Update from Friends of Canadian Corridor (FoCC)

Hello friends,

After a very quiet December and the start of the year this is our first update for 2014. Last year the Friends developed and consolidated a vision and a plan for the forest. Many Friends engaged residents and decision makers in discussing the merits of the Canadian Forest, corridor and promoting the opportunity for the creation of a multi use forest park. Hopefully 2014 should see some or all of our plans come to fruition.

1. The FoCC will be holding an ordinary planning meeting at 5pm Wednesday January 29th 2014 at the Earth Ed Centre Olympic Avenue Mount Clear (go past Mount Clear College on Olympic Avenue – on your right).  Please put this date on your calendar now. We would love to see as many people as possible along to bring the Friends together for this venture and to get our 2014 energy moving.

The agenda will include:

• Organisation for the second FoCC Forum on the Canadian Corridor with three significant guest speakers. The forum date is proposed for Wednesday February 26th 2014. It would be held again at the Earth Ed. Centre at Mount Clear College.
• Setting regular ordinary planning meetings dates for 2014.
• Continuing to seek letters of support from all community organisations with an interest in the forest.
• Considerations about making a request to the Victorian Government to undertake a Victorian Environmental Assessment Council assessment on the Canadian Forest. The last report was undertaken in 1983 – this was when the existing forest reserve and consequent plantation use was recommended. Now that the plantation areas have returned to Crown land status there is a solid case for a new review to be undertaken.
• Our next steps – suggested future directions/activities for conserving the Canadian Forest as a regional reserve.

2.The Field Naturalists members have set up a photographic process in the cleared areas to record the regrowth going on. Thanks to John Gregurke and John Petheran and others for a great initiative.

3.FoCC members have been busy talking to local institutions including Sovereign Hill, Pax Hill Scouts, schools and many others about the forest corridor issues.

4.The City of Ballarat’s new strategic plan was to be released in December but the time is now extended. The FoCC have submitted significant information to add to the plan including formal recognition of the bio-link between the Creswick Forest, Canadian Forest and Enfield Forest, which extends on to the Great Eastern Bio-link.

With Regards from FoCC co-convenors,

Jeff Rootes, Bob Hartmann, Linda Zibell