A FIVE-person expedition has led to record numbers of the Snowy River Westringia being found.
Department of Sustainability and Environment biodiversity officer Lucy Clausen said the plant had been found only twice in the wild before.
"Only four plants were seen when Westringia was last found in the wild 10 years ago so it was a real surprise for the expedition to locate more than 500 of the plants," she said.
The expedition was joined by Neville Walsh, senior conservation botanist from the Royal Botanic Gardens, the last person to see the plant in the wild during a 2002 survey.
Netball to get regional boost
NETBALL Victoria has pledged to provide better service to country Victoria, after criticism it was too city-centric.
Acting chief executive Russell James said 50 per cent of Netball Victoria's 108,000 members were from regional areas.
He said the organisation hoped to have a regional manager in each of its four country "zones" by the end of 2013.
The zones are: Northern Zone (Sunraysia, Murray, Wimmera-Mallee and North Central regions); North East Zone (Goulburn and North East regions); Eastern Zone (East Gippsland, Latrobe Valley and Gippsland regions) and Western Zone (Glenelg, Central Highlands and Western regions).
A further two regional managers would be based in Netball Victoria's metropolitan zones: Central West Zone (Jika, Elmer, CBD and Barwon regions) and Central East Zone (Dandenong Valley, Chisholm, Henderson and Two Bays regions).
"If we were trying to look at overcoming just one issue, (it would be) increasing our presence at a local level," Mr James said. "How we do that is most likely by actually having people based in the field."
Police hunt serial tree burner
POLICE are hunting a serial arsonist suspected of setting fire to about 20 trees in Upwey and Tecoma.
Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit and the Arson and Explosives Squad are calling for witnesses to 20 offences committed since July where offenders set fire to the bottom of stringybark trees near schools and surrounding streets.
Police have received no reports of property damage due to the fires but are concerned about the community's safety.
All the blazes have taken place early in the morning or late at night. Arson squad detective Sen-Sgt Jeff Maher said police were patrolling the area but needed community help.
New Year ban on alcohol in public
POLICE have warned New Year's revellers that alcohol in public places will not be tolerated.
Police will set up an inspection point at Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula to confiscate any alcohol in breach of local laws.
From 9pm on December 30 to January 1, people will be banned from having open and unopened alcohol in public places on the peninsula.
Insp Martin Tynan said the ban would ensure drunks would not ruin the night for other people.
