“We’re now seeing an increase in the uptake of e-scooters and e-bikes, power tools and general charging devices, so residents must remember to always enact the appropriate safety measures.

“Do not overcharge electric devices, only charge them when required and the safest option is to switch them off overnight before you go to bed. We recommend charging them in the garage, on their own power point.”

CFA Lieutenant Mitchell said that he had noticed that within the district, people were plugging too many items into power boards, which can cause them to overheat and catch fire.

While it is the first in the Wendouree region for quite some time, Victorians should not become complacent as they can arise at any time, the CFA says.

New emergency helicopters added to firefighting VICTORIA has added to the aerial firefighting fleet of helicopters, air tankers and planes that aim to protect Victorians this fire season.

The upgraded fleet was unveiled by the Minister for Emergency Services, Jaclyn Symes, and the Emergency Management Commissioner, Rick Nugent.

A total of 51 firefighting aircraft makes up the fleet - more than last year’s contingent.

The fleet includes a mix of firebombing aircraft, air attack supervision and airborne information gathering aircraft.

The new addition to Victoria’s base fleet is a second Aircrane, a high-capacity Type 1 helicopter with the capacity to carry 10,000 litres of water and pick up seawater. Two large air tankers return to Victoria, which can operate from smaller regional airports as they require less room for take-off and landing, making them more agile to move around the state as the fire risk changes.

A Super Puma firebombing helicopter with a capacity of 2500 litres leads the night operations program, with its ability to fight fires into the night. Victoria also

has a surge capacity of up to 100 aircraft that can supplement the core fleet and can be called upon when needed.

The aircraft are an important support service for the tens of thousands of dedicated emergency services workers from the CFA, Forest Fire Management Victoria, Fire Rescue Victoria, VICSES and many other agencies. It complements the thousands of hardworking volunteers and trucks on the ground who are ready to turn out to fires this summer, protecting their communities.

Victorians can expect increased fire risk

in central and western Victoria, along the Surf Coast and in East Gippsland. Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility and Victorians should be using this time to prepare themselves and their homes.

For more information on how to prepare for fires and other emergencies, download the VicEmergency app or visit emergency. vic.gov.au For the first time in Victoria, communities can also create a fire plan online, customised to their needs and sharable with family and friends via fireplanner.vic. gov.au

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

9

RURAL NEWS

Heat stress management asscessing

By RICHARD SMITH

NOW is a good time for producers to assess their heat stress management programs as heat stress can impose a significant financial and welfare cost to a business.

Heat stress has been shown to decrease milk yield by 10 - 25 per cent, feed intake by 10–20 per cent, decrease Six week and 100 day in-calf rates, drop natural and artificial insemination conception rates, and increase the risk of clinical mastitis in higher-yielding cows.

To manage the impact of heat stress the following actions can be taken when a high heat day is expected:  Use low stress stock-handling techniques;

 Delay afternoon milking until 5pm, and;  Wet the dairy yard for an hour before cows arrive.

Use yard sprinklers as they encourage heat loss and are an effective method of cooling herds of cows quickly by aiming for a moderate to large water droplet from the sprinkler using an on/off cycle, sprinkling cows for one to three minutes every 15 minutes, and bringing the milking herd back to the dairy yard around midday if you don’t have a shade shed and using the sprinkler system to cool cows.

Install a large water trough on the exit side of the dairy - during hot weather a cow can drink 200-250 litres per

Raining in record Summer

WATER restrictions are unlikely this summer, according to Gippsland Water’s Annual Water Outlook.

Three years of wet conditions from La Niña have contributed to the good health of the region’s water sources, and despite a dry start to the year, recent rainfall has returned catchments to an average level of dampness.

The managing director, Sarah Cumming, said Gippsland Water was confident water supplies would be secure over the summer season and into 2024.

“Our water supply systems are in a good position heading into the new year,” Ms Cumming said.“Our largest water source, Moondarra Reservoir, is 100 per cent full and spilled recently. Across our service area other sources like our entitlement of Blue Rock Dam also sit at 100 per cent capacity.

“At this stage we believe restrictions are unlikely, even for smaller communities without large water storage facilities.”

Ms Cumming said work completed in the last decade, such as the Seaspray raw water basin and the recent interconnect between Heyfield and Coongulla, had ensured the smaller communities were catered for during the warmer, drier months.

“Our recent acquisition of an annual

3.33 gigalitre bulk entitlement from Tarago Reservoir has also furthered water security for West Gippsland.”

Ms Cumming said the water outlook considered the Bureau of Meteorology’s seasonal outlook, the last three years of La Niña, El Niño, and the positive Indian Ocean Dipole event.“The combination of these conditions means Gippsland is likely to experience warm and dry conditions over the next few months,” Ms Cumming said.

“We had a much drier start to the year and a significantly drier July to September. October provided a much needed reprieve, with the wet weather topping up our water sources just in time for the weather to heat up.

“While we’re confident we can meet demand, unforeseen circumstances such as extreme weather events can always impact water supply and we’ll inform our customers if circumstances change.”

Permanent water saving rules continue to apply across Victoria.To read Gippsland Water’s Annual Water Outlook visit www.gippswater.com.au/annualwater-outlookFor information on water saving rules and advice on how to save water, visit www.gippswater.com.au/ savewater

day and place fans above sprinklers and tilting them down 20-30 degrees Celcius so they blow air between and underneath cows to enhance wholebody cooling, and provide cows with the highest quality pasture available to graze overnight when they are cooler.

Importantly, if animals are heat-affected and show no signs of improvement, get in touch with your local veterinarian for assistance.

In the long-term, the following actions can be considered to manage heat stress to benefit the enterprise and ensure the welfare of cattle:  Review or undertake a whole farm plan including the placement of shade structures, tree plantings on northern and western edges of pastures as trees can reduce the radiant heat load by 50 per cent or more;  Fence-off tree lines to protect tree

roots and reduce the chance of cows lying down in mud and dung, and;  Install a shade cloth over the dairy yard.

Modelling has shown when shade is provided there are 53 per cent fewer moderate and 86 per cent fewer severe heat stress events, and shade, sprinklers and air movement enables faster milk let-down and more incentive for the herd to walk to the dairy.

If you have a permanent feed-out pad, consider installing a shade structure over it, and assess the impact of withholding insemination during hot weather on herd profitability.

For further information, see Dairy Australia Feeding Cool Cows Research fact sheets. *Richard Smith is the Agriculture Victoria Dairy Extension Officer at Tatura.

Heat stress can significantly reduce milk yields.

Photo: File

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

11

A D V E R T I S I N G

F E A T U R E

Autumn Pasture Renewal

AS farmers strive for optimal pasture quality and increased livestock productivity, the importance of effective pasture renewal programs cannot be overstated each Autumn.

Peter Notman, a seasoned dairy farmer and owner of Notman Pasture Seeds based at Poowong has shared a stepby-step guide to his successful Autumn pasture renewal program, which involves careful planning and execution.

Here’s a closer look at the key steps involved: “Summer and early Autumn is an important time to control weeds, creating a clean slate for new pasture growth in areas you want to improve.” Peter highlights.

Peter holds firm that optimal results are achieved “when the newly sown pasture has the best possible chance to establish with a clean, fine, non-clumpy seed bed.”

“Whether its multiple cultural cultivations or chemical control of weeds, the idea is all the same – create an environment for new seedlings to prosper in early Autumn.

There are numerous ways to cultivate the soil, do what works for you” Peter says.

“It could involve a light discing, with just the top 50mm of soil, aiming to create an ideal seedbed without fully inverting the soil.

Repeat this discing in late February, early March for optimal seedbed preparation.

“Also consider soil fertility such as spreading lime and or a complete fertiliser to enhance the nutrients available to the new seedlings.

Additionally, a starter fertiliser such as a DAP can provide the essential phosphorus for early seedling growth” explains Peter.

For perennial pasture, target having

the paddock ready for planting in early March.

The next step is choosing the right seed mix.

As Peter discusses the different types, “Notman Seeds has a range of grass and legume seed blends available.”

“In the terms of the main types we have Vatbuster for dairy and high rainfall beef

farms, PrimeCut for beef and sheep operations, Economy blends to meet a budget and Equine blends for sensitive equine livestock.”

“Some farmers choose to add herbs such as chicory, plantain, or persistent grasses such as cocksfoot and phalaris.

All are customisable to meet each farmers own needs” Four weeks after germination, assess the paddock for broadleaf weeds.

Once the plants have established themselves firmly, graze the paddocks lightly.

This step ensures that the young plants are not pulled out of the ground during grazing.

The success of this pasture renewal program hinges on addressing potential risks, with a particular emphasis on soil fertility, proper soil preparation, and early weed/pest control.

“Of course, some things are out of our control, however as farmers we want to give the emerging seedlings the best possible chance,” Peter points out.

“You only get one chance at establishment, so you want to get the best return on the money you’ve invested so far” Peter emphasises.

By following these guidelines, farmers can pave the way for robust and sustainable pastures, contributing to enhanced livestock well-being and overall farm productivity.

12

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

13

RURAL NEWS

Review on carbon goal

THE grass-fed cattle industry’s peak representative body has doubled down on its push for a review of the industry’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2030, the online site Beef Central has reported.

In one of its biggest policy announcements since forming last year, Cattle Australia has been calling for the industry to change its goal from carbon neutral to climate neutral.

The push mostly came off the back of a CSIRO report by Dr Brad Ridoutt, which suggested that climate neutral was a more fitting target for the industry - and that the industry was almost at a point where it is no longer adding to global warming.

The main argument is over the reporting metric, with carbon neutral using the GWP 100 metric, which does not account for the short-lived nature of methane from livestock. CA is pushing for the use of metrics that are more focused on warming effect than emissions.

CA is not the only agricultural lobby group to be pushing for a move away from carbon-based goals, with Beef + Lamb NZ and America’s National Cattleman’s Beef Association pushing towards climate neutral.

CA board director, Adam Coffey said the reporting metrics had come on the group’s radar again after meeting with federal government to discuss a “net zero plan” for agriculture.

“It’s alarming to see commentary

in the discussion paper around agricultural emissions ‘increasing as a percentage of annual national emissions as the energy sector transitions to renewable sources,” he said.

“If some two thirds of agricultural emissions are attributed to enteric methane emissions from livestock which are being vastly overstated then where is the level playing field?

“If the Paris Agreement is a temperature target designed to limit warming then why are enteric methane emissions measured in a cumulative, one-way fashion which completely ignores our ability to recapture emissions in our vast natural and well managed landscapes?”

While CA’s position on CN30 is clear, there has been little movement on a review of the target.

Meat & Livestock Australia Managing Director, Jason Strong penned an op-ed outlining MLA’s position on it.

Asked if MLA was required to act on direction from CA, an MLA spokesperson said: “We consult widely to guide our research investment decisions, including on CN30 and climate neutrality. This consultation includes the peak councils, regional advisory committees, producers, taskforces, and many other stakeholders.”

“It shouldn’t be a debate about climate neutral versus carbon neutral - in fact, climate neutrality is an important component of carbon neutrality.”

MLA’s pursuit of CN30 is part

of the “Red Meat 2030” strategic plan which has been endorsed by six peak industry bodies - including CA.The Red Meat Advisory Council is the custodian of red meat 2030.

Asked what would need to happen for CA’s position to be reflected in Red Meat 2030, RMAC Chair John McKillop said: “RMAC works closely and collaboratively with all member Peak Industry Councils and the three red meat Rural Research and Development Corporations, to assess our performance and ensure our strategic plan remains fit for purpose.”

“When Red Meat 2030 was first launched in 2019 we knew this would be an ambitious and challenging plan that would need to evolve over time.

