Agriculture Victoria has reduced the size of the control area around Meredith that was put in place for the current H7 avian influenza outbreak.

Two more properties in the Meredith area had their quarantine status lifted on 12 November while four properties had remaine under the last stages of quarantine.

However, from Tuesday 19 November, the Meredith control area was significantly reduced in the north and east and trimmed in the south to remove all the town of Bannockburn.

Properties that remain in the Meredith control area still require permits for moving birds, poultry products and equipment.

Permits are not required for vehicles transporting poultry feed in the Meredith control area as long as they meet biosecurity requirements.

Eight properties were confirmed to have a high pathogenicity H7N3 and H7N9 strains of avian influenza earlier this year.

No new avian influenza cases have been detected since 24 June 2024.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke said that Agriculture Victoria takes a risk-based approach to establishing and managing control areas and is prepared to move quickly when a lower risk is identified and properties come out of quarantine.

‘Sentinel birds or long fallow periods are being used on the impacted properties as a process of ensuring the farms can safely resume commercial operations.

‘We anticipate that all infected properties will be resolved by the end of this year, which is a significant step towards proof of freedom from avian influenza,’ Dr Cooke said.

If you are a poultry farmer, backyard flock owner or bird owner, report any unexplained bird deaths to the Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) Hotline on 1800 675 888. Your cooperation is crucial in protecting the health of all birds in the area.

Resources and contact details for industry and individual support are available in our resource directory.

More information, including movement permits, maps, and compensation details is available online at agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianinfluenza.

Local households and businesses are being urged to prepare for possible power outages in extreme conditions this summer with the Bureau of Meteorology anticipating “warmer than average days and nights” ahead.

Summer is traditionally a season that brings extreme weather events, such as high heat, strong winds
and lightning, which can damage the power network and lead to localised power outages.

CitiPower and Powercor Head of Customer Experience Adam Nason said now was the time for
everyone to plan ahead and know how to prepare for potential power outages.

“Our specialist teams work year-round to make sure our network is prepared for extreme summer
months and are ready to respond safely and quickly if the power does go out,” Mr Nason said.

“We are also asking everyone to act too by making preparing for power outages part of their
emergency plan.”

This year, CitiPower and Powercor has established an in-house drone inspection team to inspect the
tops of power poles in the most high-risk bushfire areas, adding an extra layer of protection on top of
an already-comprehensive asset inspection and maintenance program.

Powercor’s team of CASA-qualified drone pilots help conduct additional inspections in high risk areas.
This work is over and above the broader program that involves inspecting and maintaining more than
77,000 kilometres of powerlines, 602,000 power poles and other infrastructure on a rolling cycle of at
least 2.5 years.

“We are always looking at ways to build on how we keep our network safe and reliable, and we are
already seeing major benefits from introducing drone technology to complement our inspection programs,” Mr Nason said.

“Our team of drone pilots have been flying small quadcopter drones above our network, capturing
valuable data and images of assets such as cross-arms, pole tops and insulators.

“This means we can pick up issues that may arise in-between our usual inspection cycles. For
example, we have found and removed some bird nests on high voltage insulators this year that may
have otherwise led to an outage occurring.”

Other activities Powercor has conducted to prepare for summer include:

• Using LiDAR technology mounted on helicopters to inspect vegetation across our network.
  With an expanded helicopter fleet we completed our full year inspection program ahead of
  time in June, with additional pre-summer inspections completed in July in our highest fire risk
  areas.
• Cut trees away from more than 55,000 powerline spans (the line between two power poles) in
  the CitiPower and Powercor networks – an increase of 27% on last year.
• Rolling out new fault indication technology across the southwest coast, Ballarat and Bendigo
  regions in areas protected by bushfire safety devices known as REFCLs. These allow our
  teams to quickly find faults and restore power to more customers faster.
• Installed 60 additional remote switches to allow more of the network to automatically restore
  power if a fault occurs.

The City of Ballarat is working with the Bridge Mall Business Association and traders to celebrate the first Black Friday sales and Christmas season in the city’s newly revamped Bridge Mall.

