Axe Creek Eppalock Newsletter

Incorporating news from the Eppalock Primary School, Axe Creek Fire Brigade & the Axe Creek Landcare Group.

Welcome to the Autumn Issue

Edition 46. Autumn 2015

Summer has left us for another year, and we are grateful again that
our local CFA Volunteers were not kept too busy with local emergencies. In this issue, you will learn more about the role of Brigade Risk
Management Officer and how it supports our Axe Creek brigade.
Enjoy the change of seasons and the wonderful Autumn colours that
mother nature shows to us, particularly as the kids take their first term
break for the new school year. (I hear all the parents saying
Already!)
Consider becoming part of your local community, either via organisations such as landcare or the CFA, in your capacity as a parent, or
through your religion.
If you have something to share with the Axe Creek & Eppalock community, feel free to send it to us via our email address axecreeknews@gmail.com. And of course, on April 5th, dont forget to
change your clocks and smoke alarm batteries.
Until next time,
Sam Spence
PS. Happy Mothers Day to all the Mums for May 10th.

Advertise your Business AND help the Community

If you would like some great local exposure for a reasonable price, then advertise in the
next issue of the Axe Creek Eppalock Newsletter.
Full Page
$100
Half Page

$50

Quarter Page

$25

May 29th

Spring 2015

Sept 1st

Summer 2015

Dec 1st

Autumn 2016

Mar 4th

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Welcome

Community Notice Board

CFA News

Eppalock PS Update

Axe Creek Playgroup

Landcares Latest

Church News

Community News

Kids Corner

Thank you to this issues

Contributors
John Wells - Axe Creek Fire
Brigade
Marie Mannes - Eppalock PS
Cathy Watson - Axe Creek
Landcare

Steve Williams - Axe Creek

Landcare

Fees charged help cover printing costs.

Advertising deadline for future issues:

Winter 2015

Steve Weickhardt - Anglican

Parish

Contact us via axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

Community Notice Board

Emergency Contact Numbers
Fire, Police & Ambulance

000

(life threatening or time critical emergencies only)

SES Flood & Storm Emergency

13 25 00

Bushfire Information

1800 240 667

Information & advice about significant fires, total fire bans

Burn Off Notifications

1800 668 511

Poisons Information

13 11 26

Wildlife Rescue Service

0419 356 433

Useful Websites
CFA

www.cfa.vic.gov.au

DSE

www.dse.vic.gov.au

Vic Roads www.vicroads.vic.gov.au

Local Churches
St Stephens Anglican & Strathfieldsaye Uniting
Church
920 Wellington St, Strathfieldsaye

School Terms
2015

Combined Service - Sunday Mornings 9am

Family Service - Saturday - 5pm

St Josephs Catholic Church

Cnr Axe Creek & Strathfieldsaye/Eppalock Rds.

Term 1

Sunday Mornings 9am

29 Jan 27 Mar

All Welcome
Term 2
13 Apr 26 Jun
Term 3

Axe Creek CFA

13 Jul 18 Sept
Term 4

Captain

5 Oct 18 Dec

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Neil Irving-Dusting
5439 6388

Issue 46

CFA News From Axe Creek Brigade

A VARIED SUMMER FOR THE FIRE BRIGADE: AT HOME...
At the start of summer we were prepared for a bad fire season, following the low spring rainfall.
In our brigade area, thankfully, this did not eventuatenot least because so many in the community had prepared their properties (and themselves) to meet the threatened conditions.
Then the cooler conditions and rain during January dampened the fire conditions (pun intended), reducing the potential for major fires in our district.
Up to the time of writing Axe Creek brigade had responded to only five fires in the brigade response area, all before the start of fire restrictions, and all controlled quickly. One was close to
spreading into Pilchers Bridge Nature Reserve, but thanks to good work by firefighters from Axe
Creek and neighbouring brigades, and with help from a water-bombing helicopter, it was
stopped in time.
The brigade also attended a motor vehicle accident, and a farm rescue.
...AND AWAY
Others were not so fortunate. Between November and February Axe Creek brigade responded
to 18 calls to assist other brigades. These included major fires at Redesdale, Mia Mia, Pastoria
East, Kyneton and Tooborac.
Brigade members spent long hours at these fires, including overnight shifts.