“Industry’s focus remains on reducing its emissions while not impeding our ability to feed the world, and to continue the trajectory of ever -increasing sustainability. The progress we have made to date, irrespective of the metric used is nothing short of spectacular. The industry, through MLA, reports our industry’s emissions using GWP100, GWP* and net methane, and will continue to do so.

“RMAC regularly facilitates discussions with the Peak Industry Councils to identify opportunities to build on our strategic plan and to support our pathways to achieving our shared vision of doubling the value of Australian red meat sales by 2030,” said Mr McKillop.

Photo: File

Dr Ridoutt’s report describes “climate neutrality” as a target based on IPCC science and aligned with the goal of the Paris Agreement, involving the management of emissions to achieve climate stabilisation.

It says climate neutrality acknowledges that different targets are needed for greenhouse gases with different atmospheric lifetimes.

For methane, which has a short atmospheric lifetime, a goal of modestly declining emissions trajectory is consistent with climate stabilisation, the report states.

The project considered a range of interventions to reduce emissions and sequester carbon for their potential to help the industry achieve a goal of climate neutrality by 2030.

These included feed additives, forage crops, breeding for lower methane and improved herd/ flock management, along with a number of vegetation management interventions including tree planting on farm (such as the Integration of shade and shelterbelts in southern Australia) soil carbon storage and savannah burning management.

A key point from the report is that the industry can continue to grow production while aligning with climate goals.

The report concluded that climate neutrality appears “realistically achievable” for the Australian red meat industry by 2026. Additionally, the goal was possible for the beef cattle and sheep meat sectors individually.

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RURAL NEWS

Meat industry evaluates carbon levels

MEAT & Livestock Australia has welcomed the report by CSIRO scientist Dr Brad Ridoutt, which concluded that a target of “climate neutrality” appears realistically achievable by the Australian red meat industry by 2026.

But onthe question of “carbon neutrality” -the specific goal the Australian red meat industry has set itself to achieve by 2030 - the report’s conclusions were less bullish.

The report, prepared for MLA, was to identify and evaluate pathways for the Australian red meat industry to become climate neutral, whereby the radiative forcing (RF) footprint is stabilisedorthereisnonetcontributiontofuture warming.

Asked for its take on the findings, managing director, Jason Strong, provided the following written statement: “Thisreportusespublisheddata,assumptions andmodellingtotrackprogressontheCN30(no net release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere by 2030) commitment and our journey ahead for reducing industry methane emissions.It is a valuable report as it helps MLA and industry to focus our investments and activities for maximum impact. The report also highlights that there are different methods and processes for accounting for industry methane emissions.

“We are very conscious of voices in the community/media/industry about:different ways of accounting for methane;challenges of how to commercialise new technology and support widespread adoption; and questions around whether the targets are achievable.

“We continue to listen to this information and remain firm that the CN30 target is delivering hugebenefitsforindustryinitssimplicity(easyto measure progress), clarity (easy to understand/ alignedwithglobaltrends/targets),andpurpose (toenablecontinuedmarketaccess,community support, access to capital). We will continue to be open minded to the way that things change and progress.

CSIRO has released a report detailing the path forward for Australian red meat.

“MLA understands the challenges of CN30 and the need to rapidly bring new technologies to market. We know that it is possible to reduce methane by up to 90% by using feed additives; the next exciting step for research is making it work in the real world. Our commitment to this challenge is something that the industry should be proud of.

“We have always reported progress to CN30 transparently and authentically.The research report investigated potential progress based on a set of assumptions. It highlights where we need to focus investment over the next seven years to remain on a trajectory for success.The report highlights the challenge ahead – but it also gives us the valuable opportunity to guide future steps for CN30.CN30 has always been about setting an ambitious yet achievable vision

Photo: File

for the industry. The original vision for CN30 was based on CSIRO modelling that showed CN30 was achievable with the right innovation, technology and adoption.

“This report goes to the core of what CN30 is about – investing in innovation to propel us to CN30. It shows we are on the right path and will help guide the industry over the next seven years. MLA and the industry are absolutely committed to CN30. It is a globally recognised initiative and is having major traction with customers, governments and investors.

“CN30 is allowing us to demonstrate that the industry has made significant progress, having drastically reduced emissions since the baseline year of 2005. CN30 is continuing to drive innovation in our industry. It is also helping communicate that cattle, sheep and goats

didn’t cause the problem – but our industry is absolutely part of the solution.

“This report focusses our efforts. It also reinforces the need for ongoing investment partnershipsbetweentheindustry,government, and the private sector. Since 2017, MLA has co-invested $140 million in CN30 with plans to invest a further $150 million before the decade isout.MLAunderstandsthechallengesofCN30 and the need to rapidly bring new technologies to market.

“We know that it ispossible to reduce methane by up to 90 percent through practices such as methane-reducing feed additives; there is more work to be done to apply this technology in the production system.”

February, 2024

GP1666458

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

15

SUDOKU

No. 168

DECODER

Puzzle Page No. 168

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

ACROSS

1 4 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 20 21 24

easy

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13

Today’s Aim: 11 words: Good

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cede, ceded, club, clue, clued, cube, cubed, cuddle, decibel, decide, deduce, DEDUCIBLE, deuce, deuced, dice, diced, educe, educed, educible, iced, lice, lucid, ludic

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Tim, a seasoned real estate farm sales agent with deep roots in Gippsland, boasts a rich agricultural heritage spanning five generations. With 38 years in dairy within the MID and over a decade in rural real estate, he leverages extensive industry connections to effectively promote your farm. Tim’s passion for the local area, coupled with his love for boating and fishing, adds a personal touch to his professional expertise. A tee mishap on the golf course doesn’t discourage him, and his dedication to family and sports is unwavering.

Want to advertise in the Farmer but puzzled about placement?

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GP1666

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

Fellow student (9) Capital of Northern Ireland (7) Looped rope (5)

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once.

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

Farm Sales Specialist

16

1 2 3

9-LETTER WORD

23 words: Excellent

hard

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17 words: Very good

easy

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K U R DV F A S G P Y EW

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No. 168

Conspiracy (5) Falls; gives way (9) Female name (7) Foozle (7) Matured (8) Specify (6) Insect (3) Form before butterfly (11) Technology devices (11) Muscle contraction (3) Fuel oil (6) Half-hearted (8) Someone who has stopped working for a living (7) Truancy (7) Learning; erudition (9) Give way; surrender (5)

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5135 4403 or email at bookings@lvexpress.com.au February, 2024

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

17

RURAL NEWS

‘Cows are not the cause’

IF climate change has been progressing and getting worse, it is not because of the Australian red meat industry, according to a CSIRO report on the website Beef Central.

“That is the bottom line” of analysis looking at pathways to climate neutrality by 2030, in a recent presentation from the CSIRO Principal Research Scientist, Brad Ridoutt, at a Cattle Australia industry forum in Albury.

While Dr Ridoutt acknowledged the conclusion “may appear shocking” to some, he said, “that is the reality, because your balance sheet has not been increasing”.

“With the radiative forcing footprint, your industry has more or less plateaued since around 2015. So that is the bottom line story here, and if interventions (such as feeding methane reducing feed supplements) are successful, they lead to a negative (warming) scenario.”

Throughout his presentation, Dr Ridoutt regularly quoted research and reports from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), explaining: “I want you to know it is not just me saying something, this is in the words of these authoritative organisations.”

Some scientists, basing their conclusions on the metric known as Global Warming Potential 100 (GWP100), describe every emission of methane as bad, regardless of whether it originated from a fossil fuel or from a biogenic source such as livestock, Beef Central said.

These scientists have warned against industry debating which metric is the most appropriate for measuring the warming influence of methane emissions from livestock, saying the Paris Agreement has “explicitly adopted” the GWP100 metric as a way of converting methane into carbon dioxide equivalence.

The scientists say IPCC reports show the livestock sector will have to reduce emissions by 60 per cent to achieve the Paris Agreement goal (of limiting global temperature increases to two per cent of pre-industrial levels).

Yet the same IPCC science has led other scientists, who are independent with no vested interests in the livestock sector, to arrive at very different conclusions.

Among them is Dr Ridoutt, who explained in his presentation that the choice of climate metrics in fact “makes a world of difference for beef”, because the industry’s emissions are mainly methane, Beef Central reported.

The reality is that there is “no absolute equivalence” between CO2 and methane and other greenhouse gases, he said: “All have unique characteristics, all last for different lengths of time in the atmosphere and all have different greenhouse effects.

The most appropriate metric depends on the policy objective.”

A recently published United Nations Food

The red meat industry has “plateaued” since 2015, according to Dr Brad Ridoutt.

and Agriculture Organisation report on methane emissions in agriculture states that “the most appropriate metric depends on the policy objective”, Dr Ridoutt said.

He also pointed out that the central aim of the Paris Agreement was to keep global temperature rises this century to below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with a further aim of limiting rises to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

“So all of this talk about greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation, it is all aimed towards a goal of stabilising the climate.”

He said the IPCC makes clear distinctions between CO2, which has a very long term impact (potentially thousands of years in the atmosphere), and gases such as methane, which have a very short term impact (10-12 years).

“Methane comes and goes from the atmosphere very quickly, and a more or less steady rate of emission of methane is consistent with climate stabilisation, because new emissions are simply replacing emissions that are disappearing from the atmosphere, so it is a natural cycle so to speak,” he said.

‘Political convenience’

DR Ridoutt said GWP100 was initially adopted in the 1990s for “political convenience” to help add up emissions for use in the Kyoto Protocol.

“In that protocol it was decided to have a multi-gas protocol. Policy makers needed a way of adding up the different emissions and the scientists at the time said, ‘Well, there is no obvious way of adding up these emissions, you add them up in different ways you get all sorts of different answers’,” he said.

“And yet, to have a multi-gas protocol they needed something, and for political convenience this GWP 100 metric was adopted. It is probably the one you are most familiar with.

“But I want to point out the fact that it actually says there in the text there is no scientific argument for selecting this way of adding up the emissions, as opposed to other ways of adding up the emissions.”

IPCC language now differentiates between Carbon Neutral and Greenhouse Gas Neutral. Dr Ridoutt said the IPCC’s language had shifted over the years.

Its latest assessment report now uses the phrase “Carbon Neutral” specifically only in relation to CO2, while using the terminology “Greenhouse Gas Neutrality” when talking about other greenhouse gases.

The objective of a “Carbon Neutral” goal is a target to achieve no more emissions, he said.

“Is the (red meat industry’s) objective no more warming? Or is it no more emissions?

“Because the current industry target is no more emissions. And that is where we come to this increasingly used terminology which relates to climate neutrality.

“It is not about no more emissions, it is about no more incremental contribution to climate change.”

Dr Ridoutt said there was three main metrics currently being talked about – GWP100, GWP (GWP star) and radiative forcing footprint – and all are based on exactly the same IPCC science. There was no metric that is right or wrong; the question of which metric is the most appropriate relates to the policy or objective being pursued.

“The reality is that with GWP100, it does paint your industry as a very heavy polluting greenhouse gas polluting industry.

Photo: File

On the other hand, other metrics show that the industry has not been making any contribution to climate change since around 2015 for almost a decade,” he said.

“So the first thing you can take away from that is the fact that it is the same emissions, you are just adding them up differently, the conclusion is entirely based on the choice of the model.

“And I would argue the GWP or the radiative forcing footprint are much more relevant if the goal is to stabilise the climate.”

Dr Ridoutt said that while metrics matter little when the primary gas emitted is CO2, metrics made a huge difference when your primary emission is methane.

“Yours is a special case. It is mainly methane, and what’s more it is biogenic methane. It is not fossil methane that is adding new CO2 to the atmosphere,” he said.

“It is CO2 that was taken up in grass, that eventually goes back through methane to CO2 in the atmosphere.”