The Bridge Mall Business Association is launching The Bridge is Back campaign in the lead up to Christmas.

Bridge Mall traders aim to keep the spirit of Christmas alive with an exciting range of festive events, promotions, a Christmas market, entertainment, activities and Santa visits in the lead up to Christmas, as well as getting a jump on Black Friday with a four-day sales extravaganza – that started yesterday Thursday 28 November.

With the Grenville Street roadworks recently completed and the mall for now remaining pedestrian-only, shoppers can park nearby and explore the revitalised shopping and dining destination on foot.

Upcoming highlights include:

Black Friday sales – Thursday 28 November to Cyber Monday 2 December

• Save with exclusive VIP sales at multiple stores on Thursday.
• Spend more than $30 in any store for your chance to win one of two $500 gift vouchers.

Christmas festivities – from Saturday 7 December

• Santa arrives at the Christmas Bridge Market on Saturday 7 December, from 9am to 1pm. Santa’s Workshop will be located in the new event area opposite Best and Less, alongside Wen and Ware.
• Pet photos with Santa on Sunday 8, Sunday 15 and Sunday 22 December, from 10am to 3pm, in the new event area.
• Secret Santa giveaway on Saturday 14 December with kids’ entertainment, face painting, gingerbread decorating, James the fire truck and jumping castle in the new event area. Spend $30 or more and with your receipt spin the wheel to win a gift voucher from participating stores at The Bridge – with more than $5,000 in vouchers to win! The Spin to Win wheel will be hosted by Lara from Power FM and starts at 10am and runs until 3pm – or until all prizes are won.  
• The Bridge Christmas Festival Community Event on Saturday 21 December featuring Ballarat Memorial Concert Band performing Christmas carols, roving performers, face painting, gingerbread decorating, James the fire truck, jumping castle, and Santa makes a special appearance for the day.
• Explore the Christmas Art Trail, part of the City of Ballarat’s annual Christmas decorations, which features five locations including two in the mall.
• Enjoy the 12 Days of Christmas performances exclusive to the Bridge Mall, including an interactive session with the Ballarat Wildlife Park, a magician, a spectacular fire-twirling performance, dancers and singers.
• Large Christmas star decorations will light up the entrance into the mall, at the heritage Nicholson Light at the Grenville and Sturt Streets intersection.
• Visit the large crystal star decoration installed near Foundry Way in the mall.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves encouraged the wider community to get behind their favourite businesses and explore the new-look mall this Christmas.

“Shopping locally is one of the best ways to give back to our community,” she said.

“The redeveloped Bridge Mall promises a shopping experience like no other – where every purchase helps build a stronger, more vibrant community.

“Every dollar spent at the Bridge Mall – and right across our retail and hospitality sector – helps sustain our local businesses, supports local jobs and enhances the Christmas spirit of our city.”

Bridge Mall Business Association President Wendy McLachlan said traders are excited about their first Christmas season in the revamped mall.  

“We have an amazing entrance to The Bridge, with pedestrian access from both sides of Sturt Street connecting The Bridge to the CBD,” she said.  

“The stores are fully stocked with new season’s fashions, footwear, kids wear, great homewares and gifts for Christmas, and with over 1200 car parks, it makes Christmas shopping easy.  

“With new and existing food and coffee offers you will be able to re-charge while Christmas shopping in our beautiful new space all while supporting local small business.”

Bridge Mall Redevelopment update

The complex works to replace the 153-year-old bridge are progressing but have proved more challenging than anticipated, with the full extent of the structural issues unable to be fully identified until reconstruction works began.

The timeframe for completion will depend on the ground conditions for piling and bridge slab installations to ensure pedestrian and motorists’ safety, as well as a certified load rating for the bridge to meet modern standards.  

Vehicles will only be able to utilise the mall space once the bridge and associated road works are completed.  

