Category: News

Landcare NSW’s People Led Prevention disaster resilience project reached an important milestone last week with the completion of the co-design workshops for the pilot regions.

Participants from pilot regions – North West, North Coast and North West Sydney – joined Landcare NSW in a series of workshops aimed at discovering the issues and frustrations that households and landowners face when trying to preapre for disasters.

Katie Caldwell, Landcare NSW Project Manager said: “The intention of the co-design workshops is to explore all the facets of Landcare work that contribute to disaster risk reduction. We also want to know what each community faces in the way of disasters and how we can support and engage them in becoming disaster resilient.”

The $1,900,000 project, funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments, is designed to be agile and reflect the different needs of communities in becoming prepared for natural disasters events like fire, flood, heatwaves, storms and landslips.

“Through positive engagement with households and landowners in the three pilot regions, this project aims to create a greater understanding about disaster risk and provide the tools to actively prepare and mitigate risk using nature-based solutions,” Ms Caldwell said.

Landcare NSW will be working with households and landowners in the pilot regions and collaborating with other disaster agencies by tapping into existing disaster related initiatives to deliver a seamless project that is mutually beneficial to all.

Initial results from the co-design workshops suggests that across the pilot regions the types of disaster risks most concerning for communities are fire and floods, followed closely by storms and heatwaves.

Many of the co-design participants felt that addressing the issue of being time-poor was one of the main hurdles around getting prepared for future natural disasters. Many felt that accessing information resources and the sharing of knowledge should happen at field days, as a vast majority of the targeted people already attend such events.

The next stage in the project will see the development of a disaster preparedness ‘toolkit’ for distribution throughout the pilot regions.

Opinion Editorial: Turlough Guerin, Landcare NSW CEO 

Not a day goes by when we are not bombarded by depressing news that would lead us to believe we are fighting a losing battle in the protection of our natural environment. Climate change, loss of biodiversity, soil and waterway degradation, loss of agricultural productivity – the list goes on. But where do you think governments are looking to for solutions? Capital markets.

Landcare NSW recognises the significant challenges of climate change and its impacts on farming, environmental conservation, and communities. Landcare’s greatest strength is local people working on local problems. Grassroots communities working together to ensure the work is done, to provide a solution for each particular, local environmental problem.

By implementing projects in urban, rural, and regional NSW, Landcare groups are pioneering ideas and practices that are driving the change towards more sustainable farming and increased biodiversity protection.

However, we cannot expect volunteers to solve the emerging environmental, biodiversity, climate change, and other landscape-related problems facing our state without financial support. These issues are complex and can only be addressed by all stakeholders, in particular Government working together with communities to design and deliver solutions.

Landcare NSW is actively engaging with its partners in Government to help facilitate the changes needed to halt environmental decline. By working with the members of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare or through our formal partnership arrangements with Local Land Services, the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust, the Department of Planning and Environment, NSW Reconstruction Authority, Saving our Species, as well as corporates and other NGOs, Landcare NSW ensures that sustainable farming, conservation, and resilient communities are at the heart of Government and corporate policies, programs and projects. In reality, these bodies need the support of Landcare to ensure their programs are delivered on the ground. This makes us an ideal delivery partner.

Anyone who knows a Landcarer knows that they are not looking for ‘hand-outs’. The value Landcare provides to the economy is immense. Research has shown that for every dollar the State invests in Landcare, we return four dollars. That makes Landcare coordinators and the groups that they support, incredibly good stewards of public funds, and important contributors to the economy.

As we often say: Landcare is People Care. If we look after our Landcarers, we keep our country healthy, too.

By ensuring Landcare is properly funded, the Government will ensure its programs consider key facets of the local landscape and cultural practices, and leverage Landcare’s immense social capital at the local level, ensuring buy-in by farmers and landowners to deliver long-term outcomes.

Our well-being as a State is dependent on the well-being of our planet. Time is running out. We must work together to take bold actions to protect, restore and sustainably manage our environment while safeguarding our economic well-being before it is too late. We have a solution at hand: it’s called Landcare. By activating our social capital Landcare can ensure financial investment is leveraged to benefit society, the environment and the economy.

Landcare NSW has welcomed the announcement made by the NSW Labor Party to commit $59 million to the next phase of the NSW Landcare Program.

Landcare NSW CEO Turlough Guerin said this support is much appreciated and will go a long way towards stopping the decline of the environment.

“On behalf of Landcare groups across the state, we would like to thank the NSW Labor Party for their generous pledge to fully support our ask for funding to not only continue, but to grow the NSW Landcare Program over the next four years.

“Landcare is needed now more than ever. Landcare across NSW stands ready to respond to the many challenges in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management and would rather see activity levels grow than simply maintaining them or worse, see them decline,” said Mr Guerin.

Landcarers have consistently advised $59 million is needed to maintain the high standard of outcomes and capacity building currently being delivered across NSW.

“A fully funded program will not only continue the significant progress achieved over the past four years but build on it. With this funding, we will be able to harness the capacity and willingness of a 60,000-strong network of volunteers to provide essential support services and increase our efforts to make our environment and communities more resilient to extreme climate events and to reverse the decline in our precious biodiversity.”

Mr Guerin said a Government investment of $59 million will generate around a quarter of a billion dollars in benefits for NSW regional businesses, government agencies and rural economies, which would be an extraordinary return on government funding. It will also continue to foster resilience in those communities.

