It will be the first opportunity for the public to tour the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s hatchery, 20 minutes south of Shepparton on the banks of the Goulburn River.
The day will feature free learn-to-fish clinics for kids, with rods and tackle provided by Fishcare Victoria, plus arts and craft activities and outdoor games for everyone to enjoy.
Experienced fishers can also bring their own gear and wet a line to catch one of the many stocked Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch at the hatchery’s fish-out pond.
Guided tours will explain how cod and golden perch are grown; there will be filleting and cooking demonstrations using Murray cod, including tastings; fish burgers, a sausage sizzle and coffee will also be available for visitors to enjoy for lunch.
Fisheries officers will also be on hand to answer any recreational fishing questions.
More information and to book a place in the popular kids fishing clinics visit: https://vfa.vic.gov.au/arcadiaopenday
Bat night is returning to Tatura
RiverConnect and the Cussen Park Advisory Committee are holding an interactive Bat Night event on Sunday, April 7 from 5pm to 8pm at Cussen Park, Tatura.
Learn more about these fascinating flying mammals and the important role they play in our ecosystems. Hear how they catch their prey, the variety of sizes and species and how they are similar to humans.
Included in the Activities in the Park program, Bat Night is a free family-friendly event where children will enjoy bat-related activities and view local bats up close.
The Lions Club of Tatura will be cooking up a free barbecue and Goulburn Murray Landcare Network will be running kids’ activities to keep the whole family entertained.
Bats are important as pollinators and seed dispersers and the Goulburn Valley is home to both microbats and megabats, otherwise known as flying foxes. Microbats can eat half their body weight in insects each night, so are excellent natural pest controllers.
Although this is a free event, bookings must be made for catering purposes at https://events.humanitix.com/bat-night-2024 or by calling 5832 9700.
Repairing flood-damaged roads
Works are set to commence on flood-damaged roads across north-central Victoria as part of an emergency blitz jointly funded by the Victorian and Federal governments.
In the wake of floods and extreme rainfall which lashed the state since Christmas, Victorian Roads Minister Melissa Horne said a $99.5 million rebuild and recovery package includes large-scale, long-term repairs for the most badly-damaged roads.
Some of the roads set to undergo repairs include Bendigo-Redesdale Rd, Prairie-Rochester Rd, Heathcote-Nagambie Rd and the Loddon Valley Hwy.
Works set to be delivered under the package include fully rebuilding some of the most badly-damaged sections of road, major asphalting, landslip stabilisation, repairs to damaged structures and road shoulders, clearing of roadside drains and culverts and replacing signs, safety barriers and other important roadside assets.
Additionally, crews will also carry out further roadside mowing and slashing to reduce the risk of bushfires posed by unseasonal accelerated growth.
Fruit bats causing power outages
Powercor is working to address a series of power disruptions affecting parts of the Goulburn and Murray Valleys.
Powercor has identified large colonies of bats have been impacting parts of the power network, causing momentary and sustained power outages. Areas impacted include Tatura, Mooroopna, Shepparton, Cobram, Numurkah and surrounds.
“This summer has been among the worst for bat strikes that we have ever seen on the Powercor network,” a spokesman said.
“We are continuing to patrol key powerlines near fruit growing areas where bats are living. We will be installing devices to deter bats from hitting powerlines, and are speaking with experts from across Australia to find other ways to reduce the risk of bats coming in contact with power assets.”
How safe do you feel on our roads?
RACV is asking drivers to provide feedback about how safe they feel on roads in regional Victoria as part of its My Country Road survey.
The survey uses an online interactive map that shows high-speed roads with large concentrations of crashes causing death or serious injury in regional Victoria.
The map highlights roads with speed limits of 80km/h or higher where there have been fatal or serious crashes for the five-year period between 2018 and 2023. Participants can provide feedback by clicking on one of the highlighted roads and filling out a survey.
You can also nominate another road that poses a risk to drivers. It is also a chance for regional motorists to say what they think of electric vehicles, and barriers to uptake.
The RACV will use the data to encourage the Victorian Government and local councils to make commitments that deliver safer regional roads.
The survey opened on March 26 and will run for six weeks. Go to: https://www.racv.com.au/haveyoursay
