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Gippsland Ag News
 
Thursday, 24 September 2020
In this edition:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
staying home if we're sick keeps us together

Safely reopening regional Victoria

A roadmap for reopening Victoria has been announced by the Victorian Government.

There are two separate roadmaps in Victoria: one for metropolitan Melbourne and one for regional Victoria regarding how we live and how we work. Each roadmap outlines safe, steady and sustainable steps to COVID Normal.

The Roadmap for reopening: regional Victoria provides steps on easing restrictions, dependent on how many active coronavirus (COVID-19) cases are in the community and public health advice.

From 11.59 pm on 16 September 2020 regional Victoria moved to the Third Step on the roadmap. Please see below for an overview of this change, or visit Roadmap for reopening: regional Victoria for more details.

From 11.59 pm on 13 September 2020 metropolitan Melbourne moved to the First Step of the roadmap.

COVIDSafe Plan now required for regional Victorian businesses

From 11:59 on 13 September 2020, it is mandatory for every Victorian business to have a COVIDSafe Plan.

To ensure compliance, random spot checks are underway in metropolitan Melbourne and will commence in regional Victoria from 29 September 2020.

Your COVIDSafe Plan must set out:

  • your actions to help prevent the introduction of coronavirus (COVID-19) in your workplace
  • the level of face covering or personal protective equipment (PPE) required for your workforce
  • how you will prepare for, and respond to, a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in your workplace
  • this plan must demonstrate how you will meet all the requirements set out by the Victorian Government. Some higher-risk industries or workplaces have additional requirements of employers and employees.

Businesses must review and update their COVIDSafe Plans routinely, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes. Organisations with multiple worksites must complete a COVIDSafe Plan for each worksite.

For more information and for templates and guidance on how to create your COVIDSafe Plan, visit the Business Victoria website.

Latest news
Housing order remains in Restricted Area

Bird owners in Golden Plains Shire are being urged to continue practising good biosecurity as housing restrictions put in place on domestic birds begin to ease.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke said the housing order in the Restricted Area of Golden Plains Shire has been extended until 11.59 pm on Monday 19 October. However, for bird owners outside the Restricted Area, the housing order will end at 11.59 pm on Saturday 26 September.

“The control order prohibiting the movement of poultry, birds, related equipment and products within and out of the Golden Plains Shire without a permit will also continue across the Shire,” Dr Cooke said.

“We are taking an incremental approach to the lifting of restrictions to be confident that the threat of avian influenza has been eliminated.

“During the first step the housing order will still apply to bird owners in the five-kilometre restricted area around the infected properties in the Lethbridge area where the infected properties were detected, but we can lift it in the rest of the Golden Plains Shire.”

Both large and small-scale commercial operators in the Restricted Area of Golden Plains Shire will be required to continue to house their birds until Monday 19 October.

Backyard flock owners in the Restricted Area are also required to continue to take practical measures to reduce contact between wild birds and their domestic poultry if they are unable to house their birds.

Dr Cooke said the lifting of the housing order in the broader area of Golden Plains Shire is one step towards easing the restrictions on domestic birds in Golden Plains Shire.

“Surveillance operations are continuing to monitor the viral load of avian influenza in the area,” he said.

“Spill over events from wild birds can still occur from time to time so we’re urging all bird owners to continue to practise good biosecurity to reduce the risk of their flocks being infected.”

Dr Cooke said all poultry and captive bird owners should continue to follow good biosecurity practices in order to prevent a recurrence of the disease at any time. These include:

  • keep drinking water and feed away from wild birds, pets and vermin
  • ensure birds’ feed and water is clean from droppings or animal waste
  • keep domestic birds away from potentially contaminated water sources such as streams, dams, ponds
  • feed your birds good quality feed from a reputable feed-mill
  • regularly clean your chicken coop including feeders, drinkers and equipment
  • frequently replace nesting materials.

More information about maintaining good biosecurity practices is available on the Agriculture Victoria website, click here

Domestic and wild bird surveillance and testing is ongoing.

Report sick or dead birds to the all hours Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Treading lightly to restore native pasture after fire

Tess McDougall,
Livestock Industry Development Officer

Native pastures play an important role in livestock nutrition for some farmers, particularly those in North East Victoria where the environment and landscape is well-suited to native species. For farmers affected by the fires of 2019-20, restoring native pastures is an important step in the farm’s recovery.

There are about 1,000 native grass species in Australia; species that are well adapted to the country’s harsh and varying climate and low-fertility soils. As a result, there are situations and environments where native pastures can be a well-adapted, sustainable and suitable choice for livestock production.

