Scaling up Landcare

A Collaborative Approach for Statewide Impact

At Landcare NSW, we recognise the growing interest in and need for large-scale environmental and natural resource management (NRM) projects. Over the past year, various NSW government agencies and internal groups have expressed their eagerness to collaborate with Landcare NSW to implement broader initiatives that have the potential to create significant statewide impact. This aligns well with several State and National grant programs that emphasise large-scale results.

To effectively deliver these ambitious projects, Landcare NSW aims to work closely with Landcarers across the State. We are committed to developing streamlined procedures and protocols that will allow us to respond quickly and efficiently when opportunities arise. This collaboration will ensure that all stakeholders’ needs are met and project objectives are achieved seamlessly.

Currently, Landcare Regions and Landcare NSW are engaged in a statewide private land conservation program funded through the Biodiversity Conservation Trust. Additionally, initial discussions are underway with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development about involving Landcare in Biosecurity Emergency Response and Surveillance. Our goal is to finalise these procedures and protocols soon, enabling us to leverage new opportunities and resources to address shared concerns or offer services on a fee-for-service basis.

Insights from the State Advisory Council Meeting

During the recent State Advisory Council meeting, the importance of quality, bottom-up consultation, early engagement, and building strong relationships with regions was emphasised. It was discussed that there is a need for streamlined reporting, targeted involvement based on a detailed interest matrix, and normalising preventative protocols at all events. These steps will ensure efforts are aligned with regional needs and capabilities, enabling the effective addressing of critical environmental and NRM issues.

Grant Consultation Process: Seeking Your Input

Landcare NSW is committed to simplifying the process for applying to statewide projects and establishing a Regional Consultation process. To design this effectively, a series of consultation sessions will be conducted with guidance from our State Advisory Council. Regional Representatives and volunteers are invited to provide their insights on the key features necessary for an effective Regional Consultation process. Key considerations include who needs to be consulted, realistic timeframes, barriers to success, and communication methods. Your feedback is critically important to ensure efforts align with regional needs and capabilities. If you wish to join future working groups, please reach out to us.

If you are interested in participating in the development of these procedures and protocols, please contact Peter Dixon at pdixon@landcarensw.org.au.

Private Land Conservation Matters (PLCM)

Private Land Conservation Matters (PLCM) project

– Suzanne Pritchard, LNSW Project Manager

The Private Land Conservation Matters (PLCM) project is ramping up with events planned and rolling out across the state in 12 Landcare regions. The Biodiversity Conservation Trust funded project is making possible 69 field days, eight networking events, 21 workshops, three forums, four trials and four online webinars.

The main themes being addressed across the project include sharing best practice biodiversity conservation in production areas, caring for Country, bush regeneration strategies, riparian restoration and habitat management for flora, fauna, endangered communities, and individual species.

These themes have translated into events such as the recently held 2-day Fire Focus Forum, hosted by Gywmac Landcare, Threatened Species Investigation in the McDonald Valley hosted by Greater Sydney Landcare, the jam-packed Creek Feast day organised by Watershed Landcare, celebrating all aspects of riparian restoration, and the Conservation & Primary Production Field day hosted by MidCoast2Tops at Dingo Creek where landholders shared their successful integration of an Angus Stud with riparian restoration.

The focus for many groups across the state in May is mycology. A Fungi Discovery workshop is being organised by South East Landcare, Soil Super heroes secrets will be shared by MidCoast2Tops and Mycology in the Mix is being presented by Central West Lachlan Landcare.

Keeping track of all the events and sharing the lessons learnt is being made possible by the recently activated PLCM Shared Resources portal, https://plcm.landcarensw.net.au/.

The events calendar is publicly available, and it is hoped that it will provide a useful resource for ideas and a vehicle for collating the event outcomes to support Landcarers looking to host events in their region to support all Landcarers, including those on private land.

Private Land Conservation Matters (PLCM)

Private land conservation really does matter!

– Suzanne Pritchard, LNSW Project Manager

Private land conservation really does matter and Landcarers across NSW are supporting those that are leading the way and encouraging other landholders to follow thanks to the $1.54 million Private Land Conservation Matters (PLCM) contract LNSW is delivering for the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT).

What started out as a partnership between the BCT and LNSW to better understand the shared interests in managing land for biodiversity outcomes has developed into a mutually beneficially arrangement providing resources for 12 host organisations across the state to host 106 events by December 2024.