He said in his view, the GWP star or the radiative forcing footprint were much more relevant metrics to use “if the goal is to stabilise the climate”.

“The industry is not making any contribution to climate change since about 2015, so if climate change has been progressing and getting worse, it is not because of your industry, that is the bottom line.”

The aim of the CSIRO report, which was completed last year and published on the MLA website, was to identify and evaluate pathways for the Australian red meat industry to become climate neutral.

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18

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

Autumn

W

attlewood Angus are in full swing preparing for their Annual Bull Sale on Thursday the 16th of March.

John and Fiona Glover are no stranger to the hard work to get their animals in their best health to achieve the best reproductive performance and longevity.

The 30 bulls in their on-farm sale that is interfaced with AuctionsPlus have all been vaccinated with 7in1, Pestigard and Vibrovax as well as semen tested.

These ready for work bulls are by renowned sires including Baldridge Beast Mode, Chiltern Park Moe, Coonamble Hector and gone but not forgotten sire - Te Mania Ada, through some embryo bulls that are rising two year olds in the sale.

Wattlewood’s breed structurally correct, quiet animals that perform in a package that buyers want to and enjoy owning.

Wattlewood have potential stud and herd sires available that are among the best in the breed for birth weight,

Preview

growth, structure and carcass EBV’s.

There are bulls in the 2024 sale that are top performers in every index the Angus breed has.

After overwhelming interest prior to and during their Beef Week Open Day saw enquiries coming from breeders from all across South East Australia, including Tasmania, Wattlewood continues to have return and new buyers that have heard about Wattlewood genetics from other happy Wattlewood bull owners.

Fiona states “We love the relationships that we have developed with our clients and appreciate hearing how well the bulls are working for their new owners.

It is great to get an insight into what our breeders are trying to achieve and help them accomplish this when selecting the next wave of genetics that will be used over the strong female base that we have”.

For enquiries, to request a catalogue or view the bulls contact Fiona on 0416 216 951.

Lot 10 Wattlewood Top Gun T66 +1.1 BW, Top of breed for Rib and Rump fats 4.2 IMF and +10.6 EMA

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Wattlewood Angus

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BULL SALES

Annual Bull Sale

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On-Property - Opposite Ensay Saleyards Wednesday 13 March 2024 - 1.30pm

40 HEREFORD & POLL HEREFORD BULLS FOR SALE

Nunniong Hereford Stud Phillip (Bluey) Commins Commins. Ensay - Victoria - 3895 Ph: (03) 5157 3331 Mob: 0427 573 331 February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

19

AUTUMN BULL SALES

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Challambi Charolais

eading up to their online sale on the 18th of April, Challambi Charolais will be hosting two separate open days, kicking off on Thursday the 7th of March 2024 from 10am to 2pm.

Potential buyers also have the opportunity to view the herd again on Saturday the 13th of April, 10am to 2pm, with the online sale conducted on the 18th of April.

Located in Tooma, New South Wales just 25 kilometres from Corryong in the Upper Murray, stud principal Nigel Spink will have all sale bulls and females on display during the open days, with some donor dams available for viewing.

With the April sale interfaced on AuctionsPlus, a total of 25 stud bulls from 18 to 20 months old along with two 12-month-old specially selected bulls, will be available for viewing in the build-up to sale day.

The complete Spring 2022 PTIC drop of females also going under the hammer.

Joined to the impressive Belbourie Park Royalty, and then backed up

by Challambi’s own walking bull, Challambi Tripp, son of Rosedale Quantum leap, the Spring drop of females represent a strong investment in herd development.

The family-owned stud prides itself on breeding profitable, quality Charolais at an affordable price, with Challambibred cattle sought after across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Built on the motto that ‘Quality Breeds Quality’, Challambi Charolais are looking forward to inviting visitors onto their-farm to see first-hand the

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exciting genetic direction the Challambi herd is taking.

“We have two younger bulls coming up in the sale, both sons of SCX Jehu, a Canadian-bred sire that commanded $245,000 Canadian dollars at auction,” said Nigel.

“These are some of his first sons to be born in the country and they’re just coming up to weaners and they’re already looking really good.

We also have some Pro Char Diamondback bulls and females - in the feature red - with this quality progeny representing some of the first offered up by this sire in Australia.

Diamondback boasts short gestation and low birth weight, whereas Jehu’s significant appeal lies in his excellent muscle pattern and shape, with both bulls breeding true to type.

We will have on offer the red and the white Charolais (both bulls and females), with the rich red offering a pretty unique investment.

They’re quite the stand-out.

The red factor bulls introduce that desirable hybrid vigour and have the ability to produce black calves over Angus cows,” said Nigel.

All bulls are polled with a percentage that are homozygous, with quality bloodlines from such notable sires as SCX Jehu, Palgrove Hannibal, Pro Char Diamondback, HRJ Crowd Favourite and Charnelle Panama all represented at the open days, and going to auction April 18th.

Breedplan certified with full figures available, all bulls are semen tested by qualified technicians, with the herd Vibrosis and 5-in-1 vaccinated, vet checked and also tested for Pestivirus, returning all negatives.

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20

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

MT ARARAT SIMMENTALS 20 Magnificent Bulls for Sale and females

Inspection at 126 Mt. Ararat North Road, Nar Nar Goon Magnificent young Bulls for sale

Best blood lines available in Australia Semen available out of our top breeding Bulls Mt Ararat Rockstar

Our top priced bull in 2021 Sold to local Leongatha breeder Simon Greaves for $16,000

Enquiries always welcome Bulls- Semen - Embryos Accredited JBAS8

Mt Araratt Quanttum

Our top priced bull in 2020

Contact: John Leek

M: 0409 537 445

126 Mt. Ararat North Road, Nar Nar Goon

To view our breeding program visit www.mtararatsimmentals.com.au GP1666904

February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

21

ANGUS STUD

21ST ANNUAL ON PROPERTY SALE

MARCH 13

TH

BREEDING DOCILE, QUALITY PERFORMANCE CATTLE, FOR 35 YEARS

GP1664567

60 HEREFORD BULLS DEHORNED POLLED

Barry and Topsy Newcomen P: 5157 3209 M: 0427 242 238 Mat Marshall M: 0400 606 269 Tom King M: 0418 195 991

E: newcomen@skymesh.com.au

The Wright Family extend a warm invitation to visit us at any time 1492 Sale-Toongabbie Road Winnindoo 3858 Sharyn 0413 663 004 Colin 0417 574 573

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Pinora Angus

L A U N N A H T 54

E L A S

On propert rty ty Wednesday 22nd March 2023 at 1pm

Selling 50 Bulls 20 MONTHS OLD FEATURING SONS OF:

Milwillah Fevola M16 Alpine Investment P46 Millah Murrah Quixote Q96 DSK Man Made M12 John Sunderman 0427 482 607 email: pinora@wideband.net.au 453 Dawson Road, Heyf yfield f 22

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

February, 2024

AUTUMN BULL SALES

Leawood Angus Zealand genetics have established them with the ideal genetical foundation.

This has allowed Leawood to breed their clients’ bulls with structural longevity, calving ease, early growth traits and ease of doing in their grass environment.

Leawood look forward to inviting fellow cattle enthusiasts to their Autumn Bull Sale on Monday the 8th of April at 1pm to view their 46 Sale Bulls and 80 Commercial females to be sold following the bulls.

This year’s Autumn sale line up is as good as any you will find.

Offering exceptional temperaments and very well-structured HBR and commercial bulls.

These bulls are guaranteed to outlast many other competitors’ bulls by adding extra value in any herd, longevity and high-quality carcass traits backed by muscular scanning data.

The sires for this Autumn’s sale will include Brookwood Titan J32, an

Mawarra Genetics

he success of Mawarra Genetics, in terms of top-end sales, has been well documented in recent

times.

However, it’s worth noting that over the last three years, 50 percent of the bulls sold on-property have been purchased for under $10,000.

The primary aim of Mawarra’s principals, Peter, and Deanne Sykes, is to provide a range of affordable genetic options that meet rigorous criteria for structural soundness, do-ability, fertility, and performance, all of which directly affect the profitability of their clients’ operations.

The same philosophy and stringent selection process applied to their Hereford and Poll Hereford programs has been employed to establish their Angus herd.

The Mawarra Angus Sale draft will increase to 50 bulls this year and will accompany the Whiteface catalogue comprising 80 bulls and 25 heifers.

Co-principal Deanne Sykes said, “whether you aim to breed replacement heifers, increase the weight-for-age in your calves (dollars per head), or improve your MSA grading scores, we are confident we have a sire to suit your selection criteria and your budget.”

28%

50%

18% 4%

2021 - 2023 SALE PRICE BREAK DOWN $5,000 - $9,000 $10,000 - $15,000 $16,000 - $20,000 > $20,000

Building strong relationships with breeders is a top priority at Mawarra.

Understanding their clients’ programs, challenges, and breeding goals assists them in providing the most suitable genetics.

Deanne continued, “We appreciate our clients’ investment in the genetics they source from us.

We want any animal with a Mawarra prefix to contribute positively to the ongoing improvement of their breeding herd, and in turn their profitability.”

“There is a wealth of information available to prospective bull buyers,” Deanne concluded.

“There is much to consider before choosing your next herd sire.

It can be overwhelming to sort through the large volume of data and information presented at bull sales.

We want every breeder to buy the most suitable bull for their requirements, within their budget.

Peter and Logan know our cattle best and they are always available to discuss the genetics we have on offer and assist you in making the best selection to suit your objectives.”

The 51st Annual Sale will be hosted by the Sykes family on-property at Longford on Monday the 18th of March.

outstanding sire used in many leading studs in New Zealand who is leaving his mark 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 require when aiming to have progeny finished earlier, resulting in a higher economical return per hectare.

Other featuring sires in the sale include Turiroa Ragnar P224, the highest priced bull in the New Zealand 2020 sales.

Leawood Steaks N297, which is a top breeding son of the highly sort after Merchiston Steakhouse.

Leawood Razor R347

Ease of calving excellence Taimate Lazarus L12, high-growth sire Leawood Pirate P391 and Nampara Junior Q148.

All these sires have been used in Leawood’s heifer program and leave easy calving and short gestation progeny.

For more information contact Luke Stuckey on 0474 992 683.

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2

024 brings up a large milestone for Leawood Angus having bred Angus cattle for 80 years.

Established in 1944 at the current location in Flynn which now spans four generations it is a proud family farming operation.

The late Roy Stuckey with support from his parents, purchased registered females from various herds throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Leawood was one of the first studs to import cattle from New Zealand in 1969 when the embargo on live imports was lifted.

This began a long connection with the New Zealand cattle industry comprising of fourteen bulls and three cows, plus semen rights of 14 bulls over the years and still importing to date.

With the same passion from Graeme, Luke and family continuing the operation 80 years on.

Leawood believes that a herd is only as strong as its females, and these New

T

Preview

Next Sale Monday 18 March

• 80 Whiteface bulls, • 50 Angus bulls, • 25 registered heifers www.mawarragenetics.com.au GP16 GP GP1666 P P166 16 1 666 66 666 65 65 586 8 86 6

February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

23

Kenmere Charolais 11th Annual

BULL SALE 8th of March 2024

“Moorak” Rankins Lane Hollbrook NSW BREEDPLAN Recorded

A Charolais “Five Star” level recording herd

Dominant Poll Lines Proven Pedigrees Progressive Ataxia Free e Semen Tested Bulls DNA Tested Bulls Scan Data on Sale Bullss All calves weighed at birth h

Consistent High Traits

In Rib, Rump & IMF’s, Calving Ease, Milk Shorter Gestation Length compared to Breed Genetic Trends

Kenmere Charolais

Ann-Marie Collins 0412 608 043 Matt Collins 0412 265 017 www.kenmerecharolais.com.au

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24

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

Preview Raedean Red Angus R AUTUMN BULL SALES

warm- as she found it to be a valuable learning experience and even placed second in her handler’s class.

