Enhancing Landcare Collaboration Across New South Wales

In a significant development for environmental stewardship, the NSW Government has substantially increased funding for Landcare coordination in the regions and for some centralised services. This boost reflects an evolving expectation from state agencies regarding their collaboration with Landcare across New South Wales and with Landcare NSW in particular.

Recently, during meetings with senior executives from these agencies, there has been a clear expression of interest for Landcare NSW to take on a more pronounced role in coordinating and facilitating the delivery of state-wide or multi-regional projects. This initiative aims to enhance consistency, efficiency, and deeper project penetration, marking a pivotal shift in how environmental and land management projects are managed across the state.

Landcare NSW has a history of executing large-scale projects with regional Landcare groups. These experiences have highlighted both strengths and weaknesses in the current collaborative approach. To address these challenges, Landcare NSW is engaging directly with Landcarers, staff, and committee members in the regions to develop improved protocols and procedures. This co-design and co-delivery approach with the regions is expected to foster more effective project implementation.

Over the coming months, this collaborative effort will be worked through and structured through the State Advisory Council. The objective is to streamline government agency contracts and enhance grant applications, ultimately supporting Landcarers in achieving their strategic objectives more effectively across New South Wales.

This proactive step by Landcare NSW, which is a core part of our advocacy function, not only promises to increase project effectiveness at the regional and group levels, but also aims to secure a more sustainable and impactful future for environmental conservation and sustainable farming across the state.