Members have responsibilities for family and work, so can't always be available when a fire
starts. We need sufficient firefighters so that there are always some members available to respond immediately, and others for relief crews. If you are interested in joining the brigade,
please get in touch with the captain (see the contact details elsewhere in this newsletter).

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

WE INTERVIEW THE BRIGADE RISK MANAGEMENT OFFICER

In the last issue we met Jan Mannes, Axe Creek Brigade's Communications Officer. This time we
interview another brigade member with a little-known support role.
Jack Lilley is the Brigade Risk Manager, or as he prefers to be called, Risk Management Officer.
How did he come to take on this position, and why does a fire brigade have a Risk Management Officer?
Jack, what is your background, and how long have you been involved with the CFA?
"I worked for the Overseas Telecommunications Commission as a Technical Officer, and then I
taught in the TAFE system for many yearselectronics, communications equipment and so on.

"When I moved into the TAFE administration system, I developed risk management skills as I supervised the external examination system for electronics in Victoria, and also supervised curriculum development in electronics and associated areas. Then I found myself at Hawthorn Institute
of Technology, where I designed, managed, and taught in upgrading programs for technical
teachers from developing countries. This job certainly entailed managing risk for the Institute: we
had to make sure things ran properly, so the organisation didn't find itself in a position in which
students had not been adequately trained.
"After I retired from Hawthorn, in 1996 my wife and I moved to Axe Creek, where we were near
other family members. My brother persuaded me to join the local fire brigade. Shortly afterwards what was then CFA Region 2 (somewhat similar to the current District 2) sought to introduce Risk Management to brigades in the Region. On the basis of my previous work I took on a
2-year full time contract position to help brigades develop risk profilesthis was a new area of
work for the CFA."
OK, can you tell us just what is Risk Management for a fire brigade?
"The brigade needs to identify the risks faced by its community, and then develop plans to minimise the risks, or to treat them.
"For example, in our area we have risks such as grassfire, bushfire, house fires, fires in community
facilities such as the school, motor vehicle accidents, and farm accidents. To reduce these risks
we may need to consult with residents, arrange specialist training for brigade members, or perhaps acquire new types of firefighting or rescue equipment. Or perhaps we may need to ask
the Council or other authorities to improve access along tracks or to upgrade bridges across
creeks.

"Of course managing these risks is not just the brigade's responsibility. We need to help the community to work on ways to tackle its own risks."
This approach sounds very different from just jumping on the fire truck and squirting water on the
flames!
"Yes, it's a different way of viewing the fire brigade's role in protecting the community, but one
that's become much more important, especially after the formal enquiries that have been held
after major fires. Individuals, the community and the fire brigade need to work together to try
and prevent fires starting, and take steps to minimise the resulting damage if they do.
"The older members of some brigades found it difficult to see the value of going through a formal process of assessing and documenting the risks faced by their brigades, and the steps taken to treat them.
"I remember visiting a brigade some distance away, where the captain and lieutenants were
very negative. 'We don't need outsiders telling us how to run the brigade. We know the district,
and how to put out fires, and when we've done it we go home.' I pointed out that they were all
of advanced years, and asked how the brigade would manage when they were no longer active. There was no answer...."

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

Well, what does the brigade's Risk Management Officer do?

