What an amazing Landcare State Gathering we had at the Aanuka Resort, Coffs Harbour last week.

With over 180 participants and a very welcomed visit by the Hon. Tara Moriarty MLC, Minister for Agriculture, Regional NSW and Western NSW, it was a fantastic three days of celebration with Landcarers from across NSW coming together to Reconnect, Recharge and Build Capacity.

Local and Regional Coordinators, Host Organisation representatives, members of the Landcare and Local Land Services Executive, Landcare NSW staff and the NSW Landcare Program Team enjoyed a mix of guest speakers, break-out sessions and presentations from Coordinators showcasing the amazing work they have been doing on the ground. Landcarers from Broken Hill to Boorowa immersed themselves in the gathering.

A big thank you to Uncle Micklo Jarret and Troy Robinson who welcomed everyone to Country, with their singing and smoking ceremony before a walk to the beach to dip our toes in the ocean.

The Landcare State Gathering is a bi-annual event that brings together Landcare Coordinators, their hosts, Landcare NSW and LLS together to share, connect and plan future collaborations.

The NSW Landcare Program is a program that supports the employment of 84 local and regional coordinators across NSW to build capacity, leverage funding and facilitate activities and events for Landcare volunteers and the community.

In the last four years (2019-2023) Landcare coordination has yielded $69m in net NRM, land management and community participation in NSW, with a return on investment of every $1 invested, $3 in benefit.

A huge thank you and congratulations to the Local Land Services team and Landcare NSW for coordinating a well-structured, and collaborative event in Coffs Harbour. And of course a huge thank you to North Coast Regional Landcare Network!

This initiative is made possible by the NSW Landcare Program. A collaboration between Landcare NSW and the Local Land Services, supported by the NSW Government.