Bowman Performance Genetics

D

emand is high for Angus bulls, as the New Year sees confidence return to the beef price.

Bowman Performance Genetics expects to see a bumper turnout for their Annual On-Property Bull Sale, on Thursday the 14th of March at 1pm.

Stud Principal, Glenn Bowman is excited about how this year’s draft is shaping up and encouraged that his vision for the herd is coming to fruition.

The whole aim for Bowman Performance Genetics is to have the most profitable cattle in the supply chain and this is achieved in several ways: Generational knowledge and years of experience in knowing what an animal should look like, as well as utilising modern technology such as genomics, Breed plan, semen testing, AI and Embryo Transfer (ET), to take the best of your herd and increase your rate of gain.

Understanding the merits of elite cow families, recognising the best performing dams – ones that mother the best calves (doing ability) and breeding from them, thus incorporating pedigree, performance and looks.

Said plainly: “Cattlemanship”.

Investment in genomic testing the entire herd increases profits for the producer as it highlights every aspect of an animals breeding and key market traits.

Success with the large-scale commercial herd at Mr. Bowman’s Rosedale operation at ‘The Ridge’, reinforces that the Stud genetics work.

Popular amongst feedlot and backgrounding buyers, there is ready proof

of the breeding efficiencies and the cattle’s growth and MSA targets.

Profitable cattle come from an exceptional base; the stud’s foundation herd was sourced from the best in the breed – Millah Murrah.

Finally, profitable cattle can be achieved from the highest level of client support, through breeding advice, technical knowledge, farm consulting, education, mentoring and marketing.

Keeping clients at the forefront of the industry.

Gippsland’s largest sire line-up achieves an increasing Angus Breeding Dollar Index Value, whilst adding thickness and carcass content.

The first sons of Millah Murrah Nectar N334, Sitz Intuition (USA), Banquet Quarter Pounder Q252 and Landfall Blackstone Q1171 will be offered here in Gippsland.

Added to this powerful mix will be sons of Murdeduke Quarterback Q011, Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15, Baldridge 38 Special (USA) and Musgrave 316 Exclusive (USA).

This year’s draft of 80 Bulls will be on sale at ‘Crystal Brook’, 100 Sawyer Road, Neerim South.

For more information, please visit www.bowmangenetics.com

TAMBO ANGUS Ardrossan Angus Bloodlines

OFFERING

12 ANGUS BULLS (in conjunction with and following Nunniong Herefords Sale)

Wednesday 13 March 2024 Contact: Kevin Dean at Tambo Crossing

Phone 5157 0217

GP1666542

ecently, Raedean’s Annette, Noel and granddaughter Georgia made the trip to Tamworth so that Georgia could take part in the 2024 Angus Youth National Roundup.

This event provides a learning platform for anyone aged between 8 and 25 years who is interested in the Australian Beef Cattle Industry.

A large focus is on educational sessions and team building exercises designed to encourage agricultural youth to remain active in the beef industry.

It also involves varied competitions such as cattle handling, preparation, showing and even judging.

Georgia thoroughly enjoyed her time at Tamworth- even if it was quite

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February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

25

AUTUMN BULL SALES

Days Whiteface

Days Kingswood Q139

Allendale

Lot 8 – Allendale Parker Hogan T060

A

nyone interested in improving the carcase merit of their herd needs to seriously consider the 2024 Days Whiteface offering.

By continually using sires with plenty of EMA and IMF Days Whiteface have “locked in’’ the cumulative gain that these selections allow.

The 2024 offering is consistent in its carcase merit.

Among these bulls are both calving ease, low birthweight, short gestation length sires and also the grunt bulls, those, with plenty of growth.

The consistent carcase performer Days Godfather N22 is again well represented.

He is a trait leader for IMF and is in the top 5 percent for EMA. A son of his, the $40,000 Days Kingswood Q139 adds plenty of power to the equation.

His first son sold for $102,000 for Talbalba last September.

Kingswood is in the top 1 percent for EMA, top 10 percent for IMF and is a

trait leader for 200, 400 and 600 day weight.

His sons definitely exhibit his strong carcase.

Outcross sire Wirruna Qabita Q198 has a great performance profile highlighted by the fertility traits, scrotal size, and days to calving, in the top 5 percent for IMF and top 10 percent for 400 day weight.

The heifer options are led by the $160,000 Injemira Robert Redford Q287 and include lots 5 and 6 both used in the stud.

He is a trait leader for short gestation and low birthweight, still has plenty of growth and has the EMA and IMF figures that the stud emphasises in their breeding program.

The other main heifer option is homebred sire Days King Pin Q201.

He is also a trait leader for short gestation and low birthweight while being a trait leader for IMF. For any more information give Lachy a call on 0428 521 630.

O

n the 19th of February 2024 Allendale will offer 40 Poll Hereford Bulls in conjunction with Day’s Whiteface.

This year’s draft feature bulls with great Hereford quality, mid maturity and excellent doing ability.

The 2024 sale bulls are sired by a variety of homebred and new sires.

A key sire is Wirruna Querido Q266.

Querido has bred bulls with length, balance and excellent carcase figures – including an EMA of + 8.5 and breed leading IMF of + 4.4.

Querido is also in the top 1 percent for all Index’s.

Allendale have used 3 of these yearling bulls in their stud this year.

Another sire impacting the top end of the draft is Injemira Robert Redford Q287.

B SALE VENUE: Days Whiteface - 868 Naracoorte Rd, Bordertown

LOT 10 BW 2.8

200 40

Preview

400 71

600 97

MILK 21

SS 2.0

EMA 7.2

He has bred very well with great thickness, muscle and doing ability.

IRR Q287 is a trait leader for gestation length and birth weight, as well as outstanding carcase figures and top percent Index’s.

Five yearling sons were used in the stud this year.

Cascade Magnate R007 (Jack) has bred a consistent line of cattle with excellent length, skin and very good birth to growth spread.

Homebred sires are represented by grandsons of Koanui Techno 6179 and Allendale Gambler L143.

All sale bulls will be fully vaccinated, semen tested, sire verified with genomic enhanced EBV’s.

Please feel free to contact Alastair anytime to arrange an inspection.

Broadlands Limousins

roadlands Limousins focuses upon breeding polled Limousin cattle that reflect the commercial cattle breeder traits of easy calving, docility (genetically bred) and above breed average for growth and carcase attributes.

Yearling bulls will be available representing the best in Black Canadian and Australian bloodlines represented

by Greenwood Electric Impact, Wulfs Amazing Bull, Summit Blueprint, Mandayen Eveready and Broadlands Black Bunga.

Broadlands Limousins is enthused upon the outcome of testing of cattle in Ireland where the – Residual Methane Emission (RME) EBV was utilised- measurement of Feed Efficiency and Methane Gas Emissions.

It confirmed that Limousin cattle were far superior to all other breeds because

of their unique genetic characteristics - greater muscling capacity achieving target weights at an earlier age and reduction of methane gas by 30 percent.

The Limousin Society is endeavouring to establish a research project confirming the applicability of the RME EBV to the feedlot system.

Purchasing a Limousin bull is a simple, practical, effective method for a cattle breeder to address the issue of methane reduction within their cattle herd.

A solution that can be achieved in the first year of breeding.

Broadlands Limousins have a number of Polled Black and Apricot bulls available for Sale.

Focus is upon docility ease of calving and carcase characteristics. 5 minutes from Bairnsdale.

Contact Pat on 0414 632 017.

IMF 3.1

Broadlands Limousins have a number of Homyzygous Polled Black and Red Limousin Bulls for Sale.

Bulls are bred down from a Mandayen Vision Sire (AUS) - 13 Trait Leader or from Runyl Extra Loyal (USA) - Sydney Grand Champion Carcase Sire.

LOT 5

26

200 43

400 70

600 94

MILK 24

SS 3.8

EMA 7.4

IMF 2.2

Lachy Day Mobile 0428 521 630 Email lday@dayswhiteface.com.au

Alastair Day Mobile 0429 782 7110 Email allendale@allendalestuds.com

Above Average Calving Ease - Docility and Carcase EBVS - Grass fed only - No Grain

www.dayswhiteface.com.au

www.allendalestuds.com

Contact Pat 0414 632 017 or Nutrien Bairnsdale for an inspection.

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

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BW 0.0

February, 2024

Top Angus Genetics.

Innesdale Angus is excited to offer genetics that include four new sires.

Millah Murrah Quartz Q29

– purchased for $42k at the 2020 Millah Murrah sale, this outstanding son of “Kruse Time” has impressed all that have seen him. He has been recollected for use at Millah Murrah, after his sons topped their sale averages at $55k, his sons have natural thickness and scanned well and his daughters are outstanding and are ready to wean their first calves.

Quartz Q29

Innesdale Resource M37 – our top sire “M37” is a favourite at Innesdale,

“M37” is the third son of “SAV Resource” that we have used, his progeny excels for docility and soundness, his sons are very long bodied with extra weight and always scan well, his daughters have his fine skin and are very feminine and always quiet, he has many outstanding sons in this group.

Innesdale Liberty P64

– by Nampara Liberty L21, he excels for muscling and high yielding sons that are long bodied, sound, and quiet and really suited to Gippsland’s grassfed programmes.

Millah Murrah Rembrandt R48 – a $240k son of MM Paratrooper

with Kingdom and Emperor behind him, one of the top bulls to come out of Millah Murrah, he has been widely used across Australia, his progeny are good doing, long and sound and scan well, we mainly have heifers by him and they are very feminine and docile.

Resource M37

Sydgen Enhance

– an outstanding sire, widely used he sires low birth and high growth and highly rated for docility and feed efficiency, we used three of his sons as yearlings, R5, R31 and R38, with R31 still retained at Innesdale, the Enhance line have sired 40% of the bulls in this group 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 are in growing 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.

Liberty P64

This crop of bulls are all unassisted at birth and after a tough start to spring are gaining well with our recent heavy rainfall, they excel in scrotal size averaging 42 cms and averaged 685 kgs on 15-12-2023 when last measured.

We like most bulls to get to 700kg by March, with the tops at 800kgs at 18 to 20 months.

All bulls are DNA tested by “Neogen” for parentage 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 Friday 1st March 2024.

Miilllah Murrah Rembrandt R48 M

Last year bulls were sold across Gippsland into Western Victoria and NSW.

Livestock producers are welcome to inspect the bulls by appointment at any time by calling Geoff on

0412 958 168

As usual some top young weaner heifers will be offered in April when weaned.

Sydgen Enhance

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February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

27

AUTUMN BULL SALES

H

Heatherdale Limousins

eatherdale Limousins are pleased to offer over 15 quality rising 2 year old bulls for private sale.

Kevin and Deborah Scouller started Heatherdale Limousins in 2006 after purchasing cows from the Home Station stud in Wangaratta and these bulls now have over 50 years of breeding behind them.

Kevin says this year’s crop of young bulls are the best yet and he is pleased to offer 3 excellent pure bred black Limousin bulls by the AI sire Academy.

Two of these black bulls are absolute standouts.

Other AI sires of this year’s 2 year old bulls include Balfour, Karlos, Polled Leo and Ricardo.

The quality really shows through and Kevin says they are in the best line of bulls Heatherdale Limousins have produced.

Predominately polled and exceptionally quiet easy doing cattle.

Assistance with delivery is available by negotiation.

Inspection is strongly recommended to view the quality of these bulls and Kevin added that he doesn’t believe you will buy better or more reasonably priced bulls than these.