"The Risk Management Officer facilitates discussions with the brigade officers to assess what are
the most important risks, and what can best be done to tackle them.
"There is a formal process for risk assessment: it takes account of the LIKELIHOOD of an event
(such as a haystack fire, for example), and the CONSEQUENCES of the event (in this example,
cost of replacement, and possible escape of the fire). In many cases the history of fires and accidents in the area is a good guide to future risk.
"Sometimes people overestimate risks. Another brigade thought bonfires were a major risk. How
many have you had in recent years, I asked. 'Lots!' How many got away? 'None.' Well, it seems
that bonfires aren't so great a risk after all. Sounds like you approve of bonfires in the FDP!
"Finally the risks must be properly documented, so the brigade (and particularly future officers)
are aware of them. The brigade's risk profile is reviewed periodically, especially with respect to
new developments in the brigade area.
"Most of the time as a local population grows the number of risks increases, but not their nature.
Because Axe Creek doesn't have a major community centre (apart from the school and church)
we don't have many large risks. It's a different picture in Strathfieldsaye, for example, with the
shops, large schools, sports complex and so on, or in Mosquito Creek, with the caravan parks,
boat clubs and camp sites."
Is there any outside help for Risk Management Officers?
"Yes, this is one of the roles of the CFA's Brigade Administrative Support Officers, each of whom is
responsible for assisting several brigades across a broad district."
You have been Axe Creek Brigade's Risk Management Officer for several years now. What of the
future?
"I think it's time for somebody else to take over this position! I hope we'll have a willing person in
time for the brigade elections in 2016. It's an interesting but not overly demanding position. The
RMO needs to know the area, to identify new risks, and to work with the Brigade officers and CFA
District 2 staff. She or he doesn't need to be an operational firefighter!"
Well, thanks Jack for the insight into another of the 'back-room' roles in a modern fire brigade. I
hope we can persuade someone new to take over the baton from you next year.

YES, IT'S SMOKE ALARM TIME AGAIN!

Once again, the end of daylight saving is your reminder to change the
batteries in your smoke alarms. As winter approaches this is particularly
importanthistory shows that winter is when house fires are more common.
History also shows that working smoke alarms do indeed save lives. Don't
take a chance! Change those batteries now.

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Bendigo Advertiser, 7th March 1974

300 BALES OF HAY GO IN BIG BLAZE

On Tuesday night a fire destroyed 3000 bales of Lucerne, meadow haw, a utility and machinery
in an attached shed and put a dairy temporarily out of action.
The fire which is believed to have been caused by spontaneous combustion was on the property of Mt Stanley Somerville, in Taylors Lane, Strathfieldsaye.
It was reported about 2.30am and firemen did not finally clear the area until 9am.
The Mandurang, Axedale, Axe Creek and Bendigo Brigades attended.
Although they saved the dairy, the milking machines were put temporarily out of action and Mr
Somerville had to milk his cows elsewhere.
The estimated cost of the damage is about $4000.
Firemen were so long on the scene because it became necessary to get a bulldozer to spread
the smouldering mass of straw.
Each time the bulldozer moved a layer, firemen not only had to quell any remnants of fire in the
layer taken off, but also had to make the mass of straw safe enough for the bulldozer to work on
again.
The property is reported to have been insured.

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

Eppalock Primary School

What a fantastic start to the year we have had! All the children have settled in beautifully to
their new grades and all teachers have commented on how happy they have been and
how well they are working. Congratulations and well done to all. Thank you also to all the
parents for supporting their children and preparing them so well for school.
Our prep students, Charli, Henry, Kahlia, Xavier, Charlie, Dylan, Lochi and Caileb have settled
into the school routines with ease and it is wonderful to see all the other students looking out
for them and making sure they feel happy and safe at school. We also welcome Dasha,
Liselle and Zachary to our school community.
Our School Values are:
Care and Compassion Care for self and others
Honesty and Trustworthiness - Be honest, sincere and seek the truth
Respect - Treat others with consideration and regard: respect another persons point of
view
Responsibility - Be accountable for ones own actions, resolve differences in constructive,
non violent and peaceful ways; contribute to society and civic life, take care of the
environment
Our Values focus for this term is: CARE & COMPASSION and at assembly each Monday we
are acknowledging students who are working hard to be caring and kind towards others.
Emily Ryan
Principal
Thank you to the families who watered the veggie gardens over the Christmas holidays. We
have a flourishing garden thanks to you! Here are some of the fruits of your labour.

