manyhandsonevoice Archives

Landcare NSW Board supports an Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Landcare NSW has issued a Reconciliation and Treaty Statement on behalf of the Board of Directors.

The statement comes as National Reconciliation Week draws to a close for 2023. The theme for this year is ‘Be a Voice for Generations’.

“The Board of Landcare NSW supports an Indigenous Voice to Parliament and all aspects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart – Voice, Truth and Treaty. The Board of Landcare NSW acknowledges Australia’s First Nations people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and we acknowledge their deep cultural, social, environmental, spiritual and economic connection to their lands and waters. We pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.”

Landcare NSW Chair, Stephanie Cameron said:

“I understand this statement from the Board doesn’t attempt to capture all the views of our members. However, it is our hope and vision that our statement from the Landcare NSW Board will encourage constructive debate on how we progress forward on the important issues of reconciliation and treaty and encourage all of our members to continue these important discussions amongst our diverse Landcare communities in NSW.”

Landcare NSW has been actively working to encourage and provide a voice for reconciliation in the Landcare community.

In 2019, the Aboriginal Engagement “Working Together”Program was launched. This initiative within the NSW Landcare Program aims to increase opportunities to consciously develop stronger connections and partnerships between Landcare groups and Aboriginal Communities.
In 2021, North Coast Landcare Network employed its first Aboriginal Landcare Officer followed by Murrumbidgee Landcare employing its first Aboriginal Landcare Officer.
In 2022, Landcare NSW appointed Mr Rene Woods to the Board in a position reserved for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

The theme encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise.

National Reconciliation Week – 27 May to 3 June – is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Minister for Agriculture attends NSW Landcare State Gathering

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.

Landcare State Gathering to Celebrate NSW Landcare Program

Over 180 Landcarers and community partners from across NSW will make their way to Coffs Harbour next week as part of the NSW Landcare Program State Gathering.

The Gathering runs from Tuesday 16th to Thursday 18th May, and is an opportunity for the network of Regional Landcare Coordinators, Local Landcare Coordinators and community host organisations, to share experiences, learn skills and re-connect with each other.

The 2019-2023 NSW Landcare Program funded by the NSW Government, is a collaborative initiative of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW empowering Landcarers to take action on local problems and deliver outcomes that address local and regional issues.

Landcare NSW Chair Stephanie Cameron said the event is critical to building common understanding and capacity across the state.

“Landcare’s strength lies in the strength of its grassroots, community movement – it’s about local people doing work on the ground to provide local solutions to local problems,” said Ms Cameron.

“The NSW Landcare Program supports the network of hard-working volunteers in local communities who manage and restore the natural environment, improve the sustainability of agricultural production and build the resilience of communities.”

The objectives of the 2023 Gathering are:

Reconnect – bringing the Landcare community together in person after years of online
meetings and no events
Capacity building – sharing skills through networking, workshops and presentations
Recharge – having the event in a relaxed environment and allowing time for participants to
interact.

NSW Landcare CEO Turlough Guerin said the learnings and connections that participants experience at the gathering will provide peer support and information sharing opportunities.

“The State Gathering is an opportunity for our Coordinators and Host Organisations consisting mainly of Landcare groups to input into the next four-year Program and apply learnings to assist in delivering outcomes in their communities in the future.”

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.

Landcarers Learn, Share and Connect at State Gathering

The recent NSW Landcare Program Gathering in Dubbo saw 133 Landcarers come together from across NSW to Learn, Share and Connect. 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 two jam-packed days with a mix of guest speakers, break-out sessions and presentations. Landcarers from Broken Hill to Boorowa and Botany immersed themselves in the gathering.

Uncle Lewis welcomed everyone to Country, with his singing and smoking ceremony before keynote speaker and wool, meat and grain producer Robbie Sefton opened proceedings and set the scene for the gathering with her humorous recollection of life in the late 80s in WA to her role on various boards including the Australia Day Council. Her insight into marketing was riveting. Mary Brell helped the Landcarers to get some insight into the way they think by delivering a workshop on the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument before Merryl Semple delivered a workshop on building resilience – something we could all relate to.

Concurrent sessions allowed participants to select their areas of interest with selections from Partnerships, the Coordinator Activity Tracker, Strategic Planning, social media and Human Resource management. Craig Aspinall the Landcare Program’s Aboriginal Communities Engagement Officer gave a presentation on the achievements of the ‘Working Together’ Program, for many this was one of the highlights according to the event evaluation. This is not to be overshadowed by the wonderful gifts bestowed by Aboriginal Program – Working Together merchandise like hats, water bottles, bags that was handed to participants on arrival.

Regional time was not forgotten as participants were given an opportunity to design the next iteration of the NSW Landcare Program. The take-away message was the importance of finally getting together face-to-face to Learn, Share and Connect and everyone enjoyed the opportunity to just have a yarn and socialise at the two dinner events. The next event is planned for 2023 with the location and venue yet to be decided.

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.

150 Landcarers Descend on Dubbo for State Gathering

Over 150 Landcarers from across NSW will descend on Dubbo this week as part of the NSW Landcare Program State Gathering.

Held at the Dubbo RSL, the Gathering runs from Tuesday 8th to Thursday 10th June, and is an opportunity for the network of Regional Landcare Coordinators, Local Landcare Coordinators and community host organisations, to share experiences, learn skills and connect with each other. 

Landcare NSW Chair Stephanie Cameron said the event is critical to building common understanding and capacity across the state.

“Landcare’s strength lies in the strength of its grassroots, community movement – it’s about local people doing work on the ground to provide local solutions to local problems,” said Ms Cameron. 

“The NSW Landcare Program supports the network of hard-working volunteers in local communities who manage and restore the natural environment, improve the sustainability of agricultural production and build the resilience of communities.” 

‘Share. Learn. Connect’ is the theme of the Gathering with a series of speakers and workshops designed to help to develop participants’ skills in many areas including building understanding of community organisations, rural resilience, technology, and partnership opportunities. 

NSW Landcare Program Manager Natasha English said the learnings and connections that participants experience at the workshop will provide peer support and information sharing opportunities to improve the results achieved in their communities. 

“With a keynote address by Robbie Sefton, an inspirational communication specialist and farmer, plus guest trainers that will provide sessions that ‘Build Resilience, Not Burnout’ and ‘Whole Brain Thinking’ there is a lot to stimulate thought.”

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.