Pax Hill Scout Camp

04/04/2024

27/02/2024

*NOTICE: The fire relief centre has now CLOSED*

An emergency fire relief centre has been set up at Selkirk Stadium, 989 Norman Street Wendouree.

Please remember to bring whatever necessities you can such as a mobile phone with charger and your medications. Caravans can also be parked close by at CE Brown Reserve.

Pets are welcome at the Selkirk Stadium relief centre. The Ballarat Animal Shelter staff will be available from 7am–12am to help people bringing their pets.

Emergency supplies for animals will also be available if required, including:
- Food
- Crates
- Water-bowls

There are support services and emergency boarding facilities to house animals outside the stadium and other locations in Ballarat. These are available for dogs, cats, small pets and horses.

If you need to arrange pet support or access to emergency boarding facilities, please visit the Emergency Relief Centre at Selkirk Stadium and speak to the Ballarat Animal Shelter staff directly.

Any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact City of Ballarat customer service team on 5320 5500.

Stay updated on the ongoing bushfire danger via VicEmergency and CFA (Country Fire Authority) as the situation can change quickly.

26/02/2024

Victoria Park will become home to over 300 firefighters with a base camp quickly being established before weather conditions worsen on Wednesday.

The base camp, that may be in place for over a month, will involve road closures and will impact park users.

Please be patient and understanding of the important work that’s being done to assist our emergency support agencies.

All Victoria Park gates will be closed to general traffic from tonight.

For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/3IeX9Ps

*NOTE: MAP SUBJECT TO CHANGE

29/03/2023

04/02/2023

Lost in translation?

In latin, this cutie is classified by scientists as 'Hydromys chrysogaster’. Translate this into English, and you get the much more poetic 'Golden-bellied water mouse’.

Previously commonly called a water-rat and Rabe, they are now known as a Rakali, an adoption from a first nations name.

Generally solitary, Rakali are strong swimmers and can live most places where there is water all year around – be it fresh, brackish or even marine; as long as it’s clean and there is lots of vegetation. They have many defining features and are sometimes misidentified in the water as a platypus, but on land they can most easily be identified by their webbed hind-feet and long tail with a white tip, both which you can see here.

This image was taken in the car park next to the shoreline of Lake Wendouree ( , , ) as it was out looking for food scraps.

Their main threats come from habitat alteration/destruction (e.g. flood mitigation and swamp drainage), as well as predation by introduced animals like cats and foxes. Interestingly, Rakalis have the unusual ability to kill cane toads, without being poisoned.

Nature Picture Library