The City of Ballarat is working with contractor 2Construct, the Bridge Mall Business Association and all traders to minimise the impact of bridge rectification works as much as possible. However, as with any major development, there will be unavoidable impacts to businesses and community while construction occurs.    

The Bridge Mall redevelopment now features a landscaped entry into the mall, trees and plants creating garden beds throughout the space, a dynamic new play space as well as plenty of new seating and gathering spaces.  

Fully-funded by the City of Ballarat, the redevelopment has already led to significant new investment in the Bridge Mall.

This story based on a City of Ballarat media release. Image: Supplied

The Fire Danger Period officially started in both the Hepburn Shire and Macedon Ranges Shire areas this Monday.

The CFA declared the Fire Danger Period for both local municipalities became effective from 1am this Monday, November 25 and is scheduled to end on May 1 2025, unless otherwise advised.

This means no fires can be lit in the open air without a permit during this period.

In its long-range forecast for December to February shows, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast
an increased chance of warmer than average days and nights across most of Australia and that
above average rainfall is likely for large parts of eastern Australia.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s CEO, Bernie O’Sullivan, said several shire-wide fire prevention initiatives were already well progressed to cut grass along council-managed roadsides, keep trees clear from powerlines and reduce fuel loads on private properties.

“We know fire does not discriminate and so it is important for us to complete annual programs we’re
responsible for, while working closely with the community to collectively reduce the shire’s fire risk,”
he said.

“I encourage residents to either review their existing fire plan or take the time to create one, drawing
from the range of useful resources available online through trusted authorities such as the CFA.”

Annual fire prevention activities in council-managed areas to date have included:

• a roadside grass slashing program on Council-managed roads, with contractors starting in the
  north of the shire and working their way south to provide initial coverage of the shire (the
  Department of Transport and Planning undertakes its own program to maintain state-managed
  roadsides)
• an electric line vegetation clearance program within declared areas of Gisborne and Kyneton,
  to keep trees a safe distance away from powerlines (Powercor is responsible for pruning
  vegetation within the shire outside of Gisborne and Kyneton, with Jemena responsible for
  Gisborne South)
• inspections of private properties, checking for fire hazards such as unmaintained long grass,
  excessive woodpiles or other debris.
  One standard trailer-load of residential green waste can be disposed of for free at Council’s resource
  recovery facilities in Kyneton, Romsey and Woodend, via a redeemable voucher in the Winter 2024
  edition of Council’s ShireLife newsletter publication delivered to mailboxes locally.
  For more information on:
• preparing for fire and heat – visit mrsc.vic.gov.au/fire-heat
• Fire Danger Ratings and the Fire Danger Period – visit cfa.vic.gov.au
• applying for a permit – visit firepermits.vic.gov.au
• the latest information on current incidents and alerts – visit emergency.vic.gov.au
• Council’s resource recovery facilities, inc. green waste voucher – visit mrsc.vic.gov.au/RRF

Local artist, Joel Hammonds has completed the latest eye-catching mural in Ballarat’s public art collection.  

The striking black, pink, purple and blue mural can be seen at the Annexe Wall in Alfred Deakin Place, right near the Ballarat Art Gallery.  

The mural is a nod to Ballarat’s live music scene, as well as the acclaimed Medieval to Metal exhibition currently on show at the Ballarat Art Gallery. 

The mural includes reference to:

• Stickers from Ballarat’s live music venues on Joel’s own guitar
• The guitar player from Crossroads Music  
• Brick backgrounds from the live music venue Volta  
• Poster pillar on Armstrong Street South that is used to promote upcoming shows
• Civic Hall signage  
• Young local artist, Otrera

In creating the mural, Joel wanted to show snapshots of locations and artists making the music they love, in the city they live in. He scattered in references to his own personal connection to music and Ballarat.  

Local artist, Joel Hammonds said it was fantastic to paint a mural that combines his two loves, art and music.  

“The inspiration for the colours of my mural came from lighting in smaller live music venues across Ballarat, and the live music shots all come from my own band”, he said.  

