The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has endorsed the release of its draft Climate Emergency Plan for community consultation.

The move is among a number of important items that was endorsed by the council at it’s monthly meeting held last week.

Collaboratively developed over six months with community members and key community organisations, the draft plan will guide the council and the community in response to climate change across six themes.

Ideas were also taken from the council-led Cool Changes program which facilitated seven Community Climate Action Plans covering nine of the shire’s towns.

The Ballarat Animal Shelter has recently celebrated the 3000th animal adopted from the facility.  

The record is timely, as tender documents were released for the design services for the new Ballarat Regional Animal Facility, a vital service for the Ballarat community.  

The Ballarat Animal Shelter enables adoptions via the PetRescue platform, which it has used since September 2017, in order to get promote its animals to an Australia-wide audience.

The platform allows the Ballarat Animal Shelter to create profiles for the available dogs, cats and other animals, so that the community understand the animal’s needs before making an appointment to see the pet.  

It holds all the important information, like age, microchip number and even if ‘belly-rubs’ are a necessity.

The Animal Shelter is a very busy (and noisy!) facility, so the PetRescue platform allows potential adopters to get the information they need on the animals before making an appointment with staff.  

Ballarat couple Camilla and Simon Barclay said adopting a dog was the obvious choice for their family, and since moving to the area, their children had been asking for a furry friend to join their family.  

“We went to the shelter to meet a dog for our family, and instantly fell in love with Winston – we just had to have him,” Camilla said.  

“He has settled into our family so well, and now the children fight over whose room Winston sleeps in each night.”

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said this milestone is definitely an achievement worth celebrating.

“To say that we’ve had a hand in finding 3000 animals their forever homes is incredible,” he said.  

“Our Animal Shelter staff strive to match our animals into the best environment possible through our adoption process, whilst at the same time caring and providing enrichment for those animals in the shelter who aren’t ready to go yet.

“It is a lot of work, but it’s their passion and enthusiasm which gets us many thousands of pets adopted into families.”

The Hepburn Shire Council has in recent days adopted ‘A Home in Hepburn Shire’, which outlines 26 actions on what it now intends do to help meet the many challenges of affordable housing needs shire-wide.
The council has issued a public statement, asserting that it plans to “continue to advocate to state and federal governments for investment in, or legislative changes to support, improved housing affordability”.

It is now aiming to establish a Housing Working Group to help implement the strategy and action plan. Options expected to be investigated include efforts to encourage property owners to provide long-term affordable rental accommodation rather than short-term holiday leasing, consideration of co-operatives to build and manage housing, and exploration of options for affordable retirement living options or public-private partnerships.
Other actions include updating planning processes to reduce timeframes and encourage housing diversity including smaller, less costly dwellings.
Those keen to know more can read the document at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/Strategies

New larger and safer police divisional vans have begun taking to the roads, Victoria Police says.

The next generation Ford Ranger vehicles – specially developed for Victoria Police – have in recent days begun replacing more than 250 existing vans in the force’s fleet.

The changeover is expected to take two years.

The next generation divisional vans are ANCAP five-star safety rated boasting features including 360-degree camera technology with cameras on the front, side mirrors and rear to assist with manoeuvring.

The larger prisoner pod has storage for police kit bags and operational equipment which previously had to be put inside the vehicle’s cabin.

All new divisional vans are fitted with a steel bullbar and LED lightbar to enhance member safety, provide additional lighting, reduce downtime from animal collisions and provide extra stability – countering the prisoner pod’s weight.

Previously only vans in the country and urban fringe had bullbars.

The divisional van is considered the workhorse of Victoria Police’s vehicle fleet, with vehicles changed over once they reach 90,000km or three years in service.

Some vans in regional areas travel more than 15,000km a month – the equivalent of driving from Melbourne to Perth and back twice.

The next generation Ford Ranger XLT– the most innovative vehicle Victoria Police has put on the road – has a 2.0L Bi-Turbo 154Kw engine with a 10-speed automatic transmission, offering better performance and fuel economy.

