Soldier Beetles

If your garden has become overrun by a plague of beetles with a yellow or orange stripe behind their head, don’t be alarmed.

While they are easy to confuse with wasps, the soldier beetle is a harmless insect often seen in plague proportions this time of year.

Despite their numbers, they are not classified as a pest, they don’t bite or sting and pose no risk to humans.

There are no known predators and no known control but don't worry, once their breeding season is over, they will disappear in a matter of weeks.

For more information on pests, plants and other topics of interest check out Council's Greener Living web pages at www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/greenerliving.

 

 

 

 

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Weed Blitz month

Environmental weeds continue to be a blight on the Yarra Ranges landscape, particularly in the hills.

Damp, wet forest environments mixed with a large urban population have helped weeds flourish across fence lines into native forest.

Weeds compete with native plants for light, space, water and nutrients and often have faster life cycles and generate more seeds than native plants giving them the competitive edge.

Weeds can remove vital food sources and nesting places from native animals. Did you know English Ivy can smother and kill even the tallest Mountain Ash?

There are hundreds of weeds in the Yarra Ranges with Blackberry, Broom and Wandering Trad some of the biggest problems. In the hills, English Ivy, Wandering Trad, Sweet Pittosporum, English Holly, Angled Onion and Sycamore Maple are the biggest offenders.

Council and numerous community groups have been working to control weeds for years but this November the Council is urging residents to target weeds in their own backyards.

In partnership with other organisations and community volunteers, Yarra Ranges Council is holding a Wacky Wipe Out Weeds event.

The event will include information stands and performance artists appearing at local markets, a weed blitz free tipping day and a longest ivy plait competition where schools, community groups and individuals can win cash prizes.

The aim is to help educate residents about the scourge of environmental weeds.

The free weed tipping day is on Saturday 16 November with skips available at Monbulk Recreation Reserve, Kallista Community House and Kalorama Memorial Reserve from 9am until 3pm.

Bring your environmental weeds for safe disposal.

A full list of environmental weeds and advice on weed removal is available online at www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/weeds or by calling the the Biodiversity Conservation Team on 1300 368 333.

Due to State Legislation, Council will be unable to accept Noxious Weeds. For details on how to remove check out www.dpi.vic.gov.au/weeds.
 

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Burning Off? Do it Safely

As the weather starts to fine up - but is not yet too hot – it’s a great time to start clearing sections and burn off excess dry material at your property.

But before you start burning off, it is important to understand the local laws and guidelines around doing so.

Restrictions on where and when you can burn off apply depending on where your property is located. You can use our handy “When can I burn off?” tool on our website – simply enter your address to confirm the restrictions that apply at your property.

 If you do get the all-clear to burn off, the local laws team provides guidance on how to burn off safely.

These guidelines include:

·        Burning dry material only – do not burn wet or green vegetation

·        Fires must be supervised by an adult at all times – please do not leave fires unattended

·        An adequate water source (such as a hose, or at least 10 litres of stored water) must be available at the site of a fire at all times

·        Material for burning must be stacked in a pile no larger than one cubic meter (imagine the size of a toppled fridge) at any one time

·        Only one fire can be alight at a time for Residential Bushland Areas

·        Burning off can only be done during daylight hours (between 8am and 6pm)

 

Remember too, to make sure that fires are completely extinguished (with water) at the end of a burn.

 

Embers blown from a smouldering fire can alight nearby trees or vegetation and cause a fire to spread very quickly, so keep an eye on sudden changes in wind condition as your burn draws to a close.

Just a reminder that burning off is not allowed during June and July, during the Declared Fire Danger Period (set by the CFA) or on CFA declared Total Fire Ban days. Please refer to the CFA website during these periods for updates.

The Council website has fact sheets for the burning off restrictions for urban, rural or residential bushland areas.

 

For more information on burning off -  or to confirm the burning off restrictions at your property – check out the Open Air Burning Off  page or contact Council on 1300 368 333.

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Celebrating Community Safety

October is Community Safety Month and we're taking the opportunity to mark the occasion with a fun and free event in Lilydale next Friday.