“My goal for this piece is to create a collection of visual cues that can take the viewer back to a moment where music has etched itself into their lives – great nights out, celebrations, shared experiences that create lifelong connections.

“I want people to notice something new every time they walk past, building on the connection and the experience.”

Newly elected City of Ballarat mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves said public art reflects an artist’s view of the world and is a great way to ensure the public can enjoy art for free.  

“There are more than 120 pieces of public art placed throughout our city and surrounds to enjoy. The Art Gallery Annexe Wall is a great public art asset that constantly evolves,” she said.  

“The latest instalment at the Annexe Wall is an inspiring nod to Ballarat’s live music scene and to the acclaimed Medieval to Metal exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.” 

Story and Image: Supplied

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has elected its new mayor and deputy mayor.

The shire’s South Ward councillor, Dominic Bonanno has been elected as mayor for the first year of the new four-year council term.

And West Ward’s Cr Kate Kendall has been elected as deputy mayor, also for a one-year term.

A second term councillor, Mayor Bonanno said: “I thank my fellow Councillors for putting their trust in me. I am looking forward to working with the councillor team, our executive leadership and staff. Let’s continue to make Macedon Ranges a great place live, work and play.”

“I will bring continuity and stability for the councillor group, our organisation and community. I’ll keep building relationships and supporting innovation and continuous improvement to grow our effectiveness and efficiency.”

It was a fire in a baker’s shop in November 1854 that first spurred on the locals of Castlemaine to form a volunteer fire brigade. 

From that public meeting in a town hall 170 years ago, Castlemaine Fire Brigade is now a mainstay of the community, a strong cohort of members who still come together to protect their beloved town and its surrounds.  

The Castlemaine Voluntary Fire Brigade was one of the very first volunteer fire brigades established in the state. These days, the brigade has 52 members and attends about 150 callouts per year.  

Brigade captain Terry Franklin has been at the helm of the Castlemaine crew for 13 years, and said he is proud of the brigade’s contributions over the years.  

“One of the main reasons that the brigade is so important to the community of Castlemaine is that we’re there for people when they need us no matter what,” Terry said. 

“Whether it’s a fire at their home, or their cat or bird is stuck up a tree, we’re the people they call and they know us because we’re from the community too.  

“We love to be of service not just to Castlemaine, but the surrounding communities as well. It’s something we just do, and we don’t necessarily take time to reflect on it – we’re just there for people when they need us because they need us.”  

“We’ve always made sure that we’ve created an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome, and that’s the way it should be at a brigade. It’s for everyone and our doors are open, so welcome – come on in.”  

Often brigades have a particular fire or incident that defines their history, and for Castlemaine this took place on 17 November 1981 when an intense blaze took hold at the Castlemaine Woollen Mills and required the work of 150 firefighters from 12 local brigades to control it.

The fire caused large economic damage to the town, and many reflect on this fire as ‘the big one’.  

In more recent times, brigades have formed strike teams travelling across Victoria and interstate, as well as fighting significant fires and attending large-scale incidents closer to home. 

As well as their recent 170-year anniversary celebration, held over the weekend of November 16-17, the brigade also held an awards dinner where multiple members were honoured for their service, including ex-Captain William ‘Bill’ Chapman, who was presented a 70 year CFA Life Membership Medal.

Member Brian Tresidder was also awarded Life Membership with the brigade in recognition of his service, with a number of members also receiving service awards ranging from five to 55 years.

On Sunday 17 November, the brigade opened its doors to the local community for an Open Day to celebrate the milestone, with family activities and safety advice ahead of the fire season.

Looking forward, Terry is hopeful for the next generation and beyond of the brigade.  

“I hope we stay strong, and we continue to serve the community as we have done for the past 170 years. We have a lot of new members and I look forward to seeing them continue to keep our service to the community alive and well long into the future.”  

Words & Image: Supplied by the CFA

Coming up at the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre, Hepburn Energy are doing a presentation on electrification of the home and covering energy efficiency options for households, businesses and community facilities.