The previous model was a six-speed automatic.

Autonomous emergency braking and blind spot monitoring and assist are among the new models’ additional features.

It’s expected 15 new divisional vans will be delivered each month.

Kyneton this month became the first area to get the new vehicle with Stawell to follow in coming weeks.

The existing divisional van fleet comprises 233 Ford Ranger Supercab and 23 Holden Colorado Spacecab vehicles.

Superintendent Andrew Miles, Operations Support Division: “These vehicles are the workhorses of Victoria Police’s fleet. They’re bigger, better and most importantly will keep our members even safer.

“Be it in the city or out in the bush we know they’ll be put to good use in helping police keep the community safe.”

With the weather warming up over recent days, the CFA has already been called to a number of fires across the state, including an unattended burn off in Spring Hill – between Glenlyon and Woodend.

High winds caused embers to spread to a nearby pile of logs, causing a large amount of firewood and some processing equipment to be destroyed, the CFA reported following the incident late last month.

Spring Hill Fire Brigade 2^nd Lieutenant Andrew Jan said Trentham brigade crews made an initial attack, extinguishing the fire on the machinery.

“When we arrived on scene, we saw what appeared to be an unattended burn pile. There were heavy winds blowing embers toward a large pile of logs roughly 20 metres away that had become well alight,” Andrew said.

“The fire had started moving through some fine fuels on the ground to a large pile of firewood, so the initial role of the crew was to contain that.

“By using Trentham’s Big Fill, we were able to attack the fire in a more effective manner and release tankers quickly, cutting down the time needed to fight the fire.”

The scene was declared under control around 15 minutes after the first vehicle arrived on scene.

The incident has prompted the CFA to urge landholders to always register their burn offs, to never leave burn offs unattended and t always ensure burn offs are fully extinguished, especially ahead of warm, windy days.

Going back almost 20 years, Wye River Fire Brigade identified that many of the new houses being built had CFA-dedicated water tanks that were unusable.

The tanks were either too far away from tanker access, the pipes connecting the tank to the outlet were too small, or in some cases the tanks were empty.

The 2015 Christmas Day fire demonstrated the importance of a dedicated 10,000-litre supply for defending properties. In a small town with no mains water, it can take up to 20 minutes for a tanker to refill at the station.

But many people, including plumbers, aren’t sure of the regulations and conditions that must be met when installing a CFA-dedicated water supply.

Wye River brigade’s Community Safety Coordinator Ian ‘Wellsy’ Wells set about finding out all the regulations that had to be met with a new build. The ‘Bushfire planning’ section of the Victoria Planning Provisions outlines the requirements, as well as CFA’s Guidelines for Remote Outlets on Water Tanks in the Bushfire Management Overlay.

“It really is quite complex when you dig down into it,” Wellsy said, “and in some cases it appears like it falls through the cracks in the whole building process.”

For example, regulations stipulate that a CFA truck must be able to access within four metres of an outlet. However, if the tank itself is more than four metres below the draughting point on the truck it can be difficult to both prime and maintain adequate flow rates.

“CFA’s guidelines only allow for gravity feed tanks, which is just not possible in hilly terrain where half the houses are on the down slope and road easements don’t allow for tanks to be at road level,” Wellsy said.

Wye River brigade has compiled a compliance audit sheet for each property so that it can inform the council of any issues. The audit sheet includes regulatory conditions and points from CFA’s guidelines, and is divided into sections covering signage, the outlet and pipework, and the size and position of the tank.

Wye River brigade discovered that building surveyors are not required to check compliance on CFA-dedicated tanks. Council compliance officers have the power to enforce these conditions, but only do so if they have been notified.

District 6 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Craig Brittain took this compliance issue to Colac Otway Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee and it has now been referred to Barwon South West Regional Emergency Management Planning Committee and Municipal Association of Victoria.

