Dear All,
This message via Alan Gillanders’ brother:
After the worst of the wind had passed Alan and Maria moved from their hidey hole under the dining room table wedged in the laundry between the washing machine and the shelves back to their own bed for some sleep. This morning Alan reports a small roof leak, but apart from that OK. They are now implementing their survival plan, getting the camp fridge going, etc.
Thank you for your greetings. I will pass them on to Alan and Maria in due course. Based on what I heard on ABC radio this morning the period they are without power could be somewhere between 3-5 days and a similar number of weeks. Only time and Electricity supplier investigation will tell.
We await with anticipation the recovery phase and then we can start planning to go north and see that wonderful avifauna and put some business back into their community.
Cheers
Greg Hunt
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Finally tracked down the press release on this – our taxes being spent to promote hunting!
Creation of Game Victoria signals new era
Wednesday, 28 December 2011 From the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security< http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/from-the-minister-for-agriculture-and-food-security.html> , Implemented policies< http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/component/labels/implemented-policies.html>
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh has signalled a new era for game management in Victoria by today announcing the creation of Game Victoria within the Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
Mr Walsh said the creation of Game Victoria delivered on the Coalition Government’s election commitment to give Victoria’s game hunting community a stronger voice and better enable the promotion and growth of the game sector.
“Victoria has world-class game hunting opportunities and is the envy of game hunters across Australia,” Mr Walsh said.
“The Victorian Coalition Government encourages people to make the most of the opportunities to hunt and fish and enjoy recreational activities that form part of our heritage.
“More than 40,000 Victorians are licensed to hunt game, an increase of 30 per cent since 1996. That number is likely to keep growing as game populations and their habitats recover from years of drought.”
Under the changes, the responsibility for delivering game management services has been moved from the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE).
Game Victoria will operate in a similar way to the successful Fisheries Victoria model in supporting the development of recreational fishing.
Mr Walsh said Game Victoria would focus on working with the peak game groups to:
– promote game hunting as a popular recreational activity, an important traditional pastime and generator of jobs, – develop improved hunting opportunities, – develop new opportunities for game guides and similar businesses, – support conservation projects, including habitat rehabilitation and invest in game species research, – improve education and advisory programs for hunters, and – develop a longer term strategy for sustainable game management and improved compliance.
Mr Walsh said the Victorian Coalition Government recognised the enormous support game hunting provides to local economies in regional Victoria.
“The activity generates more than $70 million each year and supports jobs in hospitality, the supply of vehicles, boats, firearms and ammunition, plus camping and hunting equipment,” Mr Walsh said.
“The hunting community also works tirelessly to restore and improve habitats and control pest animals across the state.”
Other changes announced today include the creation of a new standing council on hunting and game to provide advice to the Minister, particularly on the development of a Victorian Game Hunting and Management Strategy.
Game Victoria will call for nominations for the council in February next year.
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And the even better news is that they are spending our taxes on creating an agency to boost the number of hunters!
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Bastards !!! Should shoot the pollies who put this through.
Tony