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

Our Living Green Program has a bit of a different flavour this year.
Students work in mixed age groups to do a variety of activities every Friday.
To ensure that we are making the most of our garden produce and the kitchen we are running
small group activities throughout the day focussed on sustainable living.
Students have the opportunity to cook using produce from our garden. We have cooked delicious frittatas and yummy dips (tzatziki and smoked eggplant) to name a few, with all the ingredients coming from our garden.
Students help maintain our garden by weeding, planting, composing and mulching. They also
ensure our worms and chooks are taken care of.

It was very exciting when we met Broadshell turtles, Eastern Snakeneck turtles and the Murray
River turtles. Graham and Dylan from Turtles Australia and Panda from the NCCMA visited
and brought baby, middle size and 40 year old turtles for us to touch and learn about!
We found out that over 90 % of the turtle eggs are eaten by foxes. We also found out about a
great app for your phone that you can use to record your turtle sightings: turtlesat.org.au
Remember to always move a turtle off the road in the direction they were heading.

The grade 5/6 students enjoyed creating carbon dioxide and found
out about why it is a problem gas contributing to climate change.

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

Aunty Peach Show

The whole school joined other primary schools recently for the Aunty Peach Show which provided students with a fun-filled learning experience that supports literacy, personal development and drama, all in an enjoyable, interactive environment.
Centring on the magic of Roald Dahls wacky and humorous twisted fairy tales as published in
the Revolting Rhymes, this educational show was childrens entertainment at its best.
Along with the animated storytelling, the magic, the visual spectacle and the humour, Aunty
Peach also passed on stage terminology and useful tips for drama performance.

Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day is a global event held annually to
promote the safe and responsible use of digital technologies for children and young people.
The theme for Safer Internet Day 2015 was 'Being a
Good Bystander. To help celebrate, the grade 4/5/6
students took part in a Web Conference on Cybersafety. This was a fantastic session with over 20,000 students participating in Victoria alone.
These types of events are important to participate in to
ensure our students know how to stay safe in our fast
moving cyber world.

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

10

Axe Creek Community Playgroup

When
Where

Friday Mornings
9am - 10.30am
Eppalock PS Old School Building.149 Patons Road Axe Creek
(just a few minutes from Strathfieldsaye)

Playgroup is a place for you and your child to interact with other mums, dads, grandparents and caregivers and their children. Playgroup provides opportunities for play and learning. Your child will develop
new skills and gain confidence by interacting with other children. No child is too young for playgroup. All
children from 0-5 years, including babies, love new experiences and benefit from developing sensory,
social and communication skills through activities at playgroup.

Morning Tea & activities provided.

Gold Coin Donation
For further information please phone (03) 5439 6366
email: eppalock.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
http://www.eppalockps.vic.edu.au

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

11

Latest from Axe Creek Landcare

The Axe Creek Landcare Committee meet at Eppalock Primary School,
in the old staffroom on the first Monday of each month
at 8.00 pm during daylight saving period
or at 7.30 pm for the rest of the year.
We have two or three public meetings during the year, generally with a guest speaker.
Topics in the past have included weeds, pest animals, sustainable soils, gardening, animal husbandry, grasses. We also hold field days, working bees and excursions.
Members of the community are always welcome to attend any meeting!

NORTH CENTRAL WATERWAY STRATEGY

Waterways (rivers and wetlands) provide environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits contributing to human health and well being as well as community resistance. Our region
values waterways highly and recognizes that a coordinated and collaborative approach will
improve the current condition.
The North Central Water Strategy provides a single regional planning document for waterway
management and a high level regional works program to guide investment. The Strategy is an
important framework for the North Central CMA (Catchment Management Authority) in partnership with other agencies, Traditional Owners and the community to manage our waterways over the next eight years and build upon the 2013-19 North Central Regional Catchment
Strategy.
If you'd like more information about the
Strategy, please contact NCCMA on (03)
5448 7214 or email info@ nccma.vic.gov.au

Poo Pile!
Need manure for your garden! Bags available from out the front of
125 Axe Creek Rd at $2.00 each or phone
54393144 for a trailer load at $10-$15.00 per load.