Part of the ABC of Rural Living workshop series, the Electrify Everything takes place from 2pm-3.30pm this Saturday 30 November 30.

The session aims to cover the basics of going electric and the different energy efficiency options available.

Hepburn Energy is a local energy co-operative that’s owned by almost 2000 community members. They have been operating since 2011 and have delivered numerous community bulk buys and energy efficiency programs as well as managing the two turbines at Leonards Hill ‘Gale’ and ‘Gusto’.

The cooperative supports the Shire wide goal of zero-net emissions by 2030 – Hepburn Z-NET and has a long history of supporting Trentham community facilities to go solar and have battery storage, including owning and operating the public electric vehicle charger at the Mechanics Trentham.

This Saturday’s session will be of interest to anyone wanting to make their home or business more sustainable, and save money on energy costs.

The cost of the session has been kept low – $10 pr person – thanks to some sponsorship from the Hepburn Shire Council Community Grant Program.

Those keen to attend can register now at https://ow.ly/6viv50TGpLV.

Victoria Police is urging bystanders to not ignore the signs of family violence and call out the unacceptable behaviours and attitudes that contribute to the crime.

Every bystander has a powerful role to play in deterring, preventing and reducing the harm caused by family violence.

Whether it’s seeing behaviour that’s violent, noticing signs of abuse or witnessing a heated argument – bystanders have critical information, which can help police to prevent further family violence harm.

Bystanders are vital in influencing the outcome of the situation by making a report to police or intervening only if it’s safe to do so.

Crime Statistics Agency figures show police responded to almost 99,000 family violence incidents in the last year. That works out to one family violence incident every five minutes in Victoria.

Family Violence Command Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway said it’s never too late for bystanders to act and come forward to police.

“Bystanders are one of the most common groups to witness family violence – they can be neighbours, friends or colleagues.

“Bystanders can see family violence happening in public places too such as on the transport network or in shopping centres, bars or clubs.

“Many acts of family violence happen right in front of us – so we need bystanders to please not ignore it, don’t look the other way, and don’t make excuses for it.

“If bystanders witness family violence and it’s safe to do so, they can intervene by starting a conversation and asking the victim if they’re OK or by using an excuse to get the victim away from the situation safely.

“This will create separation between both parties and offers a safe space for victims to stay until police arrive.

“Any intervention by a bystander can make a huge difference and signals to perpetrators their behaviour is unacceptable – in-turn helping to prevent escalating abuse.

“If the situation is too dangerous however, please call police immediately. We respond to family violence as a priority and will always play our part in keeping victim-survivors safe and holding perpetrators to account.”

The call for action comes as police last Friday stood in solidary with victim-survivors and community members in the Walk Against Family Violence.

The walk – held annually – is part of an effort to reduce and combat all violence against women and children.

It marked the start of the internationally-recognised 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.

Family Violence Command Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway said Victoria Police is proud to support the 16 Days of Activism by joining last Friday’s walk in Melbourne’s CBD, and a number of events across the state.

“We’re walking with victim survivors, organisations and community members to raise awareness about family violence and help prevent the crime from occurring.

“Our participation is important in reinforcing to Victorians that family violence is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“It also gives us an opportunity to stand with many people who may be suffering in silence.”

Plice say that if someone discloses they are a victim of family violence they should be believed and encouraged to contact police or a support service.

Support is available 24 hours a day through Safe Steps by calling 1800 015 188 or emailing safesteps@safesteps.org.au

In an emergency call Triple Zero (000). If you can’t get to a phone, ask someone else to do it for you, police advise.

For more information on what Victoria Police is doing to protect victim-survivors of family violence visit police.vic.gov.au/family-violence.

This year’s Ballarat Cup is just around the corner with 4000-5000 people expected to head to the Ballarat Turf Club for the popular annual feature meeting on Saturday, December 7.

For those planning to make a day of it, free buses will be running with frequent departures from the Ballarat Station making several stops along en route to the Kennedy’s Road racecourse.

The first loop of buses will begin at 10:30am on Cup Day, and the service will continue until 12pm with no reservations required.

