After a two year break due to COVID, over 90 Members of Parliament, Government Ministers, agency representatives and Landcarers from across the State came together to celebrate Landcare at the ‘Trees in the House’ event in Sydney last night.
The annual flagship event, hosted by Landcare NSW and the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare (PFL), showcased the success and resilience of the Landcare movement.
NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare Chair, Gurmesh Singh MP, Member for Coffs Harbour, opened the event and spoke of his involvement with Landcare in his local electorate and the critical role Landcare plays in the community.
Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. Dugald Saunders MP, Member for Dubbo spoke alongside Landcare leaders from the South East, Greater Sydney and Western regions, highlighting the diversity of work, and landscapes in which Landcare operates. The speaker’s passion and dedication to supporting and empowering their local Landcare communities through their roles in the NSW Landcare Program was evident.
Landcare NSW is the representative body of the Landcare movement in NSW and the voice of community Landcare across the state. It is responsible for state-wide initiatives such as the NSW Landcare Program in partnership with Local Land Services, employing over 80 part time Regional and Local Landcare Coordinators to support Landcare across the State.
The NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare (PFL) is a cross-party group of NSW Members of Parliament who have a common interest in demonstrating support for the goals of Landcare and a commitment to advancing the environmental, social and economic benefits that sustainable land and water management are unlocking in NSW.
To highlight the challenges currently faced by bee populations, Members of Parliament were given a jar of native honey, a wildflower seed shaker and a native seedling to take away and plant in their electorate.
The jars of native honey were harvested in Nooroo in the Lower Hunter region and kindly donated by Graham Creed – Weather Specialist and Small-Scale Farmer.
The seedlings were kindly provided by Sydney’s Habitat Community Nursery as a gift from Landcare.
