Landcare has received a welcome boost in NSW. Under the NSW Government’s Landcare support program we now have 66 part-time coordinators supported by a small central team and a ‘community of practice’. Our new Local Landcare Coordinator, Claudia Wythes, has been employed as part of this program.

These resources have been provided under the NSW Government’s Landcare Policy 2015-2019, which includes a commitment to design a model to sustain Landcare support beyond 2019.

Landcare NSW is seeking the views of Landcare members and other interested parties on how Landcare support can be funded into the future.

While it might seem many Landcare activities just ‘happen’, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that makes on ground activities possible, for instance applying for and reporting on grant funding.  Just as Surf Life Saving, the Rural Fire Service or State Emergency Service need professional support to allow them to focus on the important work they do as volunteers, so does Landcare.

Sustaining Landcare is about how we secure a minimum of $3.5m a year to fund Landcare support in NSW.  This is money for people, not projects.  The question is how we can secure future funding for Local Coordinators, information, training, communication and support so that volunteers can focus on ground works which is why they got involved in Landcare in the first place.

Consultation is underway and Landcare NSW would like to hear from you. Please visit their website to view an information sheet and discussion guide.  http://landcarensw.org.au/partnerships/sustaining-landcare/

To offer your thoughts please send an email to sustaininglandcare@landcarensw.org.au

Landcare NSW is managing the Sustaining Landcare project with support from the NSW Government in collaboration with Local Land Services.