BTC business development manager Leigh Brady says a number of packages have already sold out but there are still plenty available, while many racegoers are expected to simply buy tickets on the day.

He says the Turf Club has been working to make the day more family-friendly with plenty of free kids activities on offer and a parents’ retreat as well.

This year’s Sportsbet Ballarat Cup will be a cashless event with all BTC bars exclusively accepting cashless payments for food and beverages, and BTC also be increasing tap-and-go facilities throughout the venue.

However racegers are also being advised to remember to bring some cash along as well with other pop-up bars, food vendors, and bookmakers on-site continuing to accept cash on the day.

The BTC says the cashless policy applies specifically to the Sportsbet Ballarat Cup and all other race days will still be accepting cash payments.

A woman killed in an ATV rollover accident on a Ullina property on Saturday was a top marketing executive who worked for companies including Medibank and Coles it has been revealed following the weekend tragedy.

Lisa Ronson, 52, was riding the vehicle on the property near the Clunes-Daylesford Road at Ullina, between Clunes and Smeaton, at about 7pm on Saturday, November 23 when the accident happened

A Victoria police spokesperson said emergency services had been called to the property but sadly Ms Ronson was unable to be revived.

Worksafe is investigating the incident and police are preparing a coroner’s report.

Ms Ronson was the chief marketing officer at Medibank having joining the company in July.

She had previously worked for Tourism Australia, Coles, Telstra, Westpac, David Jones and Visa and was also a board member for Wheelchair Rugby Australia.

Police are keen to hear from witnesses following an alleged ramming incident in the Ballarat suburb of Alfredon over the weekend.

A driver of a car that police believe to have been displaying fake registration plates, allegedly rammed a police vehicle in Alfredton in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A car, which police believe to be the same vehicle, was later found alight near Lake Burrumbeet.

Ballarat police reported that officers had approached a suspicious vehicle which was described as a Renault Koleos, in Endeavour Way Alfredton at around 4am on Saturday November 23.

It is alleged that the driver had then reversed the car into a police vehicle and had driven through a garden bed and water meter.

Around two hours and 40 minutes later, Fire Rescue Victoria had located a Renault Koleos, believed to be the same one, engulfed in flames on the northern foreshore of Lake Burrumbeet.

The flames had posed a risk of fire spreading to vegetation in the near vicinity.

Ballarat Crime Investigation Unit detectives were seeking further information about the car and the driver.

Anyone with possible information relating to the incident was being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or submit an anonymous online report via the Crime Stoppers website.

Hepburn Shire’s Councillor Don Henderson has been elected mayor with Councillor Lesley Hewitt elected as deputy mayor for the first year of the new four-year council term.

Cr Henderson said he was extremely proud to lead and have the support of the new councillor group.

“It is an honour to take on this role and I feel privileged to represent the community of Hepburn Shire,” Cr Henderson said.

Cr Henderson has been on council since 2008. He has worked as a self-employed construction contractor and safety and industrial relations consultant.

He has been advisor to the Australian Workers Union and the Victorian Building Industry Board and president of the Ballarat Trades and Labour Council.

The new Hepburn Shire mayor has also held a role with the inaugural steering committee of National Women in Construction, was the secretary of the Building Workers Industrial Union and has served as a board member and director on company and industry boards and the Homeless Building Trust.

Cr Henderson was born and raised on the Creswick goldfields and has also served as mayor from 2013 to 2014 and again in 2018 to 2019, and deputy mayor from 2012 to 2013.

Councillor Lesley Hewitt, elected as deputy mayor, also for a one-year term, is a retired social worker who has worked in sexual assault and child protection front line services and policy development.

Cr Hewitt was Hepburn Shire Council mayor from 2020 to 2021 and deputy mayor from November 2022 to November 2023.

“I look forward to supporting Councillor Don Henderson in the mayoral role and continuing to support the community in our new unsubdivided council structure,” Cr Hewitt said,

Hepburn Shire CEO Bradley Thomas said he was pleased to have an experienced team leading the first year of the new council term.