Bulls are available from $2,500 plus GST. Heatherdale Limousin bulls are run on a commercial basis and not fed grain at all, so buyers can see just how good the cattle do on pasture alone without

f being “pumped up” artificially which also avoids feet trouble that can sometimes occur with cattle being fed grain.

This only creates a headache for the purchaser that then has to deal with a lame bull that they are wanting to use.

Kevin concentrates on using the right mix of softer doing bulls with good fat coverage but still showing incredible muscle definition that the Limousin breed are known for.

Kevin says, “There are bulls here to suit various breeding requirements for producers and we look forward to showing the bulls to perspective clients who appreciate quality cattle.

Bulls are guaranteed and ready to go.

Inspection by appointment

50 years breeding (when combined with Home Station) Muscle from grass only, Pure bred.

28

Contact Kevin for more details

0429 347 589

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

hroughout the Autumn bull selling period, Fernleigh Angus will offer up its line of over 25 yearling bulls for sale by private treaty in 2024.

The line-up of bulls on offer have been bred to excel in the Gippsland environment, with an emphasis on performance.

Key sire lines on display include Ben Nevis Metamorphic M51, Banquet Nuttella N462, and Baldridge Beast Mode, alongside home-grown sires Fernleigh Patrobus P131 and Fernleigh Qashqai Q067.

Fernleigh Stud Manager James Blyth said that “these sires have been selected with an emphasis on strong early growth, quiet disposition, and structural integrity.

We aim to breed cattle which excel on the fundamentals, and will stand the test of time.

That means breeding bulls which are highly fertile, durable, and suited to the conditions here in Gippsland”.

“I think the bulls on offer represent real value, which is critical at a time like this, when the cattle market is coming off a low point.

We want our clients to be in a position to succeed, and to do that

we need to offer a product which ticks all the boxes”.

“The cattle market is just beginning to show some positive signs, with prices returning in a small way, which creates a prime opportunity for breeders to invest in their genetics.

The bulls on offer have been priced to reflect the drop in the market over the past few years, and it is our hope that breeders can access a bull which represents true value for money.”

For Fernleigh, since its inception in 1991, there has always been an importance on bringing in genetics which are tailored to the herd.

“We look to bring in sires from complimentary herds around Australia and overseas, which we believe can really perform in Gippsland.

I would invite anyone who is interested to come and see the bulls and the wider herd, because I think the cattle really do speak for themselves”.

For further information on the Fernleigh Angus program, or to make an appointment, contact James Blyth on 0400 447 443 and follow Fernleigh Angus on Facebook and Instagram.

Magnificent Limousin Bulls

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Fernleigh Angus

PRIVATE

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February, 2024

AUTUMN BULL SALES

Preview

Banquet Angus

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he offering of 100 big bold Banquet bulls on the 29th of February will combine the new with highly proven.

Leading the new sires is Ben Nevis Rambo R230.

Rambo was the standout young prospect for the 2021 Spring sales and was syndicated for $70,000.

His progeny at Banquet are stunning.

They are strong headed, thick, deep and muscular.

They are born early and easily.

Their coat is short, fine and shiny.

Also, their performance data is of the highest calibre.

One son, T220, is sure to impress.

Banquet have already used him in their Embryo transfer program and are retaining semen for within herd use.

A home bred sire, Banquet Qohuna Q577, also has his first draft of sons in this February 29th sale.

They show the typical Banquet bone, head, thickness and depth.

Soft hair and fine skin on these bulls are a feature.

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 four Banquet bull sales.

The feedback from purchases has been extremely positive.

Another very successful and proven sire at Banquet is Wattletop Moonshine M42.

His first sons were offered in 2020 and met with strong demand.

It was the quality of his daughters

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Lot 39 Banquet Tamper T299 son of Banquet Nuttella N462. 17 months

that prompted Banquet to reintroduce Moonshine.

Two of his daughters have been promoted to the embryo donor team.

Moonshine has three outstanding sons from the lead donor, Premier Dream G13, in this sale.

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

These heifers were purchased from long term Banquet clients at last year’s weaner sales.

They have been joined to calving ease Banquet sires.

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

They also showcase what you can produce with Banquet genetics.

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GIPPSLAND VETERINARY HOSPITAL BEEF CATTLE SERVICES Gippsland Veterinary Hospital s experienced team of cattle vets provide ambulatory emergency care 24 hours a day for beef cattle farmers across Gippsland. We pride ourselves on our preventative medicine focus. Our vets are encouraged to develop an indepth understanding of our clients farming operations so that they become an integral part of the farm s management team.

BULL TESTING

BIOSECURITY

Comprehensive assessments for bulls to ensure they are in optimum condition for service.

Guidance and assistance with implementing sound biosecurity measures to protect beef farms from the spread of disease and pests.

HERD HEALTH Extensive range of herd health services with a focus on welfare, preventative health and productivity.

WEANING Advice on methods of weaning, feed options and the best time to wean beef calves to bring cows back in condition and maximise conception rates.

24 hour emergency service every day of the year!

GIPPSLAND VETERINARY HOSPITAL Maffra Veterinary Centre 5147 1177 Sale Veterinary Centre 5169 7222

February, 2024

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

February, 2024

RURAL NEWS

Resources now available

AS Victoria’s grain harvest draws to a close in many parts of the state, Agriculture Victoria has updated a resource for farmers intending to graze crop stubble.

Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer, Paul Beltz said the Agriculture Victoria webpage, Sheep nutritional requirements when grazing stubble, includes timely tips for managing variable feed quality to maintain the health of flocks.

"Stubble can be an effective source of nutrition for sheep in summer and autumn. However, as the feed quality varies significantly, sheep supplements are often required," he said.

"An important thing to consider when grazing stubble is the energy and protein content of the diet.

"The value of feed in stubble comes from the residual grain and quantity of green plant material. This may include shot grain and summer weeds."

Dr Beltz said the webpage explains the variability found in the feed value of different types of stubble and how to measure it on your farm.

"The best time to start grazing stubble is immediately after harvest as the quality declines with time," he said.

"Different licks and supplements will be required to maintain the health of sheep; the updated resource explains these in detail.

"When grazing sheep on stubble, it’s important to be aware of potential health issues including grain poisoning, nitrate poisoning, lupinosis, thiamine deficiency, water belly and worms.

"Sheep should have full stomachs before being introduced to a stubble paddock, or they can be gradually introduced by limiting the time they graze.

"Issues with toxic weeds follow summer rain and can be seen in sheep grazing stubble.

"Generally, stock should be removed from

the area after six weeks, or once grain and green feed falls below 40kg per hectare.

"We know that most grain growing districts of Victoria will have high stubble loads this season, so grazing will help reduce stubble loads."

For more information, visit the AgVic webpage: ‘Sheep nutritional requirements when grazing stubble'

Old Traf dairy demolished

By LIAM DURKIN

PASSERS-BY along Waterloo Road, Trafalgar may have noticed the absence of an historic building.

The old Trafalgar Dairy, previously located within the car park of St John’s Parish Council, has been demolished.

The dairy had been long abandoned, but stood for decades inside the car park.

A little further down the road, the Trafalgar Holden Museum is situated on the site of the former Trafalgar Dairy Factory.

Much of the factory’s interior has been repurposed for the museum.

Last year, a private building surveyor issued a building permit for demolition works at the site of the old Trafalgar Dairy.

Given the site (including the building) were not subject to a Heritage Overlay, Baw Baw Shire Council consented to the demolition.

This land is privately owned and not managed by council.

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

31

RURAL NEWS

Pelican flying over Sale Common. Photographs supplied

Lower Latrobe wetlands. World Wetlands Day will be celebrated this month.

Celebrating World Wetlands Day

WETLANDS and Human Wellbeing is the theme for World Wetlands Day 2024.

West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA), along with the Love Our Lakes and Wellington Shire Council are inviting the community to celebrate at Nakunbalook Environmental and Cultural Education Centre.

Local experts will talk about why wetlands are important, how lucky the community is to live in the catchments that support wetlands like Sale and the internationally renowned Gippsland Lakes Ramsar site, and the programs underway to protect them.

The event will also include fun for kids and, weather permitting, a wellbeing walk to a local wetland to discover the plants, birds and frogs that live there.

World Wetlands Day, celebrated annually on February 2, aims to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and planet.

This year’s theme spotlights how interconnected wetlands and human life are and

calls on each of person to value and steward the wetlands. Every wetland matters. Every effort counts.

“Nearly 90 per cent of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s, with wetlands being lost three times faster than forests," the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands said.

"Yet, wetlands are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity,

Black Duck Duckling in the Sale Wetlands.

Sale Wetlands Bridge.

West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority Environmental Officer, Dr Adrian Clements on a wetlands talk.

climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, world economies and more.

“It is urgent that we raise national and global awareness about wetlands in order to reverse their rapid loss and encourage actions to conserve and restore them.”

Everyone is invited to celebrate World Wetlands Day at a free, family friendly event at Nakunbalook Environmental and Cultural Education Centre in Sale on Friday, February 2 from 5pm to 7.30pm.

While the event is free, CMA asks people register via the Try Booking link at www. wgcma.vic.gov.au

Lake Wellington.

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February, 2024

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In my role l property r as rura salesman invariably I end up at the farm’s ble’. ‘kitchen tab The national weekly rural publications we grew up with in past decades and piled up issue by isssue, appear to havve been replaced by Gippsland’s per…..The own rural pap Gippsland Farmer erage age Given the ave of farmers, I can only surmise they are more e sourcing t le rtab comfort v es rvic the serv ucts they and produ om local require fro suppliers.

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A Doben Park At horns we advertise Sho S rth with Gippsland Farmer because it allows us to concentrate on the direct Gippsland market. With how Gippsland Farmer is distributed it gives us greater access to the wider Gippsland area.

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

33

RURAL NEWS

Good news for Gippy wine lovers

By KATRINA BRANDON

THE day has come.

Tinamba’s Glenmaggie Wines have finally opened their cellar doors after three years of development.

On December 9, owners Fleur and Tony Dawkins and their son Jack, opened the doors to their new shop to the public after building it with their own hands.

“We had a friend who is an architect tell us to look at a winery in Yarra Glen. We went up there and then designed what we wanted from there - The Scandinavian roof and the north-facing windows, and we made the rest ourselves,” Fleur said.

“We had always planned to build a cellar door; we thought we would have done it 10 years ago but didn’t have the time. COVID hit, and then we could start building,” Tony added.

The journey towards building the cellar door has been an emotional one for the family, as the journey helped reflect the skills transferred from Tony’s late brother and father.

“My father was a builder. My younger brother, Nigel, was an apprentice to my father. I used to work with them on university holidays. I had many skills, but I wasn’t a builder. I always envisioned them both to help, but unfortunately, they both died,” he said.

From furniture to the cellar door building itself, it is all made by the family.

“Tony and Jack made the big Cyprus tables, all the doors, the framing, the plastering, and the roof. The steel, looking out on the veranda, that amazing view we have, all those steel posts, Jack did that,” Fleur said.

“The wonderful thing that Tony did was with our son Jack, and it was wonderful for him and Tony. He learnt lots of things.

It has been an emotional journey. It’s just not physical. It’s emotional for both of us in different ways.”

Tony Dawkins and Polly down at the vines in Tinamba.

Photos: Katrina Brandon

Fleur Dawkins sharing the best of Glenmaggie Wines in the new facilities.

Fleur, Jack, and Tony have been making and selling their wine at festivals for many years. They have also done functions out of their own home.

People can now book and stay for more extended periods.

Tony told the Gippsland Farmer that people can now enjoy their time by staying for hours with wine, views, and food.

“They come here for a long lunch, and we offer them a long lunch. People are staying for two to three hours,” he said.

Fleur said, “We were terrified, but we have a lot of support. Jack has a really technical brain. He did the front of the house and the bar (in) the first three weekends, and it flourished, which was lovely.”

