2024-25 Membership Fee & Survey Form now due
It is that time again for our annual membership. Sign up here now and as part of the form, register your interest for free seedling plants indigenous to the Black Range, and contribute to revegetating diversity in the understory on your landholding.
BRLMG General Meeting
Members vote on BRLMG registering as a Charity + Black Range plants talk
11am-12.30pm Saturday 15 June 2024 (location tbc)
An online vote option will be available (details sent in the week prior).
The Australian Tax Office has changed the ‘taxable income’ self-assessment capacity of not-for-profit groups. In order to be exempt from taxable income and associated reporting obligations, LandCare Victoria is recommending that Groups like ours register as a charity.
To be registered as an entity with Charitable Purpose we must apply with a ‘Statement of Purpose’ and ‘Rules of Association of our Group’. This formalisation is equivalent to that required for an Unincorporated Association (the current status of BRLMG) to become an Incorporated Association. Hence it is timely for us to review the entity status of BRLMG and the implications of becoming an Incorporated Association, or remain Unincorporated Association.
Our Group committee are preparing a draft ‘Statement of Purpose’ and ‘Rules of Association of our Group’ for discussion at this meeting, and will invite members to vote on the BRLMG becoming registered as a charity.
To be followed by Neil and Wendy giving a brief presentation on the plants we currently have available for planting.
See below that this meeting is preceded by a 9am-11am Walk and Talk on Past Exclosure Plot Plantings.
Revegetation Program: Free Plants and Exclosure Fence Plots
Since 2022 we have had a grant-funded program to increase the diversity, distribution and resilience of indigenous understory plants throughout the Range through an annual cycle of seed collection, propagation, exclosure plot fence building, and plantings that create a seed bank for the future. We now have a fresh batch of seedlings ready for planting.
Requests for plants and exclosure fence plots are now open.
See the full details on the website and lodge your request as part of the Membership Form.
Walk and Talk Past Exclosure Plot Plantings
9am-11am Saturday 15 June 2024
It’s always stimulating to walk a different area of the Range and learn amongst other landholdings. We will walk a creek line on Mike Opie’s landholding that was fenced off from stock and revegetated 6 years ago, and review a Panrock Res. Rd exclosure plot planted 2 years ago.
An update with details of the meeting location will be sent by email to members in the prior week.
Fencing and Planting Working Bee
9am-3pm Saturday 29 June 2024
Many landholdings have participated in recent years in the group fencing and planting activity. We will erect another small exclosure plot and plant into it on a new members landholding. Many hands make light work, so no matter your experience, you can be helpful! Bring your own lunch and snacks and chair.
An update with details of the meeting location will be sent by email to members in the prior week.
Reading Fire Country … Black Range Discussion Group
#1: Sunday 14 July 2024, 11am - 2pm
Walk an area of cool Cultural Burning and discussion over lunch around a fire.
Fernanda and Mick are inviting Black Range landholders to join a series of gatherings to explore fire and Indigenous understandings of Country. It is intended to complement the Traditional Owner led cool Cultural Burning work that BRLMG is engaged with, to share our learnings, and engage in the potential of land management partnered with Traditional Owners. Further details on the Reading Fire Country page.
Save the Date : BRLMG Annual General Meeting - 10am-2pm, Sat 14th Sept 2024
Our yearly gathering with guest speakers, celebrating our activities, and sharing ideas and interests for the year ahead. Further details to come.
Grant Applications and Building Partnerships
The committee submitted two Victorian LandCare Grant applications in the last months:
‘Improving biodiversity and resilience of the Black Range through consistent and comprehensive volunteer land management’; and
‘Consolidating private landholder partnership with Traditional Owners through cool Cultural Burning’.
We will hear the outcomes in coming months.
Our partnership with Barengi Gadjin Land Council continues to grow, with BGLC making a spray trailer available to us for treating large scale invasive plant areas throughout the Range.
