Landcare NSW 2019 Highlights
It has been a very exciting and busy year as we continue to support and represent our local Landcare member groups and the wider Landcare community in NSW.
There are a number of key milestones that Landcare NSW has delivered in 2019 including the funding of the $22.4 million NSW Landcare Program (2019-2023) and the signing of key partnerships with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust, the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, OzFish Unlimited and Gotcha4Life, a charity that works to increase mental fitness in rural and regional communities. A new partnership with Saving Our Species which will be signed early in 2020. These new partnerships, and their increased funding for state-wide programs delivered by Landcare NSW through its member groups, show that Landcare NSW is increasingly being recognised as a partner of choice for government and non-government organisations who want to make an impact on environmental protection and farm sustainability.
Our Annual Report is another way we feature all the important work undertaken by our organisation to support NSW Landcarers in caring for our land, environment and communities. I encourage you to take a look at this year’s report to see in more detail what we have achieved.
While we celebrate our successes, it is vital that we remember that our regional and rural communities are hurting as a result of the drought and bushfires across NSW. Landcare is central to natural disaster response, recovery and resilience building across the state but is limited in the amount it can do without adequate resources. In an effort to help our regional and local Landcare groups do more in times of calamity, Landcare NSW has recently submitted a proposal to the State Government for a $20 million, four-year program that would provide better resources and coordination to Landcare groups in the phases of recovery and preparedness for natural disasters in NSW.
All this output would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and commitment of the small team at Landcare NSW, and our volunteer Executive Committee and Council. Also, Landcare NSW would not accomplish its mission without the support of its Landcare member groups and the wider Landcare community in NSW. Thank you all for your continued support.
From all of us at Landcare NSW, we wish you a safe and happy Christmas and we look forward to working with you in 2020.
Dr Adrian Zammit | Chief Executive Officer
Landcare NSW Inc.