New resident and CFA CEO Natalie MacDonald volunteered her house as a test case for the audit. Brigade members helped to determine the best location for the CFA tank and outlet. Following these discussions, Natalie decided to increase tank capacity to 15,000 litres. The house sprinkler system runs off a separate tank, allowing the brigade to have full use of the 15,000 litres. However, homeowners can always access a CFA tank if needed.

“We know residents often spend a lot of money installing a CFA-dedicated tank. We want to make sure they are safe for the brigade to access and are usable,” Wellsy said.

With the help of CFA’s Community Safety team, the brigade recently produced a flyer for residents (pictured below) that highlights the importance of CFA-dedicated water tanks and what owners can do, including maintaining good signage, clearing vegetation from around the outlet and ensuring tanks remain full.

Wye River brigade has also started mapping usable CFA-dedicated points on Google Maps for the township, as well as neighbouring Separation Creek, Kennett River and Grey River, which helps crews in pre-planning en route to a fire. The mapping also includes relevant information such as the presence of bunkers, solar panels and whether a house may contain asbestos.

We have great support from our community. We know they want to do all they can to keep the township safe from fire. They just needed to know ‘Wye?’

A total 65 adults and 11 children have proudly received official Australian citizenship at an Australian Citizenship Ceremony hosted by Moorabool Shire Council Mayor Cr Rod Ward over the weekend.

The local shire’s newest citizens had travelled from countries across the globe including Chile, India, United Kingdom, Philippines, Fiji, South Africa, Vietnam, United States, France, New Zealand, Indonesia, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Ireland, Argentina, Mauritius, Thailand, Northern Ireland, Germany, Canada, Pakistan, Kenya and Malta.

Cr Ward said Saturday’s event was a significant event in council’s calendar and was an opportunity to reflect on the privilege of Australian citizenship and what it means to be Australian.

New Australian citizens demonstrate understanding and acceptance of Australian values, dedication and commitment to Australia by becoming official citizens at ceremonies held around the country.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to give a warm welcome to our newest citizens and acknowledge the importance of what it means to become a full member of the Australian community. There is no greater privilege than our citizenship. It’s a life-long commitment to Australia’s values of freedom, democracy, equality and respect,” Cr Ward said.

Cr Ward said citizenship is the common bond uniting all Australians, whether you are a citizen by birth or by choice.

“I congratulate those becoming Australian citizens on making their commitment to Australia,” Cr Ward said.

The Morabool Shire Council welcomed Member for Eureka Michaela Settle to Darley last month to help turn the first sod of the new Aqualink activity nodes project.

The nodes will form an integral part of the Aqualink Cycling and Walking Corridor and, when completed, Aqualink will provide non-car transport from the Lerderderg River to the Bacchus Marsh train station.

The nodes include exercise equipment, picnic tables and play areas.

“This is such an important project for Bacchus Marsh, providing passive recreation and transport options for residents and visitors, and the activity nodes, where people can stop and exercise or rest, are a great feature of the corridor,” said mayor Cr Rod Ward.

“We sincerely thank the Victorian Government for its $600,000 commitment to the nodes via its Growing Suburbs Fund for this project, which has created a wonderful community asset.”

• Media Releases

A Macedon Ranges Shire Council-led pilot program is working to address one of the Macedon Ranges’ most critical issues, in better supporting mental health in primary school-aged children.

Researched and co-designed with local primary schools over a number of years, the innovative Branch Out program takes an evidence-based, preventative whole-school approach in engaging teachers, parents and students in years five and six with tailored events and resources.

The program is implemented in a number of ways:

• Through music and theatre, supported by local theatre group Sprout Creative, children are taught how to manage and respond effectively to emotions while building resilience.
• Parents and teachers are guided by mental health clinicians from Tuning in to Kids via seminars and access to online training, which is supported by the Department of Education and University of Melbourne.
• Teachers and nominated Branch Out ambassadors (parents) are trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid, helping augment the impact of the Live4Life program currently running in secondary schools across the shire.
• Resources on building mental health literacy and referral pathways for support are also distributed throughout the school communities.