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

12

Axe Creek Landcare: Improving Our Local Understory & Biodiversity

Axe Creek Landcare group has a new project to enhance wildlife habitat through planting local
understory species on private land. Why is this important? To answer that we need to travel
back in time. More than 100 years ago the landscape from Bendigo through to where Lake Eppalock now sits (and beyond) was almost completely cleared of trees. What we see now is a
landscape dominated by regrowth forest and newly regenerating areas. To illustrate this the pictures side by side below show part of the Axe Creek catchment around Pilchers Bridge and Stony
Crossing reserve. The aerial photograph on the left is from 1963 (approximately 50 years ago)
while the satellite image on the right is contemporary. The areas of regrowth are significant and
can be clearly seen.

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

13

This trend towards a re-vegetating landscape is common throughout central Victoria and is
linked with changing land ownership and associated changes in landuse and community attitudes. So why is there increasing loss in native animals, particularly woodland birds? There are a
complex of contributing factors including impact of feral animals and lack of nest sites. However a key factor is forest degradation (loss of plant diversity) and associated impacts on food
sources for animals. Our local box ironbark regrowth forest and areas that are regenerating are
subject to processes that over time lead to high tree densities (much of the local forest has
greater than 10 times the number of trees than would have naturally occurred) and recent research has empirically proved that this significantly reduces other vegetation and plant biodiversity overall. These effects are self-evident in the photographs of older (left) and regrowth
(right) ironbark forest below.

The landcare
group has recently
secured a grant to
support the planting of understory
plants on private
land throughout

the catchment.
Private land still
tends to have lower tree densities
and hence is more conducive to understory establishment. Our plan is not to undertake huge
broad scale mass plantings but to support landcare members in establishing a reasonable number of mother plants of a range of local understory species on their properties. These plants
would then fuel natural re-colonization and even establishing small patches can be significant.
In most cases the plants we have selected are local wildflowers and have the additional benefit
of being quite attractive. Improving floristic diversity throughout the catchment helps provide
food to sustain the animal populations and has the added side benefit of attracting birds and
other animals onto our properties where we can see them. When plants are planted they are
guarded but creating small exclusion zones on your property are an even better way to go and
the landcare group has significant experience in how to do this (see photograph next page).

Members of the community are welcome

to participate in the project but to do so
will need to join the group. If you are interested the Axe Creek landcare group
meets at 8pm on the first Monday of each
month at the Eppalock Primary School (old
building).

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

14

Church News
Lent: Not just a time to give-up something luxurious
Being human means looking after all of yourself body, mind, spirit. To be
whole. This is becoming more important today in a fast world with easy
options to take short-cuts.
For Christians, this is an attitude of prayer when our reflections turn to our Creator, the Lord our
God. We understand that we are not whole, but broken apart in different ways. Anxiety and
mental illness, physical ailments and frailty, spiritual weariness and apathy are all symptoms of
this brokenness. Some we will live with all our lives, others may be healed, while many will gradually be treated with care by professionals, even as other brokenness becomes apparent in
our lives.
Good Friday is the powerful reminder that the Lord our God, our Creator, is not remote and uncaring, but close and intimately interested in our lives. So much so that he took up life in this
world as Jesus, the Christ, was persecuted and died upon an instrument of Roman torture. He
knows pain. He knows death. Even greater is Easter Day, when Jesus conquered death and
rose, fully alive in mind, body and Spirit. In Him Christians hold our hope, and Lent is the season
when we turn to Jesus in prayer and petition for grace and mercy to make us whole.
So by the time we get to Good Friday we can bring all of our brokenness to the foot of the
Cross of Jesus. On Easter Day we rejoice in Jesus resurrection and victory over sin and death.
We invite you to join our Good Friday service at 9am on April 3rd, to come to the Cross, to
acknowledge the reality of our brokenness before God. And we invite you to celebrate with us
on Easter Day (April 5th) at 9am the new life Christ has won for those who turn to Him in faith.
We also run a childrens focused service on Easter Saturday (April 4th) at
5pm.
All services are at Strathfieldsaye Community Church (920 Wellington St).
Special Religious Instruction (SRI)

