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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 9 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 3241 ..

MS DUNDAS (continuing):

We wish to congratulate not just the finalists and the award winners but all of those who participate in Landcare programs. We owe a debt to all volunteers who participate in Catchment Care, Landcare and Parkcare activities in the ACT or who work with students and the community to promote better awareness of the need for the rehabilitation of our degraded lands. They are active now in rehabilitation work following the fires, seizing the window of opportunity to tackle our ongoing weed problems. Landcare volunteers are also out there addressing the urgent need for bank stabilisation along the waterways where vegetation has been severely affected after the January bushfires.

Whilst the federal government has recognised the immense value of the Landcare movement by providing a small number of paid staff to support the volunteers, through the Natural Heritage Trust, I was disappointed to learn this week that the support of the federal government appears to be wavering, with a lack of commitment to long-term funding for existing paid Landcare positions.

Environment ACT provides support to Landcare groups in the ACT, but it would be difficult for us to take on full responsibility for supporting these groups without our other environment protection work suffering. However, if the federal government does pull the plug on funding, the ACT must step into the breach. It makes no sense to lose the contribution of thousands of volunteer hours to save a small amount of money.

I urge the ACT government, if we are truly in favour of the Landcare program and supporting Landcare workers in the ACT, to talk to its federal colleagues about what their intentions are in terms of Landcare. We cannot let this program be devalued and moved on because the federal government no longer sees it as a priority. Landcare, as we have said today, has an important role to play in making sure our environment is protected and maintained.

I congratulate the winner of the ACT Landcare awards, and I personally thank every volunteer who works to protect and rehabilitate the land and waterways of the ACT. I hope that the ACT government can continue to support the Landcare program into the future.

MS TUCKER (11.46): Landcare had been in the news over the past week, with Lanyon High winning the Westpac Landcare education award for 2003. Also, just yesterday, the National Landcare program was described as facing a crisis as Commonwealth government funding expires.

Landcare was set up in the mid-80s by Joan Kerner and Heather Mitchell and has proved to be a great vehicle for awareness and connection between environmentalists, farmers and community groups. While the Landcare groups cannot in themselves make the big changes necessary in land use in Australia, they are a key part of the changing awareness that is needed if those changes are to occur.

There are more than 4,500 groups in Australia, with one in three farmers being a member and many others involved in those activities. We cannot undervalue the positive links of different sections in our society. Over 100 Landcare groups are active in the ACT in our suburbs, parks and rural areas. The devastating fires have had a positive effect on the energy and commitment of Canberra people in this work, and membership has increased-as, of course, has the workload. This spring is a critical time for regrowth,

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