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.