Webinar

Tuesday 28 January 2020, 4pm to 6pm, Australian Eastern Daylight Time

The State peak bodies for outdoor activities across Australia are collaborating to present a webinar to discuss bushfire recovery. We invite all interested people from the Australian outdoor sector to join the webinar; members, non-members, employers, employees, sole traders, freelancers and those in related government agencies.

The impacts on outdoor activities from bushfires differ from State to State and region to region. There will be different issues for neighbouring operators. This is a complex picture which is difficult to grasp, and may not be fully understood for years. As such, we are organising a national webinar where we can learn from each other.

The webinar will be an opportunity for people from across the outdoor sector to inform the recovery process. Your contributions will provide insight into the help that may be needed by outdoor operators now and into the future.

The key questions proposed to discuss are:

• What does recovery mean for the outdoor sector?
• What does the outdoor sector need to recover?
• How do we all contribute to that recovery?

The webinar will be facilitated by staff from State peak outdoor organisations as a collaborative approach to the issues facing the outdoor sector. We want to work on this together.

Victorian Outdoor Industry Bushfire Recovery Taskforce

Outdoors Victoria with support from Sport and Recreation Victoria, and a number of other Peak bodies and organisations, is re-establishing the Outdoor Industry Bushfire Recovery Taskforce. Whilst originally established after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the renewed Taskforce will best address the unique recovery needs the outdoor industry now faces.

In coming weeks we’ll provide more information on the Taskforce, its members, how the industry can be involved and how it will assist the outdoor industry.

If you need assistance or information through Outdoors Victoria’s relationship network, please email CEO Andrew Knight your query or book in a time for a phone call at: ceo@outdoorsvictoria.org.au

Emergency Service Information

The Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC), have providing a page of handy links to further information on: 

• Where to get help
• Personal well-being
• Workplace relations advice
• Insurance
• Farm support
• NSW

The Victorian Government’s, Department of Education and Training (DET’s) site has further bushfire related emergency information for parents and carers, including:

• How to prepare
• Relief and Recovery Centres

A podcast series on the historic movement to protect the Little Desert National Park.

Created for VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies students and anyone interested in Victoria’s Little Desert campaign.

Produced by the Victorian National Parks Association, with support from Parks Victoria

The podcast provides a rare opportunity for students and other listeners to hear the personal experiences and stories from people directly involved in the campaign, alongside media clips from the time and experts on the ecology of the area.  Students will hear from Barengi Gadjin Land Council’s Executive Officer, Brett Harrison, about the significance of the Little Desert to Traditional Custodians’ and Victoria’s first successful Native Title Determination.  Interviews with Executive Director of the Victorian National Parks Association’s Matt Ruchel and the Victorian Environment Assessment Council’s Executive Officer, Joan Phillips, will explain  how the Little Desert dispute influenced environmental politics today.  Parks Victoria’s local ranger, Zoe Wilkinson, also shares an overview of the ecological values of the Little Desert National Park and the challenges involved in managing the area today. 

Equipping students with knowledge:

• to describe and analyse the changing relationships with the Little Desert, which have been influenced by historical events and associated key social and cultural issues
• to investigate the foundation and role of environmental movements in changing relationships with the Little Desert
• to assess the impact of increasing environmental awareness in Victoria on the policies of political parties

The Little Desert podcast project can be accessed at:

• https://vnpa.org.au/little-desert-podcast/
• https://vnpa.org.au/programs/school-resources/

It is also available on iTunes and Spotify.

Happy listening!

Protect yourself this pollen season: Managing asthma and allergies matters

Grass pollen season brings an increase in asthma and hay fever. It also brings the chance of thunderstorm asthma. For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening. That’s why it’s important for people with asthma or hay fever to know about thunderstorm asthma and what they can do to help protect themselves during grass pollen season.

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma is where a large number of people develop asthma symptoms over a short period of time, thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high pollen levels and a certain type of thunderstorm. Grass pollen grains get swept up in the wind and carried for long distances, some can burst open and release tiny particles that are concentrated in the wind gusts that come just before a thunderstorm. These particles are small enough to be breathed deep into the lungs and can trigger asthma symptoms, making it difficult to breathe.

As grass pollen season approaches, here are some things you can do to prepare for pollen season:

• If you’ve ever had asthma – talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect yourself from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season. Remember taking an asthma preventer properly and regularly is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.
• If you have hay fever – see your pharmacist or doctor for a hay fever treatment plan and check if you should have an asthma reliever puffer – which is available from a pharmacy without a prescription.
• If you have hay fever, and especially if you experience wheezing and coughing with your hay fever, it is important to make sure you don’t also have asthma. Speak to your doctor today about whether or not you might have asthma.
• It’s important for everyone in the community to know the four steps of asthma first aid so they know what to do if they or someone is having an asthma attack.
• And finally, where possible avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October through December – especially in the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. If you have your air conditioning on, turn it onto recirculate.

For more information about thunderstorm asthma and how to protect yourself, visit www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

Four steps of asthma first aid:

Protecting Victoria’s Environment

Biodiversity 2037 is Victoria’s plan to stop the decline of our native plants and animals and improve our natural environment so it is healthy, valued and actively cared for.

Hear from the scientists behind Victoria’s new plan to stop the decline of our unique plants and animals. Victoria’s biodiversity plan is underpinned by ground-breaking science, showing we all need to work together to protect our natural environment.

Biodiversity 2037 Victorians Value Nature inaugural work shop: The Department of the Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DEWLP) hosted a full day workshop with dozens of Victoria’s stakeholders present, enabling them to contribute to the Implementation Plan being completed in the coming months. Outdoors Victoria was represented by Andrew Knight. Stay tuned for more updates as Outdoors Victoria continues to be involved and call Andrew if you would like to learn more. Download the Plan