If you're free between midday and 5pm on Friday 18 October come on down to the Lilydale Train Station for a community event to celebrate and promote safety within the Yarra Ranges.

The event will feature a free sausage sizzle with coffee and hot chocolate available onsite. Showbags will be handed out and local musicians will be performing live.

A range of Community Safety staff will also be available to answer questions and address concerns from residents around safety in the region.

As well as the Celebrating Community Safety event on Friday 18 October, Council officers and police will be visiting businesses in Main Street, Lilydale to discuss safety in the local community on Wednesday 23 October.

Promoting safety makes a huge difference within the community and contributes towards helping people feel safer and enjoy life. Bring your questions and join us for a fun and informative event!

For more information, please contact Council’s Community Safety Team on 1300 368 333

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L2P Program Community Feedback

Council’s Youth Services L2P program provides driving practice to learner drivers (under 21 years) who do not have access to a supervising driver or vehicle.

Learner drivers who are struggling to meet their mandatory 120 hours are matched with a fully licensed community member to work towards driving practice for their Probationary License. 
All mentor volunteers undertake a selection and training process to become supervising drivers.

Last week we received some positive feedback about the L2P program from community member Jess.

“I have just read an article in the local paper regarding the L2P program and wanted to express how happy I am this program exists!

When I was a learner driver I had to accumulate 120 hours of driving, however my mum was too nervous to take me out driving nor did she have much money for fuel. 

I had to wait until my partner turned 21 so he could be my supervising driver, which resulted in me getting my license a year and a half late and putting off getting into the career of my choice after completing VCE.

Just wanted to say keep up the great work! It's a excellent idea and I'm glad the youths of the Yarra valley are getting assistance.”

We’re always looking for more mentor volunteers, if you’re interested in getting involved please contact Youth Services on 9294 6716.

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Detox Your Home Update

On Saturday September 7, Council held a mobile Detox Your Home drop off service in Lilydale in conjunction with neighbouring Councils.  

The Detox Your Home Program is administered by Sustainability Victoria in partnership with Local Governments.

Interesting stats from the day:

·         1,037 participants attended on the day

·         Residents dropped off an average of 50 kilograms per person

·         78 per cent of respondents were first time users of the service

·         The highest volume of products collected were paint, hydrocarbons and oil

·         Most attendees came from the Yarra Ranges area

·         Approximately 51,970 kilograms of household chemical products will now be recycled for recovery and diversion from landfill

·         About 80 per cent of residents found out about the collection through the A5 flyer provided with the annual waste booklet distribution to residents

 

Council thanks neighbouring Council’s Knox and Maroondah for their support and assistance with the collection!

Detox Your Home is a shared council service to ensure all Victorian residents have access to safely dispose of chemicals, no matter where they live.

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Sustainability Recognised - At Home and Afar...

Council's Learning for Sustainability (or LfS) team works with local schools to teach students about the environment and sustainable living in a fun and practical way. 

And recently, a couple of the programs (which are developed and run collaboratively with local schools) have caught the attention of both the State Government, as well as the international community.

The team's HabitAT Schools program - one of a dozen activities offered under Council’s LfS program - has been named as a finalist in the "Environmental Protection" category of the Premier's Sustainability Awards for 2013.

With the help of customised worksheets and Council resources, teachers and students are encouraged to conduct an audit – or HabitAT Census – of their local area. They then develop a HabitAT Plan tailored to their site and take action that addresses the biggest threats to local wildlife.

The Premier's Sustainability Awards will be held on 22 October. Winners will be selected and presented at the ceremony by Victorian Premier, The Hon Dr Denis Napthine.

But it is not just sustainability fans in Victoria that are recognising the achievements of the LfS team...

Building on the fantastic collaboration between Council and The Patch Primary, the LfS team - along with The Patch's Environmental Educator Michelle Rayner - have been sponsored to present at a conference for the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO in Okayama, Japan.

Impressively, despite the conference being attended by environmental educators from across Asia and the Pacific, the LfS team will be the only presenters from Australia at the event.

The story of Council’s partnership with The Patch Primary School will also be compiled into a resource that will distributed to the international community in the lead up to the UNESCO World Conference in 2014.

 

For more information on the Learning for Sustainability program, check out the website

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