The program is currently being piloted at Woodend Primary School and Kyneton Primary School until October, with the aim of extending it to all primary schools in the Macedon Ranges.

The council’s Director Community, Maria Weiss, said Branch Out was a great example of a truly collaborative initiative between Council, the community and supporting organisations all aiming to address a clear need and make a tangible difference to the lives of children.

“Childhood is an important time for development, providing the foundation for future learning, behaviour and health, so it’s important we have the right supports in place to facilitate that in a positive way,” she said.

“We also know parents may need support and guidance if their child is experiencing difficulties. The program recognises this by working collaboratively with parents and schools to help children build their confidence and resilience.”

The program’s tagline “From little things, big things can grow” takes inspiration from Paul Kelly’s song – acknowledging that the initial steps we take in supporting the mental health of children can branch out and make a huge difference.

The Branch Out pilot program is funded by Macedon Ranges Shire Council, and Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) with support from the Victorian Government.

Ministerial approval of a planning scheme amendment means more than 30 sites across the Macedon Ranges Shire will now have new heritage protection.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council says it’s pleased to announce that Amendment C127macr to the Macedon Ranges Planning Scheme has now been approved by the Minister for Planning.

The Amendment implements the Macedon Ranges Shire Heritage Study: Woodend, Lancefield, Macedon and Mount Macedon by placing a Heritage Overlay on 32 places to protect each site’s heritage significance and their importance to the history the Macedon Ranges.

The heritage study was adopted by the council on 24 April 2019, and subsequently went out for community consultation in June 2021. Following community feedback, it was submitted to the Minister for Planning for approval and gazettal.

The council’s Director Planning and Environment, Rebecca Stockfeld wished to thank everybody involved in the study and to the community for providing feedback.

“It’s been quite a process to get to this point and a lot of people have worked hard to bring this to fruition. It was encouraging to hear from owners how much they appreciate and value their heritage properties,” she said.

“To have Amendment C127macr approved is a great outcome and means that we are able to protect the significance of these places for our community now and into the future.” 

The Hepburn Shire Council will introduce a weekly kerbside collection of food organics and garden organics (FOGO) for township residents early next year in a move aimed at diverting thousands of tonnes of organic material from landfill.

Many local governments have already introduced a FOGO service, including Macedon Ranges Shire, City of Greater Bendigo, Melton City Council, Central Goldfields, Campaspe and Southern Grampians and more. As of May 2023, 234 of Australia’s 537 councils offered FOGO services.

Mayor Cr Brian Hood stressed the environmental benefits of the new kerbside service whereby organics would be treated as a valuable resource.

“Our bin audits show that around half of the contents of red-lidded landfill bins are made up of items that can go into FOGO. This includes food scraps and leftovers, meat, bones, dairy products, garden clippings, leaves and weeds,” said Cr Hood.

“The audits also show a further 12 percent of the contents of red-lidded bins should have been placed in the yellow-lidded recycling bins. By separating items carefully, it may be possible to reduce the volume of waste going to landfill by around 60 percent,” he said.

“By changing the way residents sort their waste at home, food scraps and garden clippings will be transformed into compost right here in our Shire, which will be used locally to improve gardens, soil and farmland.

“In the development of our four-year Council Plan, the community told us that sustainability and protecting the environment is the highest priority. Since then we have developed our Sustainable Hepburn strategy in partnership with the community. Introducing a FOGO collection is a key action in this strategy.”

The roll-out cost and first few months of the service will be funded by the council’s Waste Reserve Fund. Ratepayers won’t see any change to the waste charge this financial year, but costs will be incurred from 1 July 2024.

“We will have greater clarity on the actual cost of the service to households when we consider the budget next year. However, processing FOGO locally will help to minimise the cost to ratepayers,” said Cr Hood.

Cr Hood said he was confident the FOGO roll-out would be successful based on the results of the FOGO trial currently underway in Clunes since 2021.

“Due to the collective efforts of Clunes residents, more than 300 tonnes of food and organics have been diverted from landfill and processed into compost in our two in-vessel composting units at the Creswick Transfer Station,” said Cr Hood.

