Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative - The Murray Region Approach. 2016-2019
Murray Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative Joint Working Group
In September 2015, NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair announced a $15 million, four-year Landcare Support Program that proposed a network of locally-based coordinators and a centralised support team to increase the effectiveness of the Landcare network. Landcare NSW (LNSW) and Local Land Services have the responsibility for delivering this initiative.
Applications were sort from organisations interested in hosting a Local Landcare Coordinator who were not-for-profit legal entities that work across the fields of natural resource management, sustainable agriculture or land management.
In the Murray Region we established a Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative Joint Working Group consisting of representatives of Murray Landcare Collective, Murray Local Land Services, the Regional Landcare Facilitator (RLF), Landcare NSW and representatives of the Murray LLS Local Community Advisory Committee (LCAG). The working group then developed a regional view of how the Local Landcare Coordinator funding should be rolled out in the Murray Region to present to the state application assessment panel. The proposal gave significant consideration to the host groups and their capacity to deliver the intent of the initiative, their demonstrated commitment to developing a community of practice and their leadership within local districts.
Holbrook Landcare Network (HLN) was one of six organisations successful in the Murray Region to host a part-time Local Landcare Co-ordinator. Paula Sheehan started in March 2016. She will be working with local groups in the Eastern Murray Culcairn - Khancoban region.
The Local Landcare Coordinators will
- work with their host organisations and networks to provide support and deliver programs to build capacity and connections within local communities to produce on ground change.
- help increase the capacity of their organisation to increase community engagement and provide support to more groups and landholders; and to help improve the financial sustainability of Landcare.
Some community groups supported by the Paula are
- Culcairn Landcare Group
- Eastern Riverina Landcare Network (assisting Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc.)
- Gum Swamp Walla Walla Management Committee
- Holbrook Landcare Network
- Mountain Landcare (Upper Murray)
- Mullengandra Landcare Group
Other Local Landcare Co-ordinators and their host Organisations in the Murray Regions are:
- Judy Kirk Corowa District Landcare Inc. (Corowa) www.facebook.com/corowadistrictlandcare/
- Paula Sheehan Petaurus Education Group Inc. (Albury) http://www.wirraminna.org.au/
- Erika Heffer Rice Growers' Association of Australia (Deniliquin) www.rga.org.au
- Roger Knight Western Murray Land Improvement Group (Barham) www.westernmurraylig.org/
- Jeanette Crew Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre (Deniliquin) www.yarkuwa.com.au/
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