Loddon Mallee - securing a sustainable environment for the future
Like all Victorian communities, the Loddon Mallee region has a critical role to play in achieving our goal of becoming Australia’s first sustainable State.
The Loddon Mallee region covers the north-western corner of the State to the Macedon Ranges. It includes large dry land wilderness areas in the north-west and along the Murray River from Swan Hill to the South Australian border.
What will happen in the Loddon Mallee region?
The following initiatives will be funded to boost sustainability in the Loddon Mallee region’s households, local councils, businesses and industries.
Through Our Environment, Our Future the Victorian Government will:
Continue to support Landcare by providing funding for Regional Coordinators in Mildura and Huntly.
Invest $4 million over 4 years to show how leading Victorian communities can dramatically cut greenhouse emissions. One of the recipients of this funding may be a project in central Victoria, where Sustainability Victoria will work with 13 local governments and also the Bendigo Bank and Origin Energy to develop an integrated and ambitious sustainable energy solution for the region.
Improve Take-Back and Recycling for priority products including electronic and electrical goods, household chemicals and paint tins. Goods will be taken apart, useable resources will be recycled and the residual waste safely disposed of. This will include:
- $2 million to establish at least four permanent Detox Your Home facilities across the State – including in Bendigo. The facilities will provide householders with an easily accessed and convenient disposal point for common domestic chemicals, including paint, motor oil, batteries & gas cylinders.
- $2 million for ‘Byteback’ facilities across the State, including in Bendigo. These facilities will provide a place to safely dispose of old (and toxic) computer equipment.
Invest in Neighbourhood Renewal projects including:
- $42,000 for the Eaglehawk Neighbourhood Renewal Community for the Jobs Gully Natural Features Reserve project. The project will include restoring signage and habitat.
- $78,000 for the Long Gully Neighbourhood Renewal Community and City of Greater Bendigo for the Linear Park Improvement Project. The project will involve landscaping, revegetation and weed control. A low bridge will be constructed across the drainage to reduce soil erosion, protect grasslands and provide greater accessibility to shops.
Invest in Local Government Sustainability Accord projects:
- $93,500 to City of Greater Bendigo to assess the feasibility of reclaiming mine despoiled crown land sites in Bendigo. This project will identify decontamination approaches and potential uses for despoiled sites.
- $88,000 for the Buloke Shire Council to lead the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance Councils (CVGA) with the CSIRO in the Reaching for Renewables project. This project enlists the help of the CSIRO to identify current and future renewable energy opportunities for four central Victorian councils – Buloke, Bendigo, Ballarat and Loddon.
Invest in local projects relevant to the North West through the Sustainability Fund. These projects are:
- $1,000,000 for the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA) to undertake monitoring and reporting for the Central Victorian Solar Cities Program.
- $150,000 for the Buloke Shire Council to advance the Donald Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan. The project will use a combination of education and direct action to look at areas like water conservation and the environmental impacts of problems like stormwater pollutants, waste and salinity.
- $100,000 for the University of Ballarat to implement the Hopetoun Community Sustainable Energy Initiative. The study will survey Hopetoun's current and projected power demand, collect relevant data and develop a model for other communities to use.