“Cr Don Henderson and Cr Lesley Hewitt bring experience and leadership to the roles and I look forward to working closely with them as we move forward with some key projects, including the development of an updated community vision and council plan,” Mr Thomas said.

“I would like to acknowledge Cr Brian Hood for his work and dedication as mayor over the last two years of the previous council term.”

A world-first soft robotic ‘hand’, developed by researchers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, could revolutionise the delicate, labour-intensive process of cultivating baby corals in laboratories, offering a groundbreaking approach to coral restoration efforts.  

The robotic hand, or gripper, was designed to be attached to a coral farming robot called Coral Husbandry Automated Raceway Machine (CHARM).   

CHARM and the Beyond Coral Foundation aim to deploy this technology in aquariums and coral farms worldwide, enabling the large-scale production of coral to restore reefs.  

A close collaboration between CSIRO and CHARM, the project is part of CSIRO’s Kick-Start program, which offers dollar-matched funding and access to research expertise to Australian start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  

Dr Josh Pinskier, CSIRO Soft Robotics Scientist in CSIRO’s Data61, said the project aims to partially automate the time-consuming process of coral propagation.  

“Cultivating hundreds or thousands of baby coral colonies in the lab demands significant effort and precise handing,” Dr Pinskier said.   

“Each coral must be carefully transferred between tanks to maintain ideal growing conditions, a process currently managed entirely by hand.  

“This gripper replicates the dexterity of a human hand, allowing it to handle delicate coral tissue without damaging them, while being strong enough to lift various sizes. 

“By automating this process, we can contribute to broader global efforts to scale coral farming and help restore the world’s reefs.”   

The grippers were designed using CSIRO’s AI-powered generative design algorithms, which identified the optimal structures to safely and effectively handle delicate coral.   

Sarah Baldwin, a Mechatronics Engineer who conducted this research while at CSIRO, said the gripper design was innovative due to traditional robotics’ unsuitability in corrosive saltwater. 

“To overcome corrosion, we 3D printed the gripper from hard polymer and soft rubber, with only a few screws and bolts,” Ms Baldwin said.  

Stephen Rodan, inventor of CHARM and President of Beyond Coral Foundation, emphasised the groundbreaking nature of the project. 

“This is the first time in history that a robot apparatus ever picked up a coral and transferred it safely between tanks using a soft robotic gripper of this kind,” Mr Rodan said. 

The gripper is just one of several attachments CHARM can support, alongside tools such as a soft brush for removing algae, further streamlining coral farming operations.  

Mr Rodan said the partnership with CSIRO provided the specialised engineering capability needed to advance Beyond Coral Foundation’s reef restoration efforts.  

“The next challenge is placing the corals back in their natural habitat, and a well-designed gripper could facilitate the transition from growth to deployment,” Mr Rodan said.   

CHARM retains the intellectual property of the project.  

Find out more about this initiative and CHARM.

Story & Image: Supplied by CSIRO

Jet ski hoon behaviour will be targeted as part of a wider operation with the projection of increased boating activity this summer, Victoria Police say.

The timely warning to abide by the rules on the water this summer comes as three men were arrested in recent days after a jet ski was ridden dangerously close to swimmers at coastal Half Moon Bay.

Police from the Public Order Response Team (PORT) and Moorabbin Police were patrolling at about 3pm on Saturday November 16 when they saw a jet ski being ridden close to swimmers.

Police allege the rider was speeding in a no boating zone, narrowly missing multiple people in the water.

Three men were later arrested at a nearby boat ramp where it’s alleged one of the men assaulted a police officer.

A 21-year-old man from Craigieburn was expected to be charged on summons with conduct endangering life.

A 24-year-old man from Hadfield was expected to be charged on summons with assaulting police.

A 22-year-old man from Fawkner was expected to be charged on summons with hindering police.

The Marine Investigation Unit was also investigating allegations of linked offending from earlier on the same day.

Anyone with information, video footage, or who saw the alleged offending was urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.