I know that SRI classes at both Eppalock and Strathfieldsaye Primary Schools have suddenly
become unavailable for the most part (a few will run at Strathfieldsaye). I also know that some
parents are seeking these classes to be run. As an SRI Instructor until the end of 2014, I can say
that the Department of Education accreditation requirements for SRI Instructors had increased
exponentially in the last six months, making it almost impossible to keep up with them all. This is
why there are few or no SRI classes available, and we are just as disappointed as anyone.
Strathfieldsaye Community Church is concerned about the loss of these classes, and we are
looking to begin an after-school program that will cover much of the same areas of what was
CRE. It will run at the Church with volunteers (all have Working With Children Checks and Police
Checks), and with some fun activities and afternoon tea to go along with it. If you are interested in such a program, can you please let me know so we can assess the potential viability of
this idea.
Rev Steve Weickhardt
Minister Strathfieldsaye Community Church
Ph: 5439 4817 or steve@southeastbendigo.com.au

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

15

Community News
CHANGE THE CLOCKCHANGE THE SMOKE ALARM BATTERIES
Remember to fit new batteries to your smoke alarms when you change your
clocks at the end of daylight saving. Be ready for winterthe prime time for
house fires.

Daylight Savings ends Sunday April 5th.

Working smoke alarms save lives!

email us at axecreeknews@gmail.com

Community Gamelan group

Mugi Rahayu is your local gamelan (Javanese music and dance) group. We are from
Eppalock and we practice weekly and perform at various cultural events and fundraisers around the district. No experience required and its free.
New members Welcome
Practice every Sunday 2:00 pm at 101 Carneys Rd, Eppalock.
Contact Nita or Aaron

axecreeknews@gmail.com

phone: 54392678
email: bagus_kan@yahoo.com

Issue 46

16

Kids Corner
Easter/Mother's Day Hand print Lily Craft
This is a classic spring flower craft. Use hand print cut outs and
a pipe cleaners to make beautiful lilies. Equally great for Easter
or Mother's Day.
Materials:

white paper
green construction paper
pencil
scissors
green and orange pipe cleaners
tape
Directions:
Fold a piece of green construction paper in half
and trace a long leaf shape. Cut out from the fold
so you get a double leaf joined in the middle.
Trace your hand on white paper and cut out.
Take a short length of orange pipe cleaner and
twist it to the end of a long green pipe cleaner so
the ends stick up like a "V" with droopy ears. This is
the flower's centre.
Wrap the hand print around the top of the green
pipe cleaner and tape in place.
Poke a hole in the middle of the double laves and
thread onto the pipe cleaner stem.
Wrap tape around the stem below the leaves so they stay in place.
Source: easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com

April Fools Day Pranks.

Got Milk?
If your milk comes in a cardboard container, add a few drops of food colouring. It's a harmless
April Fool's joke but the results are pretty colourful.
What's That in Your Apple?
For a fruity April Fool's practical joke, get a few gummy worms and carefully poke them into fresh
fruit, particularly apples. Give mum or dad a wormy apple for lunch and leave a few apples on
the table for friends and family members to snack on.
Spare Change
This April Fool's practical joke is old but it still works. Superglue some coins to the sidewalk or any
spot that has a lot of people walking around. Make sure it's in an appropriate place, then watch
people break fingernails to get the coins.

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

17

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 46

18