“Contamination is low thanks to the efforts of the Clunes community and the compost is very high quality,” he said.

With the introduction of weekly FOGO collection for townships, red-lidded (general rubbish/landfill) bins will move to fortnightly collection, with no changes to the fortnightly yellow-lidded recycling collection.

Once the service is rolled out all households will also be able to drop off food organics for free at transfer stations during the 2023/24 financial year.

Households will receive a caddy for kitchen scraps and a 120L lime green-lidded FOGO bin.

“We understand that some households may be concerned that a fortnightly general waste bin won’t be sufficient for their needs. Households will have the option to purchase additional collection services. However, most importantly, Council’s Waste Team will work on a thorough education campaign to help households to separate waste correctly and reduce the amount of general waste that goes to landfill,” said Cr Hood.

When organic matter breaks down in landfill it creates methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Composting organics emits about one-tenth of the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent compared to when it is sent to landfill.

“We have noticed a sharp increase in the cost of sending waste to landfill in recent years. A FOGO service will significantly reduce the amount of waste that our Shire sends to landfill, benefitting the environment while reducing costs in both landfill fees and overall transport costs,” said Cr Hood.

Households won’t have the option to opt-out of FOGO collection.

The initial FOGO roll out will not include kerbside FOGO bins for properties that currently receive a fortnightly red-lidded landfill collection, but Council has committed to reviewing a FOGO service for rural areas next financial year. Council has also committed to investigate options to divert soft plastics from landfill, which will greatly reduce landfill waste.

The initial roll-out will not include businesses (other than those participating in the Clunes trial). However, businesses will be able to opt-in to FOGO collection from July 2024, as they do for Council-managed general rubbish and recycling collection.

“We will be working with the community to clearly explain what can go into FOGO bins and lead them through this change well before we deliver the bins early next year,” said Cr Hood.

“Until then, households should keep using the current waste and recycling system as normal,” he said.

“Don’t forget, the Container Deposit Scheme will begin on 1 November in Victoria, which will also help to improve recycling habits, with a 10-cent refund for every eligible can, carton and bottle returned.”

Under the state government’s Recycling Victoria legislation, all local governments must implement kerbside FOGO collection by 2030. Residents wanting to find out more about the upcoming changes can visit Council’s website for more details.

Change in collection – current township versus post FOGO implementation

*Excluding Clunes FOGO trial

The Hepburn Shire Council has adopted its annual financial statements and performance statement for 2022/23 at its ordinary September meeting in recent days. 

The financial statements set out the financial performance, financial position and cash flows for the financial year ending 30 June 2023, while the performance statement includes the results of the prescribed indicators and measures developed by the Victorian Government under its performance reporting framework. The Victorian Auditors Generals Office (VAGO) has given the financial a clean audit opinion.  

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said it was clear that the council, like most local governments, is experiencing a challenging financial environment made worse by major storm events over the past two years and steeply rising costs in the economy. 

“Three significant storm events throughout the Shire have severely impacted the cash position of Council over the last two financial years,” Cr Hood said.

 “It is anticipated that a significant percentage of the recovery costs will be reimbursed through government funding, but Council is forecasting an unbudgeted $1.4 million shortfall in relief funding when the recovery works are completed.

“Most of the recovery works are on our road network and they remain our highest priority. Rate capping also continues to have a significant impact on rate revenue for small rural councils,” said Cr Hood. 

“We will need to closely monitor our financial position and performance over the coming years to ensure that Council is in a financially sustainable position.  We will complete a review of the Long-Term Financial Plan, which is scheduled to be presented to Councillors by the end of the calendar year. The long-term outlook will determine Council’s capacity to undertake major capital works. 

Council reported unrestricted cash of negative $2.6 million as of 30 June 2023, largely due to $4m in storm and flood relief funding not being received by 30 June. Like any organisation, Council needs to retain a buffer of cash holdings to safeguard against unexpected events and for discretionary spending opportunities that may arise.   

