Category: News

As preparations get under way for the National Drought Summit in Canberra tomorrow, Landcare has reminded the nation’s leaders that Australia’s grassroots community Landcare movement is central to responding to this drought and preparing for future droughts.

Landcare NSW is pleased that well-known Victorian Landcarer and former Member of Parliament, Sandy McKenzie, has been invited to the Drought Summit.

Landcare NSW Chair, Mr Rob Dulhunty, said, “Sandy will convey the message that Landcare is community-driven, cost-effective and achieves great outcomes for agriculture, environment and people.”

A recent study commissioned by Landcare NSW showed the volunteer Landcare movement contributes $500m in economic value to NSW each year.

The 30-year old Landcare model builds motivated, engaged communities from the grassroots up rather than directed from top down. This approach is critical to building adaptive capacity and resilience which are essential to responding to the immediate challenge of the drought and to managing future droughts.

“Landcare equips communities and farmers with skills, resources and support to change practices and deliver environmental projects. Despite the longevity of Landcare and its value to the community we have seen a reduction in federal funding for the supportive infrastructure that underpins the Landcare model,” explained Mr Dulhunty.

Landcare CEO, Dr Adrian Zammit, added: “Like any other volunteer movement, Landcare cannot operate without professional staff and infrastructure. In NSW a renewal of the partnership with the State Government has enabled a resurgence in Landcare activity across the State but support structures must be maintained and supported by all levels of Government.”

As our nation’s leaders consider how to respond to the drought, Mr Dulhunty said investment should address the causes not just treat the symptoms.

“Previous Federal investment in Landcare focused on changing social norms and building capacity and engagement in local communities. Local people were involved in designing and implementing programs,” explained Mr Dulhunty.

“Recently we’ve seen the Federal Government move in a direction that has left many Landcare groups without the core support they need to exist.

“Despite it being called the National Landcare Program, it is not doing much to support the continued existence of the grassroots Landcare community despite the proven model and willingness of thousands of farmers and individuals to get involved.”

The provision of funding for Landcare (that is, professional staff and infrastructure), should be considered by local, state and federal governments as an investment that equips and enables communities to improve and restore the environment and respond to pressing issues such as drought.

Documents:

Drought Summit 26 Oct 2018 – Sandy MacKenzie, National Landcare Members Council Delegate from Victoria presentation paper

Brief for Drought Summit Oct 26 2018 – Supplement to Summit paper presented by Sandy MacKenzie – National Landcare Members Council Delegate from Victoria.

Landcare NSW has been engaged by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to facilitate the delivery of workshops and activities aimed at increasing landholder uptake of best practice management of invasive species.

This project provides an opportunity to build partnerships between Landcare, land managers, government agencies and local government to improve the delivery of collaborative management actions targeting established pest animals and widespread weeds across NSW.

State Landcare Coordinator Natasha English said:

“11 regional workshops will be held across the state during November to identify activities needed in each region. These workshops aim to bring local partners together to highlight what activities are already occurring in each region, discuss local needs and how best to utilise the MEPAAW project in each region.

“With this information we can then add value to existing activities, and address gaps that may not currently be resourced.

“Networks are encouraged to seek feedback from members regarding concerns or potential training needs for managing established invasive species,” said Natasha English.

Funds will be made available for Landcare Networks to coordinate and deliver training/extension activities.

Discussions and outcomes from the regional workshops will be compiled into an activities plan/report. The activities plan will identify the priority activities to be implemented through the MEPAAW project e.g. what training/extension activities will be delivered.

Activities will be delivered between November 2018 and April 2019.

This project is managed by Landcare NSW, and is conducted under the auspices of the Joint Management Committee of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

Please contact Project Manager Bec Ballard for more information:
Email: pestlures@gmail.com
Mobile: 0429 473 570

 

This project is supported by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Landcare NSW through funding received from the Established Pest Animals and Weeds initiative, part of the Australian Government’s Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the government’s plan for stronger farmers and a stronger economy.

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On Thursday 20 September, NSW Sustaining Landcare Week was debated in the Legislative Assembly of the NSW Parliament. 11 MPs spoke on the significant value Landcare provides and commended the hard work and dedication of Landcarers across the state.

Specific recognition was given to volunteers, Landcare committees and the extraordinary work of the Local Landcare Coordinators.

Landcare NSW Chief Executive Dr Adrian Zammit said:

“It is fantastic to see the local impact of the work of Landcare receiving recognition in Parliament. This recognition is greatly appreciated by the Landcare community, including the 72 Local Landcare Coordinators, networks and thousands of volunteers, who work tirelessly to deliver real outcomes on the ground for landholders and communities throughout NSW.

“The Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative is bringing tangible benefits to communities in natural resources management, building social capital and creating rural jobs. This highlights the importance of Landcare NSW and the work we do to provide support and a voice to the grassroots Landcare movement in NSW. Sustaining Landcare Week was an opportunity for Landcarers and members of the public to come together to share their experiences and knowledge,” said Dr Zammit.