Research shows to restore native pastures you need to implement deferred grazing. While this is something most farmers do traditionally, it is particularly important to carry out this strategy after fire. Restoring native pastures will help maintain population density and avoid invasion by undesirable species such as onion grass, broadleaf weeds and annual grasses.

There are many deferred grazing regimes including optimised deferred grazing, short-term deferred grazing, long-term deferred grazing, timed grazing and strategic deferred grazing.

The aim of deferred grazing is to:

  • ensure ground cover remains about 70 per cent up to mid-January
  • increase native perennial plant density
  • reduce annual grass seed germination
  • increase perennial germination and seedling survival
  • increase root biomass down to 60cm
  • increase subsequent years herbage mass.

Optimised deferred grazing
Optimised deferred grazing is one of the most effective strategies to alter pasture composition and lift perennial grass population and production while supressing annual grasses. This strategy requires a high stocking rate, with animals grazing dry and lower quality feed.

Care needs to be taken with the class of stock grazing these pastures to ensure their needs are met. Supplementary feeding may be required to meet nutritional requirements.

With optimised deferred grazing, the withholding time from grazing depends on the growth stage of the pasture plants, with grazing generally prevented from spring to late summer depending on seasonal variations.

The period of time that paddocks need to be rested for optimised deferred grazing will depend on the pasture growth stage and seasonal variation. Generally, this occurs in spring to late summer.

This deferred grazing starts after annual grass stems elongate, but before seed heads emerge so the growing points of undesirable annual plants can be effectively removed by close grazing. The completion of the paddock resting phase for this grazing strategy depends on pasture conditions of the desirable perennial grasses (seed set, growth and herbage on offer), which are generally ready for grazing from late summer to early autumn.

This strategy aims to reduce the amount of seed produced by annual grasses and alter pasture composition – lifting the proportion of perennials while suppressing the annual grasses.

To implement optimised deferred grazing, farmers need to have a clear understanding about pasture composition, growth stage, seasonal constraints and expected outcomes.

Optimised deferred grazing should be used when:

  • there is a reasonable amount of desirable perennial species (>20 per cent)
  • there is the capacity to intensively graze a paddock (adequate fencing and stock requirements).

Timing is crucial, as heavy grazing is required when most annual grass stems have elongated in late winter and early spring but before the seed heads emerge.

For information on the types of deferred grazing, see Agriculture Victoria’s Deferred Grazing Quick Reference Guide below.

Quick Reference Guide
A complex disease explained – pestivirus

Dr Jeff Cave
District Veterinary Officer

Pestivirus is widespread in cattle herds worldwide including here in Victoria.

The nature of the disease is caused by pestivirus, a complex disease that largely depends on the timing of infection.

When the virus infects cattle for the first time, they may develop fever, depression and diarrhoea. This type of infection is called bovine virus diarrhoea and is usually, but not always, mild.

Affected cattle subsequently build up strong immunity against repeat infections.

If a cow is pregnant at the time of infection, the cow herself will be affected as described above. The effect on the unborn calf depends on the stage of infection.

If the cow is infected during the second half of pregnancy the unborn calf will develop a strong immunity and be born normal although birth abnormalities and late abortions are possible and not uncommon.

During the first half of pregnancy an unborn calf's immune system is not developed and it therefore does not recognise the presence of the virus. As a result, the calf will be born a carrier of the virus and will shed large amounts of the virus.

These persistently infected (PI) cattle are the main source of virus in an infected herd.

Furthermore, if the calf that was infected during the first half of pregnancy is exposed to a more aggressive strain of the virus after it is born its immune system will not be able to fight the virus leading to a condition known as Mucosal disease.

Mucosal disease is a severe and invariably fatal disease. Its clinical signs include diarrhoea, fever, emaciation and lesions on the nose, mouth and feet.

These lesions are an example of an endemic disease commonly found in Australia, which could resemble an exotic disease such as Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Therefore, it is doubly important to seek veterinary advice. There is no treatment available for Mucosal disease.

To best manage the effects of pestivirus, ensure cattle are not exposed to the infection for the first-time during pregnancy. This can be done either by removing the carriers of the infection, vaccinating against pestivirus or by exposing heifers to the infection prior to their first joining.

For further advice please contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer, or in NSW your Local Land Services.

If you see something unusual contact the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Landholders warned to prepare for flash flooding
Have a plan for flood

Farmers are being warned to plan for flash flooding in the coming weeks, with heavy rainfall predicted this spring.

In particular, fire-affected landholders in hilly and mountainous terrain are being encouraged to check catchment areas and to prepare for possible erosion.

Central and East Gippsland Agriculture Recovery Manager Keren Walker said it was important for farmers to be aware of the possibility of increased run-off due to a combination of heavy rainfall, bare ground, water-repellent soils and steep slopes.