Even though financial challenges were encountered during the year Council completed the largest capital and major works program to date with expenditure of $17.4 million in 2022/23, in addition to storm recovery measures of $6.4 million.  

The financial statements include the sale of The Rex and its impact on the 2022/23 financial position. 

“The Hepburn Hub at The Rex project was a legacy project inherited from the previous Council and is under investigation by the Local Government Inspectorate due to probity concerns around the initial purchase,” said Cr Hood. 

The building in Daylesford was purchased in 2016 for $6.345 million. The current council took the decision to cease the project and sell the building in November 2021 after taking into account a number of factors. The total expenditure on the project was $9.382 million.  

As reported earlier this year, the building was sold for $3.735 million, in excess of its $3.7m independent valuation, resulting in a cash loss for the project of $5.647 million. 

The proceeds from the sale of The Rex were used to repay the $1.5 million loan associated with the purchase, and the remaining balance of $2.1 million was used to create a reserve to assist with funding Birch Ward community facilities and Council staff accommodation.  

The council received 100% of the 2023/2024 financial assistance grants from the Federal Government ($6.1 million) in June 2023, much earlier than forecast, consequently inflating Council’s financial position at 30 June 2023. The council remains heavily reliant on grant funding for capital and operating purposes, with 44% of income in 2022/23 coming from that source.  The operating result for 2022/2023 was a deficit of $2.59 million.  

“Deficits or surpluses don’t always reflect the true financial performance and cash position of the council. The 2022/2023 results include some one-off items which have had a significant impact on the operating result. An operating surplus of $5.44 million would have been achieved if the impact of storms, The Rex sale and asset write off were not required. Incurring a deficit is reasonable in the short term, but not sustainable long term,” said Cr Hood. 

Given the ongoing financial challenges, the impact of storm recovery works, sector wide challenges in recruiting staff, and frequent changes to government policies, it should be acknowledged that a power of work has been completed during the past twelve months. 

Chief Executive Officer Bradley Thomas thanked councillors and the community for their contributions during the 12 months and acknowledged the significant effort by the council’s workforce. Greater details on operational performance during 2022/23 will be provided in the annual report to be considered by the council at the October council meeting.  

“The last 12 months have been some of the hardest for staff, however I’m very proud of the projects we have been able to deliver to completion or substantially progress, and improvements we have made across capital works delivery, community engagement, customer service and service delivery,” said Cr Hood.

Victoria’s minister for mental health Gabrielle Williams has announced close to $12 million to upskill
the state’s mental health workforce and support community-led services.
The Mental Health Workforce Capability Projects for Diverse Communities initiative will establish a two-year partnership with National Disability Services, cohealth, Rainbow Health Australia and other mental health and wellbeing providers to help the workforce deliver more welcoming and inclusive services.
Aiming to increase the skills, knowledge and confidence of mental health practitioners, the partnership will see these organisations either co-design new education programs and resources or utilise existing programs to ensure the broader workforce is equipped to care for diverse communities.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas: “This is another important step on the road to implementing the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. I encourage our community-run organisations to apply so we can deliver new projects that will improve mental health outcomes for diverse groups in Macedon”
Existing programs include Rainbow Health’s Rainbow Tick – a world-first framework helping health organisations support the LGBTIQA+ community, with a tick awarded to signal they are a safe, inclusive and affirming service.
Continued investment to upskill and broaden the abilities of the mental health workforce also continues with the next round of the Labor Government’s Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants now open.

The state government says it’s continuing its reform of Victoria’s mental health system, investing
more than $6 billion since the Royal Commission in Victoria’s Mental Health System handed down its report – work is underway on 90 per cent of its recommendations.
Applications for the second round of the Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing
Grants close Wednesday, 1 November. To apply, please visit: health.vic.gov.au/diverse-
communities-grants-program.