NSW Sustaining Landcare Week was an initiative of Landcare NSW supported by the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare (PFL).

The PFL Chair Kevin Anderson, Member for Tamworth, organised the debate (a Notice of Motion) which enabled MPs to speak about Landcare in their electorate and the events they attended during Sustaining Landcare Week.

Click on the link below for the Hansard transcript:

Legislative Assembly Hansard – 20 September 2018 – Proof

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/permalink?id=HANSARD-1323879322-103597

Recent TV stories of the dry conditions affecting New South Wales and Queensland have shown the depressing conditions that seem to go hand in hand with the regular onset of dry weather in Australia.

David Marsh, a Boorowa grazier of 47 years has found that by changing his land management philosophy: his business and land is not suffering like it used to during these harsh dry periods.

David is acknowledged for alerting primary producers to the fact that a healthy catchment and long-term profitability go hand-in-hand. He was pivotal in the early establishment of the Landcare movement, and David’s property “Allendale” has long been a proving ground for sympathetic land management.

David was one of the first people in the Boorowa district to use direct seeding techniques for planting trees, and his on-ground practice has been hugely influential in educating other landholders, with the Marsh family hosting thousands of visitors to their property since 1989. David has also shared his knowledge away from the farm, addressing over 50 farmer groups and conferences across Australia on holistic management, planning for drought, healthy soils and biodiversity.

“Whilst I find myself feeling deep empathy for those who have found themselves in hard situations during this drought, we have found we are no longer seeing the scenes we saw on our farm in the late 60s and 1982/3,” said David Marsh.

Click below to read how David has turned his property around and shares the lessons he has learnt on how to plan for dry times.

Read the full article here:
Lessons Learnt on how to plan for dry times – David Marsh

The photograph below was taken at David’s Boorowa property ‘Allendale’ in August 2018. Paddocks have good ground cover, stock are settled, in good condition and not being supplementary fed.

Photo courtesy of Landline: Marty MCCarthy

Read about farmers from NSW and Queensland who realised that if they wanted to keep farming in Australia they needed to embrace rather than battle an often unpredictable climate.

One thing to come out of this current drought is the positive stories about the resilience and skills of farmers and rural communities. Read the full story that appeared on Landline, Defying the drought: Farmers who have braced for the big dry about farmers who have made changes to ensure they are prepared for this drought and future ones.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358

Click on the links below for more information and inspiring stories from our very own Landcare community:

• Martin Royds – South East Landcare (Braidwood)
• Louise Turner – Western Landcare (White Cliffs)
• David Marsh – LachLandcare (Boorowa)

Responding to the drought was a major topic of discussion at the Landcare NSW Council meeting of 14 August with reports from many parts of the State on the serious impacts of the drought as well as positive stories about the resilience and skills of farmers and rural communities.

In response to the drought, Landcare is providing support, information and referral to landholders with the assistance of Local Landcare Coordinators and other Landcare staff.

In smaller communities that do not have government staff or other community groups, Landcare is often the key point of contact.

Council resolved that Landcare could do more should resources become available. A Landcare Drought Response Paper has been developed to illustrate additional activities Landcare could undertake to support farmers and communities. This is a living document and will be updated and added to as feedback from on-ground Landcare is received.

Following the Council meeting, Landcare NSW CEO Adrian Zammit met the State Drought Coordinator, Pip Job, to offer the support and assistance of the Landcare community.

He advised Pip that Landcare offers a supported network of groups, volunteers and professional staff who are skilled in land management and well-connected in their communities. Landcare is involved in the immediate response to the drought and will be central to recovery and preparation for future droughts. Landcare’s assistance ranges from technical advice to social support to rallying communities. As a Landcarer herself, Pip is well informed of Landcare’s capacity.

The point was also made that NLP2 (the National Landcare Program) had resulted in greatly reduced support for Landcare in many areas and that this has a major impact on capacity.

Pip advised her role was to support a whole-of-government approach to the drought. This includes coordinating the State Government’s response, overcoming barriers faced by farmers and resolving issues and problems. She advised the impact of the drought varies between regions and the length and intensity of the drought is not yet known. She warned the situation could worsen which will place even greater demand on farmers, businesses and community groups.

Pip appreciated the offer of assistance from Landcare and offered to facilitate a webinar to brief the Landcare community on the support available to landholders and communities – this will be organised soon. Landcare NSW will also ensure discussions occur with LLS to coordinate activity.

Landcare NSW has distributed the following information to the NSW Landcare community: the latest update on Government assistance, contact details of the Rural Resilience Officers who are facilitating the Rural Support Networks; and information regarding the GIVIT platform that is coordinating donations.

