West Gippsland Week

Avian flu is widespread in Asia, but not so in Australia. But as the virus in endemic in wild bird populations it is a constant threat to domestic birds, and with the growth in people having chickens it is something that non-commercial flock owners need to be aware of. In this discussion Chief Vet for Agriculture Victoria Graeme Cook explains the danger and how to minimise it.

Matt Runnalls CEO of Mindful Australia, is the Baw Baw Shire Australia Day Ambassador. This is the speech he gave at the Awards / Citizenship Ceremony. In it he gives a moving background to his recovery from depression and suicide and the lessons he has learnt to improve his life and help others. 

We have introduced this massive offshore wind power project, a first in Australia. Although there have been offshore wind projects in Europe for many years, there are several different things here in Australia, not least the regulatory envirnment. We talk again the Erin Coldham, Development Manager, to catch up with the newest steps.

It seems that there has been something of an explosion in some insect populations, so we asked Dr David Yeats of the CSIRO Australian National Insect Collection to fill us in on what might be going on, and wondered if this fitted with the stories of world-wide insect decline.

In some parts of Europe waste has been used to create energy but it has not been applied in Australia. Here we discuss a proposal from Opal Paper Mills in Maryvale, Latrobe Valley, Victoria. What are the benefits, is it overall environmentally positive?

Old mattresses are clogging up our waste stream in both quantity and difficulty in handling. Here we discuss a proposed scheme to find ways to deal with what has been an almost impossible problem till now.

Tripple P is a website that has information that can help all parents worried about parenting which (according to a recent survey) is a substantial majority! Here Carol Markie-Dadds introduces us to some pactical ideas and what the website is designed to provide.

Donkeys are one of many domesticated animals that are in danger of extingtion, especially in Spain. Here Dr Jarrod McKenna walks us through the use of IVF in helping to save the species, and why it is different to human IVF.

There was much hype toward the end of 2022 about some long awaited success in producing Fusion energy (as opposed to Fission!). Dr Jarrod McKenna helps up undersatnd the basics, why this is an important breakthrough, and why the promised infinite energy source is still "10 years away"...

Milly Formby is a young woman who has become so engaged with our shorebirds and their incredible migration, and their imminent existential threats, that she has devised a unique way to highlight their story - flying an ultra light aircraft around the country, dropping in on schools and other places where she can share the journey. Her website can be found here.