The winery sits uphill from Tony’s old family home where he grew up. Tony has gone from helping run the dairy farm with his parents to creating a vineyard next door and watching the dairy become a vegetable farm. It also overlooks the ranges that surround the area."

“It is there, on that river, I fished, swam, and chased possums, trapped rabbits and everything, everywhere. The veggies are now where mum and dad used to have their dairy farm. We don’t own the farm anymore, but we still get our produce from there or a good amount from Kevin next

door, ‘the veggie guy’. All the connections are still there,” Tony said.

Fleur and Tony have been making wine since 1995 when they planted the vineyard.

“We make and grow everything on-site and always have. We had our first vintages in 1998; since then, we have won many awards,” Fleur said.

The Glenmaggie Winery has a selection of wines for all tastes, including Shiraz, Chardonnay, Fizzy Lizzy sparkling mead, Fleur’s Sparkling, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Pinot and a Sauvignon Blanc.

“We have a sparkling Pinot Noir and the Fizzy Lizzy, a sparkling mead that is local honey and our Cabernet grapes. We have a great range, and it complements the food,” Fleur said.

Glenmaggie Wines has showcased its work across the region, regularly attending the Metung Food and Wine Festival, Inverloch Festival, and the Tinamba Food and Wine Festival (as event co-organisers).

“We have run (the Tinamba festival) for several years,” Tony said.

Always one of the main organisers, Tony said the festival is a great event.

“It’s just a fun day of celebrating the local wineries and locals. About two-thirds of the crowd is locals, and they book early.

It’s just a party day,” he said.

“We also did the Metung Food and Wine Festival this year and the Inverloch Festival, which had 3500 people in December. I really want to do the Garfield one in March and the Loch Food and Wine. They are really nice people,” Fleur added.

With operations expanding, Tony said they would need to hire more help to man the winery and attend festivals simultaneously.

The Dawkins family have already committed to co-organising the Tinamba Food and Wine Festival on April 7, 2024.

In charge of entertainment, the Dawkins are looking for some local talent to grace the stage at the Tinamba festival.

Fleur and Tony will aim to support local artists in more ways than one, as the winery walls are adorned by some pieces donated by locals. They both wish to source more art to create a gallery of sorts.

Aiming to source produce and materials from Gippsland exclusively, Tony understands the value of keeping things local.

Recently, large amounts of water have been poured over the Wellington Shire.

Luckily, being on a hill, Tony said they weren’t as affected, but some of the vineyards had been waterlogged for a while.

“We had so much rain. It stopped eventually, but you can’t drive the tractor to spray things until a day or two, sometimes three.

With all the rain, you get excess growth,” he said.

“There’s so much humidity. Grape vines are very delicate, especially when your grapes are developing early.

“We have had three really tough and wet years with small and not terribly good fruit.

This year, we have got a humungous, super healthy-looking crop. Surprisingly, it’s so healthy. I have been throwing everything at it. We need a good crop.”

Hoping for warmer weather, Fleur and Tony are excited to be opening their doors to bookings only.

s i r e m r a F d The Gippslan

!

E N I L N O

The current edition of the Gippsland Farmer

IS NOW ONLINE giving you access to all local community information at your fingertips.

Flick through the pages to your favourite section of the paper or click on the advertising URL links to o access an advertisers’ websites.

To access the latest digital copy of the p p

www.gippslandfarmer.com.au 34

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

and click on the DIGITAL EDITION February, 2024

A D V E R T I S I N G

Flood Mitigation

F E A T U R E

Aussie Rescue

CLEAR IT FAST ….

OVER 8 MILLION LITRES PER DAY

WE all realise that climate change is a reality.

Weather events are more erratic, more dramatic and have more impact on everyday life as well as the possible disruption of agricultural production.

The devastation and tragedy in Gippsland are testament to the need for action in terms of preparation before the next event.

Flood damage lasts long after the water has receded.

Communities and businesses take months to recover as well as the personal tolls on families.

THREE of these heavy duty pumps, can redirect up to 25 million litres of water every 24 hours.

That’s like buying a flood mitigation system without concrete channels, dams or levies as part of the package.

Of course, smart operators also take precautions and do invest in infrastructure to facilitate the movement of water fast, even with pumps like the Big Aussie Job!

DEALING WITH FLOODS WHEN floods are a 100 year event it is easy for Governments, Local, State and Federal to ignore the need for any serious activity.

For example, the idea that you don’t have to do anything about the last flood, except clean it up, with the next one 99 years away.

Those days are over!

Yet, Local Government bodies are underfunded, unable to deal with serious flood mitigation.

At both State and Federal levels, they seem oblivious to the need to react to the recent events.

For example, we don’t read about the NSW Government’s massive plans to build levies and dikes around Lismore to protect the town from the next flood.

We know the flood is coming, but it gets back to political priorities.

One Australian pump manufacturer, Australian Pump Industries, has studied these issues and is offering townships a mobile flood mitigation program.

It takes the form of heavy duty pumps designed for moving large volumes of dirty flood water from where it is, to where you want it to be.

The pumps, big 6” self-priming gushers will handle spherical solids up to 3 inches in diameter.

They will pump 6000 lpm in terms of flow and are equipped to handle dirty water, even contaminated sewage.

The big pumps, called Aussie MQ600TD, are powered by 80hp Deutz air cooled diesel engines and come in either skid or trailer mounted configurations.

SAVING HORSHAM

An Aussie MQ600TD at work in South Sudan. A bank of 23 of these pumps redirected the Nile away from the city of Juba.

What’s so good about these pumps is their simplicity.

The pump consists of one big cast iron body with a huge self-priming tank built into the casting.

It is that big tank that enables the machine to a draft water through a vertical lift of 7.6m.

No priming devices are required.

The pump primes itself!

The impeller is a huge open design built to withstand abrasion and solids laden liquid.

The mechanical seal is “an over the top” oil lubricated, tungsten titanium carbide configuration.

Best of all there is a huge clean out port built into the front of the body that enables a choke to be cleared in a matter of minutes.

In other words, it is designed for this specific application!

SKID MOUNT 6” TRASH PUMP

THIS version is built on a heavy duty stainless steel frame with a 150ltr fuel tank.

A bank of 3 MQ600TD pumps can redirect up to 25 million litres of water every 24 hours.

February, 2024

That fuel tank allows the engine an 11 hour run time.

A balanced integrated lifting bar is also included in the package.

Safety Equipment includes a LOFA engine control shutdown system that incorporates warnings for low oil pressure, high oil temperature and even v-belt failure.

Additionally, a shock mounted control panel is also provided.

It’s built into a water resistant housing and includes an hour metre, ammeter, tachometer and alternator failure light.

Best of all it is all heavy duty, simple and handles a lot of water!

MAKE IT MOBILE AUSSIE Engineers have enabled the skid mount version to be promptly turned into a heavy duty site trailer configuration.

That includes a robust torsion style dual axle, max load 1,600kg, and heavy duty army style drawbar.

Heavy duty jack legs are also incorporated in the 6” trailer mounted pump.

IT is almost 15 years now since Millers Contracting, an earthmoving contractor who uses an Aussie MQ600TD, 6000 lpm pump, just for site dewatering, saved the Victorian town of Horsham from flooding.

The Miller team moved fast and were able to pump water from the town into a side channel, providing “instant flood relief service.”

A bank of 23 of these machines recently saved the capital city of South Sudan, Juba from flooding by redirecting the Nile away from the city.

WHY WET PRIME PUMPS WORK AUSTRALIAN Pump Industries is the specialist in self-priming centrifugal pumps.

Although they started out with small lightweight portable fire pumps the company have expanded the range over the last 30 years and now offers these Flood Busters for contaminated water and sewage by-pass as well.

The concept is simple. Instead of having vacuum pumps or compressors attached to the pump, Aussie’s selfpriming pumps only need the pump to be primed through a priming port in the top of the pump casing.

Further information on the Aussie 6” self-priming flood mitigation pumps is available from https://www.aussiepumps. com.au

Millers contractors deployed their Aussie MQ600TD to divert flood water from the city of Horsham.

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

37

RURAL NEWS

Our farming conversations GIPPSLAND Jersey has released its ‘Farming Conversations’ 2024 Calendar, available for free from its website.

The following is the last conversation from the 2023 calendar for the month of December.

This chat is with Ross Anderson, a dairy farmer from Denison.

Each conversation is a tale of strength and resilience from Gippsland dairy farmers.

Minister Murray Watt launced the first national soil action plan recently.

Photo: File

National soil strategy plan sets out priorities

THE Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt, has officially launched Australia’s first national soil action plan to address priorities in soil health and ensure long-term soil security.

The national soil action plan 202328 is the first five-year plan under the 20-year national soil strategy, released in 2021, and sets out four priority actions to guide partner activities and investments in soil.

Minister Watt said the new action plan identifies key focus areas to respond to challenges such as climate change.

“Soil is central to Australia’s agricultural industry and central to our government’s climate ambitions,” Minister Watt said.

“It also plays an important part in our economy, food security, infrastructure, and regional communities. Soil type, usage and challenges are highly variable, so management of this national asset requires practical, localised planning and responses,” he said.

“As the first action plan under the 20-year national soil strategy, it is important that we build on the great initiatives that have already occurred in soil management and set solid foundations for future actions to improve soil health.”

Minister Watt said the action plan was the result of strong collaboration by the federal and state and territory governments.

“It has been developed in partnership with the soil science and research community, non-government organisations, regional natural resource management organisations, industry bodies and the private sector,” he said.

“The action plan is supported by $20

million announced in the 2023-24 Budget for bilateral partnership agreements with the states and territories to deliver locally appropriate activities.”

The action plan is also supported by $36 million under the climate-smart agriculture program as part of the Natural Heritage Trust.

The program will establish a national soil monitoring program, strengthen the Australian national soil information system, continue the work of the regional soil coordinators and support the national soil community of practice.

The four priority actions of the national soil action plan 2023-28 include:  Develop an agreed national framework to support the measurement, monitoring, mapping, reporting and sharing of soil state and trends information, to inform best management decision making and future investment in soil.  Develop a holistic policy and strategy approach where soil function is recognised, valued and protected for the environment, economy, food, infrastructure, health, biosecurity and communities.  Accelerate the adoption of land use and management practices that protect soil and improve soil state and trends.  Identify and develop the soil workforce and capabilities need to meet current and future challenges for Australia and our region.

For more information about the national soil action plan visit the DAFF website.

How long have you been in the dairy industry?

I've been home since 2006, which makes it 17 years nearly.

What made you come back?

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to come home and give it ago. It was always an option that I had. I’m a builder by trade and I was living in Perth. Mum and Dad were working pretty hard, so I had the opportunity to come home and help out. I was like, ‘Well if I don't do it now, I might never do it’. At 30 I came home and have given it a proper go and I went and did all the required training.

What do you love about being a dairy farmer?

I love growing grass, and turning it into milk, the science of how well they can go if you can look after them. Now that I’ve been home for a while, I feel more connected to the land and some of it's been in the family a few generations. I work on the farm with my partner, Jen and I’m in a really happy place right now in my life. We have fully embraced the dairy industry.

What gets you out of bed everyday?

I believe a good sleep is foundational to mental health, so that’s a priority to me.

I love just walking out the back door and seeing the green paddocks and happy cows.

It takes a lot of work, but we are responsible for the animals’ welfare. I’ve had times in my life where I didn’t get the juggle between career and family quite right, so I have had to make some tough choices to resign from certain vocations to ensure I can manage to be there for my family and have time to focus on my own mental health and such.

Well to juggle kids who live a couple of hours away, a dairy farm, a new relationship, and community/industry commitments … how do you do it?