“Landholders need to look at catchments above key water supplies and assess whether they may need to put up sediment fencing to protect their dams or waterways from erosion and debris,” Ms Walker said.

Livestock farmers with flood-prone paddocks should ensure they have a plan to keep livestock safe.

Agriculture Victoria District Veterinary Officer Jeff Cave said livestock will naturally keep moving to higher ground if they have clear access and the appropriate gates are open.

“The problems occur when they run out of higher ground and they haven’t got anywhere else to go,” Dr Cave said.

“It really takes good planning on behalf of the owner to avoid this problem.”

A flood plan should clearly identify:

  • a safe place for livestock, usually the highest areas of the property away from water sources and flood plains
  • a source of supplementary food and water in an area least likely to flood
  • identification of multiple evacuation routes from the property.

Farmers should discuss their flood plan with other members of the family, record it, and practice it. Landholders are also being urged to listen to weather warnings and be prepared to implement their flood plans at the appropriate time.

For more information on how to build a sediment fence, click here.

For a guide to preparing an emergency checklist and plan, click here.

Agribusinesses supported to adapt to pandemic conditions

More than 100 food businesses, farmers and suppliers across Victoria are keeping workers safe and supply chains going thanks to support from the Victorian Government, helping workplaces adapt to physical distancing and hygiene measures.

One grant recipient, Springhill Farm, is a second-generation family-owned food manufacturer in Ballarat that makes delicious treats under their own brand and for clients under contract.

Springhill Farm’s grant of $132,000 has seen a new packing room and extra equipment installed to allow greater physical distancing between workers, as well as additional washbasins.

The funding through the government’s Business Adaptation Grants program will also support the retraining of 30 employees in COVID-safe processes and the use of new equipment.

Another grant recipient, Western Plains Pork is a breeder and supplier of free-range pigs in the Grampians region.

Western Plains Pork’s grant of almost $72,000 has gone towards new equipment, including touch-free washbasins, new wash bays to clean operational equipment and an automated industrial cleaning robot.

In Victoria’s east, dairy food manufacturer Village Dairy in Traralgon is receiving $76,000 to semi-automate the business’ cheese packing process to allow for greater physical distancing between employees.

The Business Adaptation Grants have been rolled out across Victoria as part of the government’s Agriculture Workforce Plan, which is also providing grants for worker induction and re-training, and worker relocation and transport.

The plan is supporting businesses within key agriculture and food processing industries through job-matching, case management, targeted industry skills development and initiatives to support Victorian producers connect into new markets.

Applications for Business Adaptation Grants have now been extended and are open until the end of 2020, to support Victorian agribusinesses through the summer harvest season.

To find out more or to apply for a grant, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/agworkforceplan

Landcare New Zealand Serrated Tussock bio-control project

One of the most anticipated serrated tussock research projects has reached its first significant milestone. The research project is an investigation into new and innovative biocontrol agents from Argentina for serrated tussock. The VSTWP has contributed $25,000 towards the research project, which will be conducted in New Zealand over the next few years.

Rae Kwong from Agriculture Victoria has provided an update on the achievements to date and what activities and research will be delivered over the next few years. The VSTWP will be watching for potential advances in biocontrol agents, that may limit or prevent the further spread across Victoria under certain conditions.

Key points

  • The key objective of the research component is to survey and identify potential biocontrol agents from Argentina, where previous organisms pathogenic to Nassella tussock have been identified.
  • To date, a total of 12 site visits have been conducted at seven site locations.
  • To date, 64 fungi have been isolated and DNA extraction is underway to enable isolates of interest to be identified.
  • Leaf material was collected from up to 20 individual plants from most of the Victorian sites and stored in silica gel. Samples were sent to colleagues at Landcare Research New Zealand for genetic analysis. Seed has also been collected from various sites and will be stored until needed for pathogen testing.
  • The total funding for this research is $1.2 million, made up of contributions from; New Zealand - $1.0 million + Agriculture Victoria - $82,000 and VSTWP - $25,000.
  • The research for this 3-year project has been made possible with NZ signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Argentina for the collection of potential biocontrol agents from Argentina.

The VSTWP are very keen to support research into new and innovative control measures, that may limit or prevent the further spread across Victoria under certain conditions.

It is expected the VSTWP will be provided with further research findings from Agriculture Victoria over the next few years, and to say we are excited is an understatement!

Horticulture sector leadership development courses

A pool of scholarships are currently available for women in the horticulture sector to participate in a range of leadership courses.