From multi-partner multi-day forums to online webinars, and every event type in between, how to manage private land to enhance biodiversity outcomes is being talked about by experts, shared in social networking gatherings, understood through citizen science projects and on land that has a one form or another of conservation covenant upon it.

It’s all about protection of Box Gum Grassy Woodlands (BGGW) in the Murray. Landholders will be able to learn about this endangered vegetation type while spotlighting and dining, considering natural capital options, understanding cultural connections or identifying tools and technology to tackle management decision. The BGGW supports productive agriculture based on native pastures, so it’s a win for landholders, native flora and fauna if this diverse ecosystem can be encouraged, expanded and connected across the landscape.

In the north of the state walk & talk field days on covenanted landholdings will see multiple agencies converging to share best practice land conservation techniques and knowledge in dealing with landslips and erosion, threatened species, and property planning. These gatherings are key to strengthening the social connections between landholders, who sometimes feel isolated, with like-minded Landcarers.

Out west big is better and forums are the flavour for bringing landholders together. The combination of large distances and limited time will see a multiday forum held in the western region and a 2-day event focussing on all aspects of utilising fire in the north western region. There will also be field days-a-plenty providing opportunities to get up close and personal with seed, showcasing some trials and demonstration and bringing multiple organisations together to explore and educate how to improve on-farm biodiversity.

The southeast will be utilising the PLCM funding to host roadshows across the region on riparian strategies and bush regeneration techniques. Regional workshops and field days are also planned to cover topics as diverse as koalas, regenerative agriculture, keystone species, fungi and flora, preceded by information sharing webinars so that the theory can be put into on the day. A muster to bring everyone together is in the mix too.

Along the east coast learning opportunities to better understand private land management of feral animals, woody weeds, caring for country, ecological burns for biodiversity, koalas, and fungi will see workshops and field days held. A growing interest in understanding bush regeneration strategies will provide food for thought about the value of retaining and expanding remnant vegetation.

If you’d like to find out more about what’s happening in your region contact your local landcare group, or BCT representative. All regions across the state have something to offer.

Private land conservation, by providing opportunities for landholders and Landcarers to connect and support each other, will greatly contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30×30 targets calling for 30% of land under protection by 2030.

The Private Land Conservation Matters program is key to unlocking the potential of landholders to protect biodiversity across the state. LNSW acknowledges the foresight and support of the BCT in resourcing Landcarers to deliver an extensive program of activities for landholders to conserve biodiversity on their property.

March 2024

CEO Report – March 2020

This summer’s events are a reminder of the scale and complexity of the challenges that we face in protecting our environment, our productive and sustainable farms, and the well-being of all our communities.

For Landcare NSW, 2020 has started at a frenetic pace with lots of key activities underway.

Landcare NSW is actively pursuing a number of partnerships and funding arrangements to benefit the Landcare community including a partnership with the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT). Landcare NSW received a funding deed for $1.37 million last month which will cover the cost for rolling out a number of educational activities that will bring together people such as landowners and highlight what the BCT is offering to people on the land and in our communities.

Landcare NSW’s partnership with the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE), that was announced at the Trees in the House event in November, has been formalised with the signing of an MOU for the Greater Sydney Landcare Network to deliver the planting of 100,000 trees in the Greater Sydney region as part of the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s Five Million Trees program.

With all our partnerships, we insist that all partnership programs and projects are co-designed, co-delivered, co-managed and co-governed. All these partnership programs and projects are co-governed by Joint Management Committees made up of leaders and senior executives from the two partner organisations, similar to the one we have with Local Land Services (LLS) for the delivery of the NSW Landcare Program.

Landcare NSW signed an MOU with Saving Our Species in February to promote and raise additional funding for the program with non-government sources. Linda Bell spoke to the Landcare NSW Council at its February Council meeting.

Gotcha4Life and Landcare NSW have also entered a partnership, and an Expression of Interest has gone out to all Landcare regions to seek funding to deliver Mental Fitness Weeks in rural and regional areas across the state in 2020.

Late in 2019, Landcare NSW submitted a business case for $20 million for the delivery of activities related to disaster relief, recovery and preparedness. This was submitted at the beginning of the disaster season, since then the problem has obviously escalated significantly. I believe Landcare should be the go-to vehicle for the delivery of these kinds of services. The Chair, our Government Relations Manager and I had a meeting with Minister Adam Marshall to discuss the business case and the role Landcare can play and these discussions are ongoing.

Corporate partnerships are also an area Landcare NSW is developing and exploring as the interest in corporate volunteering in bushfire affected areas continues to increase.