Mr Robert Dulhunty was last night awarded the 2019 Gerald Carnie Memorial Award at a ceremony in Broken Hill in recognition of his local, regional and statewide contribution to Landcare over 30 years.
Rob has been a passionate member of the Landcare movement since his initial involvement through the Furracabad Landcare Group in 1989. He was an active participant of the district Landcare network for the Glen Innes area – GLENRAC – from 1989 until 2009. After helping to found Landcare NSW in 2007, he was Chair from 2011 to 2018 during a period of phenomenal growth that saw the organisation develop as the peak body for Landcare and community NRM.
Landcare NSW CEO, Dr Adrian Zammit said, “Rob’s depth of knowledge and vision for the Landcare movement demonstrates the ‘fire in the belly’ he has for Landcare.
“He was instrumental in the growth of his local Landcare group, helped to build Landcare in his region and took up the challenge of leading a statewide organisation to give grassroots Landcarers a voice.
“His efforts have resulted in a strong and sustainable Landcare community in NSW and this award is well-earned recognition for his contribution over many years.
“The quality of all those who were nominated for this award is extraordinary. Our movement is full of unsung heroes who inspire their neighbours to get involved in Landcare and do something positive for our landscapes and communities. I acknowledge them all and thank them for their work,” said Dr Zammit.
The Gerald Carnie Memorial Award for Keeping the Landcare Flame Alive was established by Landcare NSW to recognise Gerald’s special individual contribution to the Landcare movement.
The award is proudly supported by the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare (PFL) as the official partner and sponsor.
Chair of the PFL, Mr Dugald Saunders, Member for the Dubbo Electorate said: “I have seen Landcare’s efforts firsthand and I am very impressed at the results you are achieving. On behalf of all my colleagues in the PFL, can I say your work is valued and much appreciated.”
At the award ceremony, held as part of the 2019 NSW Landcare and Local Land Services Conference in Broken Hill, one of the founders of Landcare NSW and current Landcare NSW Councillor David Walker said: “Gerald Carnie had the Landcare fire in his belly. He spoke about the importance of the spark of individual awareness, ownership and action as being basic to getting uptake of practice change and conservation.
“Gerald’s work in Landcare was the embodiment of this conviction, and the Gerald Carnie Memorial Award is a testament to people who ensure the persistence and the spread of the Landcare flame,” Mr Walker said.
The Gerald Carnie Memorial Award is awarded every two years in conjunction with the State Landcare Awards.
The award is given to an individual in recognition of their contribution to the development of ‘the philosophy of Landcare’. The recipient champions the development of Landcare to support a change in attitudes, which translates to a more cohesive and resilient community that acts to achieve a healthier environment and/or more productive and sustainable farms.
Applicants are judged on the impact they have had at the local and regional or state scale to ensure that Landcare can prosper. The finalists for the Award for 2019 are:
Harry Bentley – Berridale Rocky Plains Landcare
Harry Bentley has been involved with Berridale Rocky Plains Landcare and the Upper Snowy Landcare Network in various roles including Secretary and Treasurer. He has inspired a new generation of Landcarers in his region to take on the task of re-populating the Monaro with trees in order to regenerate the land, draw down carbon, recover biodiversity and restore land value.
Nerida Croker – Fullerton Hadley Landcare
Nerida is a founding member of the Fullerton Hadley Landcare Group (FHL), established in 2001 and has held the position of Chair ever since. Nerida has also been an active member of the award-winning Kanangra-Boyd to Wyangala Link Partnership (K2W), a Great Eastern Ranges conservation initiative, since 2012, and served as joint chairperson of the K2W steering committee.
Daintry Gerrand – Manning Coastcare
Daintry Gerrand established Manning Coastcare Group in 1996 and has worked tirelessly for this group for 23 years. She is a founding committee member of the North Coast Regional Landcare Network and Mid Coast 2 Tops Landcare Connection. She has served on the Landcare NSW Council as regional representative for the North Coast and works professionally as a Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator with Hunter Local Land Services.
In June 2011, Gerald Carnie, a committed Landcarer from the Parkes area, died suddenly at the age of 46, leaving his wife Lorraine and sons, Ryan and Jarrod, grieving and the Landcare community shocked. We continue to recognise Gerald and his contribution to Landcare with this special Award.
For further information contact:
Landcare NSW
Jodie Lovell, Communications Officer
0439 316 151