The scholarship grants are co-funded by Hort Innovation and Women & Leadership Australia (WLA) and cover up to 83 per cent of the program fee.

For women working in the apple or pear sector, a number of fully funded scholarship positions are also available.

The scholarships are applicable for women who are emerging leaders, mid-level managers or those with senior/executive level experience. The funding is available to those working in both levy and non-levy paying horticultural organisations, including wholesalers, distributors and research and development bodies.

Both individuals and groups of employees within the sector are encouraged to apply.

This unique initiative is a collaborative five-year funding partnership between Hort Innovation and WLA, and demonstrates the commitment of both parties in bringing about gender progression and equality within Australia’s horticulture industry. To date, 39 women from the sector have participated.

All of WLA’s courses are part-time and designed for those already employed. Both fully online and ‘blended’ (partly online, partly face-to-face) delivery models are available. A payment plan is available for successful course applicants if preferred.

Scholarship Grants and Fees
The grants are allocated with the specific intent of providing powerful and effective development opportunities for women within the horticulture sector. The funding is available to women working in both levy and non-levy paying organisations. Interest has been strong so prompt registration is advised.

For more information click here 

Primary producers bushfire support programs
Back to business – one-to-one support for fire-affected producers
back to business one on one farm support for fire affected producers

Producers in fire-affected regions can access up to three free one-on-one Back to Business sessions with a local farm management consultant to help put their business back on track.

All red-meat producers, including sheep, cattle and goat, who have been affected by the recent bushfires are eligible to apply.

The Back to Business program in Victoria is being coordinated by Agriculture Victoria. For more information or to register, contact:

Online registration is also available here.

For more info visit mla.com.au/bushfire-recovery.

Small Business Bushfire Support Grant

The new $10,000 Small Business Bushfire Support Grants are open.

  • it's easy to apply
  • you aren't required to upload any financial documents if you don't have them right now
  • you can apply if your business was indirectly affected by the bushfires.

The grant is available for small businesses and primary producers in East Gippsland, Towong, Alpine, Indigo, Wangaratta, Mansfield and Wellington shires who have experienced significant income loss as a result the 2019–20 bushfires.

Eligible activities include meeting standard business costs, seeking financial advice, adjusting the business to be viable in the changed local context following bushfire and improvements to make the business more resilient to future disasters.

The grants are available to eligible small businesses that have suffered a decline in revenue of 40 per cent or more in a relevant three-month period.

Businesses can apply for this grant in addition to other bushfire grants.

For more information contact Rural Finance 1800 260 425 or www.ruralfinance.com.au.

Find out more at www.vic.gov.au/bushfire-recovery-victoria.

Victorian Bushfires Concessional Loans

Concessional loans of up to $500,000 are available to support small business, primary producers and non-profit organisations impacted by the Victorian bushfires that began on 21 November 2019.

The loans are for restoring and/or replacing damaged assets and/or to meet working capital expenses.

They are available for eligible wine grape growers in Ararat, Alpine, Ballarat, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Indigo, Mansfield, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta, Wellington and Wodonga.

For further information contact Rural Finance 1800 260 425 or www.ruralfinance.com.au.

Emergency Bushfire Response in Primary Industries Grants

Grants of up to $75,000 to assist primary producers directly affected by the 2019–2020 bushfire with recovery costs. Eligible activities include rebuilding or replacing damaged or destroyed on-farm infrastructure, including fencing and trellises.

Wine grape growers who are located in eligible fire affected local government areas and have had crops affected by smoke taint may be able to claim for costs associated with the salvage, harvest and disposal of the smoke taint affected crops. Where no fire has occurred on the property, evidence of smoke impact, such as smoke taint testing results are required.

Available in eligible fire affected local government areas across Victoria. In the areas of Ararat, Alpine, Ballarat, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Indigo, Mansfield, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta, Wellington and Wodonga, and the alpine areas of Falls Creek, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Mount Stirling.

For further information contact Rural Finance 1800 260 425 or www.ruralfinance.com.au.

Water and septic tank support for fire-affected areas
Water tank rebates for bushfires affected areas

The Victorian Government is helping regional Victorians who lost critical household water infrastructure in the 2019-20 bushfires with up to $20,000 available to replace rainwater and septic tanks.

Rebates, of up to $15,000 for septic tanks and $3,000 for household rainwater tanks, are available to cover up to half of the costs of the purchase and installation of new primary use tank systems to residents rebuilding homes.

To assist with the installation process, up to $1,500 funding is available for any combination of assessments required to get council approval to install or alter a septic system including condition reports undertaken by a qualified plumber and Land Capability Assessments.

Further funding of up to $500 is available to cover the initial refill of a rainwater tank installed as part of the program.

