On Tuesday, 1 August, over 90 Members of Parliament, Government Ministers, agency representatives and Landcarers from across the state came together to celebrate Landcare’s achievements and discuss future challenges at the ‘Trees in the House’ event hosted by the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare (PFL) at NSW Parliament House in Sydney.
Trees in the House is Landcare NSW’s yearly flagship event, co-hosted with the bipartisan NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare group. The event recognises the vital work Landcarers do every day in their local community, showcases the success and resilience of the Landcare movement, and allows Landcarers and MPs to connect with and offer support to Landcare.
The key messages from the event included the importance of governments partnering with grassroots movements on complex issues such as environment, farming, and climate change, including the need for co-design, co-delivery, and co-management of government programs. Landcare’s immense social capital and local knowledge to deliver excellent program outcomes were also highlighted, as well as Landcare’s proven track record with implementing statewide government programs.
Landcare NSW Chair Stephanie Cameron said, “We have achieved much, and by building a strong foundation with a bold vision, we can attain even greater success in the years to come.”
“It’s through the power of the Landcare movement working with communities that we see knowledge being shared and new ideas implemented. When you give these groups tools, resources, information and power, they solve problems for the long term,” Ms Cameron said.
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.
NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare (PFL) gives Landcare NSW the platform to brief MPs from all political parties on news and issues related to Landcare NSW, furthering relationships with politicians at the state and local levels.
The name Trees in the House stems from giving away a small tree to Parliamentarians to take home and plant in their electorate. For this one evening each year, Members of Parliament can be seen walking the corridors of Parliament House with seedlings in hand, ready to plant.
Landcare NSW thanks the newly appointed PFL Co-Chairs, Steve Whan, Member for Monaro and Michael Kemp, Member for Oxley, for hosting a fantastic event. And the Hon. Penny Sharpe MLC, Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Heritage and The Hon. Tara Moriarty MLC, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional New South Wales, Minister for Western New South Wales for speaking at the event and their ongoing support for Landcare NSW.