Part of a total $9.6 million investment over four years, the $4.4 million in grants will provide funding for community-run organisations to develop and deliver new projects that will improve mental health outcomes for diverse groups.
To be successful, grant applicants will need to showcase that their idea engages with one of four areas:

• The mental health system and services – building their capability in servicing diverse
  communities
• Communities and people, especially hard to reach groups – increasing their access to
  support
• Government’s reforms and transformation of the system – strengthening diversity,
  equity and inclusion
• Non-health settings – benefiting diverse communities in those places e.g., workplaces,
  custodial settings
  
  

Reincarnation – hardly… But it is the story of revival of a long-discarded orchid. Some 11 years ago,
we inherited several pot-bound cymbidium orchids. At that time, still busily re- establishing our newly acquired garden, I merely removed the dead growth and buried them in “the mosh pit” – a raised compost and peat moss etc-filled bed, under a shady, old rhododendron – destined to be our fernery.
Over the years, nothing was to be seen of them, except for the occasional peek of a puny leaf or two, but never a sign of actual growth or flowers. That is, until several months ago, when we discovered among the clump of leaves, the beautiful display of blooms, pictured above. Among the multitudinous forms and species of orchids, including countless ones of our own, the cymbidium tribe stands out as an all-rounder for those of us greenhouse-less non-fanatics. Especially the terrestrial, down-to-earth varieties which will survive in any shaded garden position or as a porch plant with plenty of light, but not in direct sunlight.
The cymbidiums are one of nature’s hardiest. Their ancestors, coming as they do, from about 1200 metres up the mountains of Northern India. They require a slightly acid, potting medium but won’t tolerate soil or dirt, preferring a free-draining mixture of compost, consisting of such things as well-rotted sawdust, peat moss, rice hulls and wood chips mixed with sand. Feed them fortnightly, with light dressings of complete fertiliser, especially when they are producing flowers.
I’ve often been asked, always by (as yet) non-orchid enthusiasts, what is it that makes orchids the most satisfying of all plants to grow. I always find this difficult to answer but all I know is once they have grown a plant or two, most people seem to become hooked and under their spell.
It seems that once the taste is acquired, few growers are content with just a handful of plants, or to be restricted to one or two types. And that’ll always lead into the varieties that require a small glasshouse, and ultimately a heated one. But that’s a story for another day.
I’m content for now with our rescued cymbidium in the mosh pit.
Your indoor plants
Now that the weather is warming and the days growing longer, your plants should be coming out of their dormancy and interesting things are happening.
Philodendrons should be growing rapidly, monsteras uncurling their new leaves, and all the smaller-growing coloured plants beginning to come out of hibernation and really enjoying life. I’m sure you would have done your best for them all over winter and now comes your reward, when your indoor garden is becoming a thing of beauty again.
To their usual requirements of careful watering, sufficient light, warmth and protection from draughts and sudden changes of temperature should be added, feeding. Because your plants are captive in their container, their roots can neither go searching for extra sustenance if the supply is poor (or even non-existent), or escape the burns of over-diligent supply, even worse, an all too potent brew. I find the pellet form of all-purpose plant foods best. They are clean and non- smelling (a good trait for indoors), and slow acting, meaning that if you are too enthusiastic with the dosage, overfeeding is nigh on impossible and the plants will benefit for a considerable amount of time. Never feed a plant when it is dormant, wait until there are definite signs of new leaves and growth.
Next edition – battling El Nino. Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

Hey there. I’m Bonnie. By name and by nature. I am a three-and-a-half-year-old, tan bloodhound- Rhodesian ridgeback crossbreed girl.

I have a sweet temperament and I absolutely love to play and run around to burn some energy. I would love to find a home that will give me plenty of attention, as well as physical and mental stimulation. I have lived before with both cats and dogs. I require secure fencing and ongoing training.

I also need a bit of a special diet consisting of soaked dry food, and to be fed high off the ground to avoid health issues, especially bloat. I would make a super best friend for someone caring. So, if that might be you then come on out and meet me at the MAAW shelter in Castlemaine. Ph: 54725277. Microchip no. 900079000162863. Adoption fee $420.