Rebates of up to $2,500 are also available for minor repairs or reconnections required for undamaged tank systems that comply with current standards.

The program is available to households in Alpine, Towong and East Gippsland shires, not connected to reticulated urban water systems, for the replacement, minor repairs or reconnection of primary use rainwater and septic tanks at their primary place of residence.

Rebates are available for works completed since 21 November 2019 and until 31 May 2023.

To apply for the rebates contact your local Bushfire Recovery Victoria hub or visit melbournewater.com.au/RaSTRprogram.

What's on – upcoming webinars

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website. Log on to agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

EID enabled ewes webinar
Ewe benefits webinar
 

Do you know if preferential feeding of ewes delivers reproductive and economic benefits for your business?
Have you considered calculating the Standard Reference Weight (SRW) of your ewes?
Is there benefit to being able to record individual performance of ewes?

Agriculture Victoria is partnering with the Mackinnon Project and Sheep Data Management to discuss the benefits and opportunities of monitoring your ewes body condition score and weight.

We will explore how you can use the data to make management decisions such as preferential feeding and classing. You will hear from the researchers and consultants plus the livestock managers of the host farms. 

Wednesday, 7 October from 1 – 2 pm

Register and watch with Zoom®

Please register here https://bit.ly/3kkyDOV 

For more information, or if you need assistance registering or joining the webinar please contact the event organiser Kirstie Anderson 0437 990 967 or kirstie.anderson@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Guest presenters include

Bea Kirk - Mackinnon Project will provide an overview of the “Using EID to aid monitoring of ewes in western Victoria”, Producer Demonstration Site funded by Meat and Livestock Australia. The managers of the three host sites will also share insights on the data collection systems they use, what worked, what didn’t, and what their future plans may be after the trial. 

Elise Bowen – Sheep Data Management will demonstrate the calculation and use of SRW for ewes of different shapes, sizes, ages and genotypes. She will be joined by Andrew Hunter, owner/manager of “Hills Park” Yerong Creek to discuss why he was first interested in SRWs, how he and Elise have approached its assessment and what they have learnt over a number of years collecting data, performing calculations and making decisions. 

Please note a recording of the event will be available to all registered attendees.

Horses and fire: preparing for the coming fire season – Webinar
Webinar for preparing for coming fire season

Abbey’s Run Equestrian are pleased to bring you this webinar on Thursday 8 October from 7 – 9 pm.  The aim of this webinar is to help you get organised and plan for any fire or emergency event that may impact you, your property and horses.

The presenters include Dr Lee Manning (Agriculture Victoria Veterinary Officer), April Padbury (CFA) and Moyna Smeaton who will share her personal story of living through the 19/20 fires with her horses.

Topics covered in the presentation include:

  • Fire behaviour (hills, wind changes etc.)
  • Warnings and information
  • Preparing your property
  • Why have an emergency plan?
  • Equine behaviour in fires
  • Preparing your horses to stay
  • Leaving early with horses
  • After the fire and basic first aid.

There will be time for Q&A’s at the end of the presentations.

This ticketed event will be held on Zoom. Abbey’s Run Equestrian will contact all ticketholders via email in the 24 hours prior to the event with the web link and access code for the presentation.

While we welcome attendees from anywhere, this webinar is relative to a south-eastern Australian context.

Attendees must be over 18 years old or have parental supervision while watching.

For more information on the event and presenters, or to register go to https://bit.ly/32Y2xm2

Subscribe now for upcoming series of climate and agriculture science webinars

Agriculture Victoria will host a number of climate and agriculture science talks in its latest lunchtime webinar series.

Having proved popular the first time around, the lunchtime webinars are designed for busy people chasing fast facts about climate and agriculture research.

Participants will hear from a broad range of expert speakers from Agriculture Victoria, North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA), University of Tasmania and other agencies.

Scheduled to speak this series, are:

  • Agriculture Victoria, Senior Research Scientist Dr Craig Beverly: over two webinars Dr Beverly will talk about using climate data in agriculture and how this data was applied in the Mallee
  • Dr Rebecca Harris from University of Tasmania: will share Australia’s Wine Future: A Wine Climate Atlas which shows how wine-region climates have changed, with more to come
  • Agriculture Victoria, Climate Specialist, Graeme Anderson: will talk about using seasonal forecasts and share new tools developed with a GRDC project for south eastern Australia.

Land managers, service providers, researchers and educators are encouraged to subscribe to our climate updates and newsletters.

Any queries can be directed to Climate Development Officer Heather Field at heather.field@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For more information and to subscribe to stay up to date with these upcoming climate webinars visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/climate

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All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about/contact-us.

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