I feel at times like I’m juggling eggs. I'll probably drop a few every now and then, but I hope not to crack any. I am trying to not to put too many in the air at the moment. Dairy farming can be diverse enough without doing anything else!

How have you managed to stay sane and look after yourself through this time?

I have a great support team. I now have an amazing partner in Jen, and we work well together. I'm not afraid to be vulnerable and I talk about my challenges which I think is very important. It’s also important to listen to others and help where you can. I have learned along the way the importance of getting enough sleep, exercise and time out. For me, I try to start my day with three

glasses of water and focus on achieving the goals I have set out for myself. Having a clear vision and making choices that will see that vision come to fruition is important to me. As a farmer I find time when I’m in the tractor to listen to mindset podcasts and keep myself above the line. It’s easy to fall below the line when grey clouds set in, but moving through this is about choice.

It’s not always easy but I find that you grow through what you go through. Some of my biggest learnings have come from my toughest times.

Have you always been like that?

No, I have had days below the line, I have had to seek out people to talk to. Having good support, friends and family is very helpful.

Is there anything that you do physically to look after yourself?

I've gone back to trying to be consistent with non-work related exercise, I use a 'chiro' and have regular saunas, I haven’t nailed a strict meditation practice, but can understand the benefits. There’s plenty of extra things I could do! Most e-books I listen to are about self-help and mindset, so I'm continually learning and growing.

So, when you're driving the tractor, for example, do you try to incorporate some breathing and learning?

Yeah, it's nourishing to the mind, but at the same time I’m physically working so it's awesome! And you get no interruptions. I'm obviously responsible for so many decisions, daily decisions, and this causes some mental fatigue at times. I love the simplicity of milking cows. I can’t leave in the middle of miking so I’m able to just be present. In other life situations, you can get caught up in your head, which is probably why I do listen to lots of podcasts and books and stuff like that.

It’s super interesting that you are so mindful about your personal inputs I have my kids every second weekend and try to be my best for them, be present, to make the most of the 48 hours that I get with them. Farming gives me the ability to have flexibility. I always thought a farm was a great place for kids to grow up. Gratitude for me is a big thing. It's not always easy. It does take some tools to be grateful. If you're not getting anywhere with it, there might be a bigger problem. You know you've got to adapt, be able to deal with whatever the climate is throwing at you. The sun always comes up the next day.

Lifeline is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14

Ross Anderson has been a farmer for 17 years in Denison.

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

Photo: Gippsland Jersey

February, 2024

RURAL NEWS

Summer shelter Sustaining rail safety needed for livestock

Photo: File

THE state government has released the first Rail Freight Network Capability Statement, which aims to provide clarity and certainty for rail freight operators and customers to plan and schedule services.

The statement provides operators with detailed rail knowledge such as line speeds and axle-loads so they can accurately plan with network managers to schedule services, confirm access to train paths and meet the needs of their customers and our producers.

Victoria’s rail-freight network is a critical supply chain enabler moving huge volumes of grain, hay, pulses, wine, grapes, meat, dairy and paper products from freight hubs in regional Victoria and southern New South Wales to Victorian ports for export.

Moving more freight by rail provides environmental, social and economic benefits, producing three times less pollution per tonne per kilometre compared to road freight, supporting the state' government’s net zero emissions

target by 2045 and environmental sustainability.

Rail freight is up to nine times safer than road freight and modal shift will support the government's commitment to reduce road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030 and eliminate road deaths by 2050.

The government’s allocated $181 million investment in the Victorian Budget 2022-23 to deliver a more efficient and resilient rail freight system so that longer and heavier trains can run on the network.

The statement aligns with the Victorian Freight Plan, 'Delivering the Goods', which aims to help grow rail freight’s volume share and provide transparency on network standards and availability.

The Minister for Ports and Freight, Melissa Horne, said a stable and transparent operating environment was critical for freight operators. "This statement gives them certainty and clarity to maximise the benefits that come from moving freight by rail," she said.

LIVESTOCK owners are reminded to ensure they provide adequate shelter for their livestock if there are severe weather events over the rest of summer.

Agriculture Victoria's principal veterinary officer, Dr Dianne Phillips, said recent localised severe weather had caused a higher number of deaths in vulnerable livestock in some areas of Victoria.

"Severe weather can include high winds, concentrated rainfall and/or hail and sudden temperature changes, which can impact livestock even in the warmer months of summer," she said.

Dr Phillips added that vulnerable groups of livestock are those which are more prone to the effects of exposure and can include: • Recently shorn sheep; • Livestock with newborns or recently weaned animals, and; • Livestock with parasitism or other underlying diseases associated with weight loss, anaemia, or low protein levels.

"Farmers are encouraged to also ensure livestock are up to date with routine stock health management requirements, such as drenching and vaccination programs, and to conduct regular inspections, monitoring

for and treatment of diseases," she said.

"This will help your animals stay healthy and be able to better adapt to changing conditions. Cold weather increases an animal's energy requirement to keep warm. As a result, when storms are forecast, additional supplementary feed before the event should be considered.

"Adequate shelter can include paddock shelter belts (often retained vegetation and tree plantings), sheds or other buildings where stock can shelter on the side out of the wind, and undercover yards like those at a shearing shed.

"Isolated paddock trees can provide some shelter for livestock but can also act as a conductor for lightning strikes in a thunderstorm, which, in some circumstances, can lead to sudden death of livestock sheltering underneath the tree."

If you need assistance with livestock losses associated with severe weather events, please contact your private vet, the department's Customer Call Centre on 136 186, or your local animal health team.

For emergency assistance, phone the Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) hotline on 1800 675 888.

Photo: File

GP1666855

February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

39

RURAL NEWS

Pesutto home to discuss issues

By LIAM DURKIN

STATE Opposition leader John Pesutto was back home before Christmas, and took time to visit a number of community groups.

The former Traralgon resident reconnected with his roots, touring the region with Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron to hear and see on-the-ground issues.

Among their appointments was a visit to Traralgon Football-Netball Club - a place Cameron played close to 300 senior games.

After a quick photo next to ‘Camo’s’ locker, the pair met with Maroons president Kevin Foley, who took the opposition leader on a tour of the club’s makeshift facilities.

Traralgon FNC, along with a number of Traralgon Recreation Reserve user groups, are still without proper facilities after the June 2021 floods.

The Maroons have been operating in severely compromised change rooms for the last twoand-half seasons, while visiting teams have been using portable rooms located between the football oval and netball courts.

Additionally, the club has been without a permanent canteen (making do with a food truck in the interim), while the strain on volunteers has also taken a severe hit, not to mention overall club morale.

Compounding the problem, it appears Traralgon footballers will also be using portable rooms this Gippsland League season, as work on a new multiuse pavilion get underway.

Construction on the new pavilion could take as long as three years, leaving the portables to contradict their very name.

The Liberals/Nationals committed to fully flood proof Traralgon Recreation Reserve at the last state election, and Pesutto said the party hadn’t deviated.

“This is a facility that needs to be upgraded and we will continue to advocate for that, we had a commitment going into the last election that would support the rebuilding of this,” he said.

“I’d love to see a clubroom that allows clubs and the broader community around to make use of the facility, that’s what other communities get around the state, this (area) is constantly overwhelmed by floodwaters and it needs to get addressed, it needed to happen yesterday.

“Clearly there is a need to

Traralgon Football-Netball Club President, Kevin Foley (centre) with John Pesutto and Martin Cameron inside the Maroons’ dilapidated changerooms.

rebuild this facility, this is an iconic ground for our local community, I still call it our local community because I will always be a Traralgon boy.

“Traralgon is my hometown, I was born and grew up here so it is always a real delight to come down to Traralgon and the Latrobe Valley generally.”

Floods are nothing new in Traralgon, with Pesutto remembering his boyhood days growing up on George Street, playing soccer across the road for Traralgon

State opposition leader John Pesutto checks out Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron’s old locker at Traralgon Football-Netball Club. Note another name on the No. 11 locker - former Footscray footballer Allan Jennings.

Photographs: Liam Durkin

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

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City and Olympians in the LVSL. Only the best live on George Street.

“We lived on the creek, so the creek would overflow. It never quite got into our house, but it got awfully close, I remember I was one of five kids, mum and dad were always worried about us going outside,” he said.

“It’s a problem the community has had to deal with for generations, really this is an iconic asset this ground, and it deserves clubrooms that are fitting, and the community deserves it.”

The Traralgon Flood Recovery Project was allocated $4.75 million in the 2022/23 state budget, while Latrobe City Council committed $2 million.

A conceptual plan for the new pavilion has been drawn up, although concerns have been raised surrounding its practicality.

Currently, the Traralgon FNC changeroom building takes in home and away rooms, as well as the Traralgon Boxing Club.

Function rooms are also located upstairs, used by local media to broadcast games.

The conceptual plan takes in the same amount of square meterage, but aims to fit in not only home and away rooms, but also a canteen and umpires rooms.

Foley said while the upgrade will be welcome, football would be made to suffer.

“We feel football has taken the brunt, smaller change rooms … generally we feel we are $2-3 million short,” the Traralgon FNC President said.

“It will be a nice venue when it’s built but I don’t think it will allow us to grow for the next 50 years.

We’re hoping to get a women’s side in 2025, so there is an extra side that goes in there (to the changerooms). I just don’t think we’ve got a facility planned that will cater for the football side of things.”

The Maroons will play a couple of night games this season, before moving out of their changerooms and into the portables.

The existing building is expected to be demolished in May. Despite the setbacks, Traralgon FNC has performed remarkably well in recent years. The senior team has played finals the last two seasons, winning two of them, while there has been a sprinkling of premierships and Grand Final appearances across football and netball.

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

41

GIPPSLAND SPORT

Return three years in the making

By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC

AFTER a long three-year hiatus, the Morwell Gun Club is back in business.

Last month, hundreds of people gathered to see the ribbon cut on the new facilities for the club at 50A Buckleys Track, Hernes Oak. Having faced the potential of going under and the shock of the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games after being listed as the shooting location, the Morwell Gun Club has prevailed.

The grand opening of the new range was a monumental effort mixed with determination, grit and teamwork.

Morwell Gun Club President, Todd Malone thanked everyone for coming to start the club's next chapter off with a bang.

"It's great to see so many faces back at our club after three years of being closed. It's been a long road, and a lot of people have written us off, but as you can see - with the right team and commitment, this is evidence of what can be achieved," he said.

The Morwell Gun Club was forced to leave their Old Melbourne Road location by the end of 2020 due to the Yallourn Mine expansion.

Not willing to fold, the grassroots shooting club always planned to pack up and relocate, but fundraising became a major factor. Thanks to EnergyAustralia, they were able to find a new home on the energy company's land in Hernes Oak. The Morwell Gun Club has run for more than 50 years, with strong membership, history of hosting excellent competition days and producing some extraordinary talent, including Lucas Furlan, who has represented Australia overseas.

At the grand opening, the Morwell Gun Club had many people to thank, including the investment from the state government, EnergyAustralia and Latrobe City Council.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, spoke on the state government's investment into the project.

"This investment has been over a couple of different financial years, about 330,000

The new Morwell Gun Club club rooms.

a piece, so 680,000 odd at the end of infrastructure investment from the state government through the Shooting Sports Facilities Program," he said.

Morwell Gun Club received multiple state government grants but also community grants from council.

Latrobe City Mayor, Darren Howe said, "We are grateful we had the opportunity to contribute to this important local project and look forward to seeing it used as a social and recreational hub for both locals and visitors."

Representing Minister Ros Spence and the community sports portfolio, Minister Dimopoulos said he was glad to see so many turn out to the gun clubs' big reveal.

"Sports - it's not just footy and soccer and netball. It's all sports - particularly the sports in regional and rural Victoria … it's important to have sporting clubs and assets in all of Victoria that suit all types of interests," the Minister said.

