Applicant guidelines now available

Funding will be provided under this initiative for organisations to employ a Landcare facilitator to provide, within a specific natural resource management (NRM) region, ongoing coordination and support for Landcare groups and networks of community volunteers working on and off-farm to encourage improved sustainable farm and land management practices and ecosystem services and landscape scale conservation.

Radio National, Canberra
Bush Telegraph: 18 Mar 2010 11:45AM

Compere: Michael Mackenzie

Mackenzie talks about one of Australia's most successful grassroots movements, Landcare. He says a national Landcare forum in Adelaide next week is going to look at how the movement can be revived. He speaks to Alice Knight, a farmer who has won awards for her dedication to Landcare and Julian Prior, lecturer, School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England.

The Boobook Declaration is a call to the Australian Government to take four essential actions in 2010 to safeguard Australia’s rich and beautiful diversity of plants, animals and ecosystems. The declaration arose from an informal meeting of groups and individuals concerned at the lengthening catalogue of bad news about collapsing ecosystems and recognising the impetus for action represented by the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.

Hon Greg Combet AM MP

The Rudd Government has reinforced its commitment to the Landcare movement by reactivating the Australian Landcare Council and appointing former Western Australia Agriculture Minister Kim Chance as Chair of the Council.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said Landcare plays a vital role in natural resource management across Australia and has more than 100,000 volunteers in around 4,500 groups.

Eligible community groups can apply for grants from $5,000 to $20,000 (GST exclusive) to take action to help protect and conserve Australia’s environment.

Eligible community groups include:

• community groups involved in coastal rehabilitation, restoration and conservation
• groups of farmers or land managers working on sustainable farming or improving natural resource management
• Indigenous partnerships involved in protecting or improving the environment
• community groups involved in biodiversity conservation, environmental protection or managing natural resources

The NT LANDCARE “Moving Forward” Forum is a great opportunity for landcare and coastcare groups from across the NT to share their stories and celebrate their achievements.

The day will begin with presentations from a variety of landcare and coastcare groups including pastoral, indigenous, urban and peri-urban groups. This will be followed by workshop sessions on the National Landcare Framework and the future options and way forward for the NT Landcare Network.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the National Landcare Facilitator Project are coordinating a process to develop a framework to support Landcare for the next 25 years.

As described on the National Landcare Facilitator Project website:

By Andrew Campbell

Published in Agricultural Science 2/09

Andrew Campbell is an independent consultant from Triple Helix Consulting. He was Australia’s first National Landcare Facilitator from 1989-92, a senior executive in the Commonwealth environment portfolio from 1995-99 and Executive Director of Land & Water Australia from 2000-2006.

» http://www.nationallandcareforum.com.au/

The Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is hosting the National Landcare Forum – at Allan Scott Park, Morphettville, Adelaide 23-25 March 2010. The Forum recognises the significant contribution the community has made over the last 20 years.