“A supported Landcare community returns at least $4 for every $1 invested. The investment will include supporting leadership development heading into the next generation and the employment of more than 100 community leaders to help combat the increasing skills gap expected to occur over the coming decade in rural and regional NSW.

“The funding will go to local jobs that support rural and regional communities. It will go to creating an additional 11 new regional First Nations Landcare Officer roles. Having a larger, connected network of regional First Nations Officers will increase opportunities to consciously develop stronger connections and partnerships between Landcare groups and Aboriginal Communities.

“Landcare NSW, a community-led non-for-profit organisation is proving a great service delivery partner for the NSW Government with a wonderful return on previous funding. Landcare have been providing nature-based solutions, so needed now by emerging markets, for the past 30 years and we will continue to do so,” said Mr Guerin.

Richmond Landcare has set an inspiring precedent for reconciliation by being the first Landcare group in NSW to have its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) endorsed by Reconciliation Australia.

Richmond Landcare – Reflect Reconcilitation Action Plan (RAP)

The Reflect RAP outlines the group’s dedication to increasing cultural awareness and knowledge, promoting engagement strategies, and building collaborative partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Michael Kennedy, Aboriginal Landcare Officer at the North Coast Regional Landcare Network, emphasises the crucial role of incorporating First Nations knowledge into Landcare projects and activities. The NSW North Coast was the pilot region for an Aboriginal Landcare Officer position under the NSW Landcare Aboriginal Engagement Program, known as ‘Working Together.’

Working closely with Michael Kennedy, Richmond Landcare has committed to engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to ensure that Landcare volunteers, staff and community members learn from Traditional Owners and work collaboratively towards achieving common goals.

Hedy Bryant, Richmond Landcare’s secretary and RAP champion said “Our goal is to establish strong partnerships with the Traditional Owners of the Country on which we work and incorporate their knowledge of Country, including plant names, their uses and Aboriginal Land Management practices into our projects.”

Staff at Richmond Landcare will consult with the appropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and stakeholders to establish the correct cultural protocols and practices before projects get underway.

This approach ensures that Traditional Owners are consulted and listened to before any project commences, as Craig Little, Aboriginal Engagement Manager at Landcare NSW, notes: “It’s exciting to see Richmond Landcare initiating actions towards reconciliation by including the Traditional Owners of Country in an advisory role for their projects.”

Richmond Landcare’s Reflect RAP is a testament to the group’s commitment to building meaningful relationships with First Nations people and promoting reconciliation within their community.

By creating a RAP, Richmond Landcare not only demonstrates its commitment to cultural respect, appreciation, and awareness for Traditional Land Custodians, but also takes a meaningful step towards aligning the organisation’s values with those of Traditional Cultures.

This effort helps to promote greater understanding and recognition of the rich history and knowledge of First Nations peoples, and fosters stronger relationships and collaboration with these communities.

The group is proud to be leading the path towards reconciliation, and hopes that their efforts will inspire other Landcare groups to take similar steps.

 

Landcare NSW is seeking funding to continue and scale up its grassroots efforts tackling climate action in local communities, developing stronger connections between Landcare and Aboriginal Communities, and driving sustainable agriculture on ground environmental outcomes across the state.

Leading into the NSW State Election on Saturday, 25 March 2023, Landcare NSW is calling on all political representatives to support the Landcare movement and commit to funding an enhanced program requiring a $59 million investment over the next four years, 2023 – 2027.

Together with NSW Local Land Services, Landcare NSW submitted a business case to the NSW Minister for Agriculture and Shadow Minister in November 2022.

The business case outlines why a bold, fully optimised Program funding of $59 million is needed over four years to provide further support, and build on the success and momentum created through the NSW Landcare Program in 2019 – 2023.

A condensed version of the Business Case is provided.

Landcare NSW welcomed the announcement by Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment, Sue Higginson, who has called on both Labor and the Coalition to join The Greens NSW and take a tri-partisan approach to the NSW Landcare program and deliver a $59 million funding commitment over the next four years.

Landcare NSW CEO Turlough Guerin said: “It is imperative that the Government continues to fund Landcare in NSW and the 100 regional and rural jobs it supports through the NSW Landcare Program. Landcare across NSW stands ready to help the Government respond to the many environmental challenges we all face.

“If Landcare does not receive a funding commitment to continue the state-wide Program beyond June 2023, we fear the momentum and resources our groups provide to support communities will be significantly compromised as will the on-ground work we are able to deliver.”

The current Program which supports the employment of 84 Regional and Local Landcare Coordinators and support staff hosted by community Landcare organisations across regional and rural NSW is due to finish on 30 June 2023. Without a funding commitment by the NSW Government these highly skilled and critical staff funded through the Program are likely to seek other work with more job security.

“As a predominantly volunteer movement, we rely upon funding support to assist the Government to achieves its own outcomes to build the capacity and longevity of positive environmental and agricultural on-ground outcomes,” said Dr Guerin.

For more information:

NSW Landcare Program – funding beyond 2023 – Landcare NSW

NSW Landcare Program Funding 2023-2027 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

Photo shows: The Regional and Local Landcare Coordinators whose employment is dependent on funding provided by the NSW Government through the NSW Landcare Program.