"It's not only a local sporting club. It's a sense of community, but it's also a pathway for young kids and others who want to be the next national champion or represent Australia in the Olympics."

The Express understands that the state government has reconfirmed their Commonwealth Games cancellation package investment into the Morwell Gun Club,

Photograph supplied

with work expected to begin next year.

Despite sparing details, it was rumoured that the Morwell Gun Club would still receive Olympic standard upgrades to put this regional club on the map regarding quality and facilities.

"There's more to come next year. There'll be more news to be announced by the club to make this club the envy of pretty much most clubs in Victoria, and I think given the commitment and the leadership of the club, you deserve this investment and more," Minister Dimopoulos said in his ribbon cutting speech.

This original investment that the state government promised in the lead-up to the club hosting the Commonwealth Games included a new Olympic shotgun trap shooting range, all equipment required for Air Rifles and Air Pistols and new security fencing.

The Olympic trap is the pinnacle of all trap shooting across the world, which would make Morwell a centre to train for the Olympic shooting sports discipline.

Yallourn EnergyAustralia's civil and environmental engineer, Sam Lineham, said he was pleased Morwell Gun Club could now enjoy their new home.

"Our mining license (at the time) … meant that we we're going to have to mine through the land that (the gun club) was currently

on," Mr Lineham said at the presentation.

"Three years ago, we informed the club we would have to relocate them. We chose this site because it's quite a good area."

With The Morwell Field & Game Club just through the tree line, Lineham said Hernes Oak has now become a shooting recreational hub.

"It's been a bit of a long journey - setting up in the new area, working through the council planning permits to get all this established," he added.

In addition to the peppercorn lease, EnergyAutralia Yallourn has worked on the site's fencing, car park and other significant earthworks.

Before the state government boarded the project, EnergyAustralia planned to gift the club old eco-huts to form a clubhouse.

The Morwell Gun Club was off to a shooting start, as what better way to celebrate the re-opening of the club than a competition day?

In Event 1, the 60tgt mixed targets championship first place in the open division went to Shayne Whelan of Woods Point with a perfect score of 100/100. In the AA division, Rowen Foote from Korumburra went home with a sash after hitting 98. In A Grade, Tiny Loveridge from the MCC Clay Target Club went home a winner.

In Event 2, the first place went to James Climas from Mt Bogong.

To top the day off, in the High Guns class, Morwell Gun Club President, Todd Malone took out the first place of the open draw.

Adam Beechey from Bairnsdale was the winner in AA, and Melbourne's Robert Nash was A Grade's High Guns winner.

Morwell Gun Club Secretary, Ken Balcombe said the club had positive reviews of their new facilities.

"The design of the trap layouts, clubhouse and carpark worked really well together.

We got some fantastic feedback on the day about the new club build and its facilities," he said.

"Overall it's great to have the relocation project done and up and going again for all our members."

Vic Country record now in Gippsland

By TOM HAYES

TRARALGON cricketer Lee Stockdale has etched his name into the record book for Victoria Country, becoming the most capped player for the representative side.

Stockdale brought up the milestone at the Australian Country Cricket Championships, which took place last month from January 3 to 10 in Newcastle.

Playing at his seventh ACCC tournament, Stockdale captained the Victoria Country side for the second consecutive year, after debuting as captain last year in Canberra.

On Thursday, January 4 ahead of Victoria Country's Round 2 match, Stockdale was set to surpass the games record of 52

Lee Stockdale (left) being presented with a plaque after surpassing the Victoria Country games record.

Photograph supplied

42

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

games, previously held by Ballarat's Heath Pyke, and was presented with a plaque before the match as recognition.

After debuting for the representative side in the 2013/14 season in Canberra, Stockdale has now amassed 59 games for Victoria Country, and he doesn't want to stop yet.

"It's just really enjoyable, that's the best level I can play now and to play with some of the blokes from the other country regions in Victoria is really nice," he said.

"Some of the boys that I've played with in the last three, four, five years have become really close friends, so that's what I enjoy about it.

"I'd definitely like to go next year to the Barossa, and then after that we'll see how it all goes."

After winning the last two Australian Country Cricket Championships in 2023 and 2020 (2021-22 were cancelled due to COVID), Victoria Country was unable to complete a three peat in 2024, finishing third.

Victoria Country started the competition in fine form, winning their opening three games: defeating Western Australia in a one-dayer by 92 runs, Queensland by 50 runs in another one-dayer, and the Australian Capital Territory by two wickets in their first Twenty20.

Their first bump in the road came in a huge eight-wicket loss to New South Wales in a T20, before they got the ball rolling again.

Another string of three consecutive wins had Victoria Country in prime position to go back-to-back-to-back, after defeating

South Australia by three wickets in a T20, WA by 64 runs and SA again - this time in the one-day format - by 87 runs.

All the Vics needed was one win from their remaining two matches, which proved to be a hard ask.

They narrowly went down by five runs to the ACT in Round 8, before suffering the nail-in-the-coffin-loss, a four-wicket loss to NSW. Victoria Country finished the nine-game tournament with a 6-3 record, an equal best, tied with New South Wales, but it was Queensland who took out the championship, with a record of 5-4.

Due to the fact that four points were awarded for one-day wins and two points for T20s, Queensland was able to maximise their advantage with a string of one-day wins.

Queensland sat with a 2-4 record after six games, but won their last three one-day matches to climb to the top and win the whole thing, meanwhile Victoria lost their last two matches.

"It's disappointing, with two games to go we only needed to win one and we lost both," Stockdale said.

"It was such a gruelling week with the way the fixture was and all the team had injuries and we just run out of gas, we had injuries ourselves.

"To finish equal with New South Wales and Queensland is probably about right, but by the end of the week I think both those teams were going better than we were."

Gippsland was well-represented at the championships, with Stockdale joined by Glengarry's Nathan Freitag, along with

Sale-Maffra cricketers Nathan Whitford, Jack Rietschel and former Sale resident Jack Wrigglesworth.

The Gippsland products flexed their muscles while on representative duty, all having something to be proud of individually.

Stockdale led the way for Victoria, as a captain should, averaging 25 with the bat, with a top score of 75 in Round 1, and taking 12 wickets throughout the tournament.

Just to add to his list of accomplishments, Stockdale was named player of the championship.

Rietschel recorded his top score of 24 in Round 9 and tallied his best bowling figures at the other end of the championship in Round 1, taking 3/20.

Freitag starred with the bat on multiple occasions, smashing two half-centuries in rounds four and eight, while causing havoc with the ball, recording his best figures of 3/26 in Round 3.

Debutant Whitford took four wickets throughout his maiden campaign, and it mightn't be the last chance he gets for Victoria Country.

Gippslander, now playing in Geelong, Wrigglesworth, was the leading wicket-taker out of all Gippslanders with 16 wickets at an average just over 16. His best figures came in Round 6, taking 3/23, also managing to score 26 not out in Round 7.

Stockdale was quick to sing their praises.

"Nathan Whitford on debut was outstanding with the new ball in the games that he played," he said.

"Jack Rietschel is one of our best players and he has been for the last three or four years, so they both did really well."

February, 2024

GIPPSLAND SPORT

Onlookers surrounded the green for the final, highlighted by a packed crowd in front of social rooms.

Quality field for Classic Singles Tom HAYES

ANOTHER year of the EnergyAustralia Classic Singles event came to a close after an exciting week at the Newborough Bowls Club last month, which saw two club teammates go head-to-head in the final.

After three days of spirited competition in early January, only four remained on the fourth and final day of the event (held Friday, January 5).

In the semi-finals, Warilla’s Corey Wedlock faced off against 2014 Classic Singles champion, Tony Schiavello, while Northern Ireland’s Gary Kelly, also representing Warilla, had to get past Pakenham’s Geoff van Vugt.

It was destined to be an all-Warilla final, as Kelly eased past van Vugt, 25-11, and Wedlock endured an almighty battle against Bundoora’s Schiavello, getting up 25-22.

Coming into the final, Wedlock and Kelly had previously gone head-to-head on eight occasions, Wedlock holding bragging rights winning five of those matches.

But that wasn’t going to have much effect on Kelly, as anything could happen in a final.

Not only do both finalists play at the same club, but both experienced Premier League

bowls together at Bundoora, so it’s fair to say these two were mates, and knew what was coming from one another.

There was no breathing space for either entrant in the final, going shot-for-shot in the first 15 minutes of the final.

Scores were tied at 6-6 early in the piece, before the tide started to sway in Wedlock’s direction.

Before you could blink, Wedlock had drawn out to a five-shot lead, 11-6, but Kelly was not down and out just yet.

To keep the final exciting, Kelly was not ready to give in, drawing back to within one shot, trailing 12-11, before gusty conditions arrived.

Windy conditions began to make things tough for the finalists, as grunts and groans were heard moments after releasing a shot, knowing bowls weren’t going to reach their intended targets.

Nonetheless, that variation left the door open for anyone to take an advantage, it was just a question of who.

Despite the wind, Wedlock remained calm and composed to stretch his lead, going from 12-11, to 14-11, then 17-11, and 18-12 in just a handful of ends.

With a six-shot lead, victory was in sight for Wedlock, and he wasted no time in doing

so, setting himself up perfectly for the title.

Just when it looked like Wedlock would pocket two or three shots from an end, Kelly would be forced to resort to driving the bowl, in hopes of softening the blow.

Yet, it was to no avail, as he had no luck when it came to his drives, and even when he made connection, nothing was going his way.

Luckily for Wedlock, this allowed him to ease to victory, as it only took three ends for him to rack up the remaining seven shots on offer needed to win.

In the final three ends, Wedlock went from 20-12, to 23-12, then finally 25-12 to claim the 27th EnergyAustralia Classic Singles title.

Despite the monster margin in the final, it didn’t take anything away from the battle, which was full of separate tactics, as both players were forced to make vital decisions.

In the end, the right game plan won, and the pressure seemed to get to Kelly, as he watched his teammate take the crown.

Kelly was admirable in defeat, thanking the Newborough Bowls Club for putting on the event.

“Just want to say a huge thank you to all the members, the volunteers and staff here at the club, what an amazing achievement

– 27 years, absolutely fantastic,” Kelly said.

“Thank you so much for having me here, it’s an absolute honour and privilege to play in front of you guys, I tried my best.

“I look forward to being here next year,” Kelly concluded, followed by a round of applause.

B e f o r e c r o w n i n g t h e w i n n e r, EnergyAustralia’s Meredith Bowden announced that the major sponsor would continue to back the Classic Singles until at least 2028, the same year the Yallourn power station is set to close.

The extended partnership would surpass the 30th anniversary of the Classic Singles, set to be held in 2027, which also marks 100 years of the bowling club.

Wedlock was presented his winner’s cheque, completing a successful first visit to Newborough.

“I loved every minute of it, all the support and everyone has just been so friendly so I can’t thank you enough,” he said.

“It’s one of the best tournaments I’ve been to, there’s so many people roaming around trying to help and trying to accommodate you.”

The plans for the 2025 Classic Singles is already underway, with the next event set to be played from January 6-9, 2025.

Warilla’s Corey Wedlock had the perfect start to the new year, winning the 2024 EnergyAustralia Classic Singles in Newborough.

Photographs: Tom Hayes

Six-time Classic Singles winner Barrie Lester eased through his section with a 35-shot difference.

Northern Ireland’s Gary Kelly keeps himself in the final.

Latrobe City Councillor Sharon Gibson, Classic Singles champion Corey Wedlock, EnergyAustralia’s Meredith Bowden, and runner-up Gary Kelly pose after presentations.

Churchill’s Chris Thomas gave it his all during the Classic Singles.

Traralgon’s Chris Ward returned for another Classic Singles event.

February, 2024

THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

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THE GIPPSLAND FARMER

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