Rushworth’s hunters have been praised in parliament for their active contributions to wildlife conservation.
The Rushworth Field and Game Club engaged some of its 70 members to construct and install bird nesting boxes to ensure the survival of the local bird population.
State Member for Northern Victoria Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell praised the group in State Parliament recently after visiting its new clubrooms on Monday, September 2 and commended the group’s efforts in helping the conservation of native wildlife.
“The members of the Rushworth Field and Game are making a real impact on ensuring the future of our local native wildlife,” Mrs Tyrrell said.
“Their work should be acknowledged and supported.”
The club recently completed moving into its new premises at the town’s former tennis clubrooms, which had been abandoned for 15 years.
Rushworth Field and Game Club’s conservation officer Graeme Wall said renovations of the clubrooms were extensive, with much-needed replacing of plumbing, wall repairs and painting.
“The building also had smashed windows, so we really had to set to work on it,” Mr Wall said.
“At times there were 15 to 20 people working on it.”
The rooms will be used to assist members from outside town and members of other clubs to visit for fox shoots to aid pastoralists and the natural wetlands.
“We are into fox control so that the brolgas can get a chance to breed,” Mr Wall said.
“We even had some hatchlings come out last week.
“The brolga lays her eggs on the ground so the foxes can go in a group of two or three; one fox can distract the parents and others can simply take the hatchlings.”
Despite being a Rushworth resident all his life, Mr Wall said he did not remember brolga’s hatching in the area.
The club also works with schools, with students regularly visiting and learning hands-on building skills by helping to construct boxes.
During her visit, Mrs Tyrrell was shown the construction process and visited some existing boxes located in nearby trees.
The club’s Facebook page posts updates to keep track of what species are using the nesting boxes and hen houses for breeding at any time.
The Rushworth Golf Course has parrot boxes installed by the hunting club and duck boxes in the Waranga Basin have played host to kookaburras and rosellas.
Mr Wall said club members enjoyed a range of shooting activities.
“We do lots of fox shoots, some members like to go duck shooting, some don’t, and a few of us have retired so we can put a bit back in.”
With the onset of the duck breeding season, Mr Wall said some members would inspect installed hen houses during the next few weeks.
“I reckon we will find some eggs in them,” he said.