Resources:

• Drought Assistance Factsheet V7 – August 2018
• Giving Back to our Farmers Made Easier press release
• Rural Support Networks list August 2018
• Landcare NSW Drought Response Paper
• NSW Landcare Gateway

When the drought breaks Louise Turner, executive officer of Western Landcare NSW and a member of the Landcare NSW Council, hopes the work they are doing now will see the water slow down and stay longer on their property to improve long-term soil moisture and grow more native plants.

Louise Turner and her husband Zane run Goodwood Station, a 90,000 acre, 3rd generation owned and run sheep station near White Cliffs, in the far west of NSW. Louise has been involved with Landcare for the past 22 years and with Western Landcare NSW since its inception 12 years ago.

Their property is one of four properties near White Cliffs who are working together with funding provided by Western Local Land Services to participate in the Ecosystem Management Understanding (EMU) program.
The program provides a framework to understand landscape processes and how to strategically address natural resource management issues.

At Goodwood Station under the guidance of Hugh Pringle, works within the EMU program involve rehabilitation of a remnant wetland (1000 acres) by undertaking some major earthworks, addressing the bywashing of the floodplain and addressing the shortage of seed in the landscape by creating an onsite seed nursery. Landholders active in this project have also had the opportunity to undertake a Geomorphology workshop which teaches them how to read the landscape and thus understand the works they are currently undertaking.

Louise says they have now had a ‘taste’ for what a huge difference this type of land management will have long term and are continuing to expand this to other parts of their property to ensure the continuation of this project.

“We can see the work we are doing now will make a big difference going forward and this will mean we will be prepared for extreme weather events such as drought, in the future,” said Louise Turner.

Louise Turner recently spoke to Tim Dornin from AAP for a story in the Newcastle Herald about their ambitious plan to revive a once-thriving wetland (around 100 years ago) that was productive up until the past 40 years or so.

“We need to do things to this place so that if our kids want to be here we can enable that.

“We want to lead by example.”

Read the full article here:
https://www.theherald.com.au/news/national/5596719/plans-on-nsw-wetlands-return-amid-drought/

Long time Landcarer Martin Royds has taken a holistic management approach on his Braidwood property in the South East of NSW and its paying dividends.

Martin sits on the Landcare NSW Executive Committee and is the regional representative for South East Landcare. He recently featured in an article in the Canberra Times that details how he has transitioned from “moron” farmer to having a farm full of water.

“I’ve now realised that if we work with it, the land will work with you and it really gets a lot easier.”

These are not times any farmer, including Mr Royds, would describe as easy.

But the holistic management approaches he has taken on his 457-hectare farm, Jillamatong, mean his costs of production are minimal, allowing him to cope better than most with the drought that has hit NSW and the ACT hard.

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/how-a-farmer-went-from-the-moron-approach-to-a-farm-full-of-water-20180817-p4zy23.html

Photo courtesy of Karleen Minney, The Canberra Times.

‘NSW Sustaining Landcare Week’ is happening across the state supported by the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare (PFL).

Running over 16 days from 17 August until 2 September, Sustaining Landcare Week aims to raise community awareness of the vital work undertaken by Landcare across NSW.

The importance of the community Landcare movement is highlighted by the impact of the drought on farmers and rural communities.

“Landcare is more than just planting trees. It is about sustainable and productive agriculture, environmental conservation, restoration and social capital,” said Landcare NSW Chair Mr Rob Dulhunty.

“Sustaining Landcare is about securing the services and support Landcare groups need to carry out their valuable projects and activities.

“This week is an opportunity for Landcarers and members of the public to come together to share their experiences and knowledge,” said Mr Dulhunty.

Generating understanding of the work undertaken by Landcare and other community organisations is critical to maintaining ongoing support for these groups and their dedicated volunteers.

A recent study commissioned by Landcare NSW shows Landcare contributes $500 million pa in economic value – and this estimate is conservative.

“Although the monetary value of Landcare is significant, it’s knowing Landcare is achieving real outcomes for landholders and communities that is inspiring,” Mr Dulhunty said.

“We have had strong support from the NSW Government since 2015 and this has made a real difference to Landcare on the ground. With the backing of the NSW Government, Landcare NSW and NSW Local Land Services (LLS) are planning the next phase of Landcare support.”

Landcare needs to be well supported to deliver this value.

During Sustaining Landcare week, Landcare groups across the State will be showcasing their work. A Calendar of Events of the planned activities can be found here.

The Minister for Primary Industries, the Hon. Niall Blair has portfolio responsibility for the NSW Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative (LLCI).

Current funding for the LLCI ends in June 2019. With the backing of the NSW Government, Landcare NSW and the Local Land Services (LLS) are planning the next phase of Landcare support.

Minister Blair has invited Landcare NSW and LLS to submit a business case to continue Landcare support funding in NSW beyond June 2019.