Page 2573 - Week 07 - Thursday, 1 August 2019
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It is interesting to note that 30 years on from the announcement of Landcare, the Hon Bob Hawke’s granddaughter Sophie Taylor-Price has just been announced as Landcare Australia’s Landcare Ambassador. I ask you all to join me in marking this significant anniversary. I present the following paper:
30th Anniversary of the establishment of Landcare—Ministerial statement, 1 August 2019.
I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (10.27): I would like to add a few words to acknowledge the 30th anniversary of Landcare. It is a significant anniversary, although Victoria may argue that it is the 33rd year of Landcare as it was established in Victoria in 1986. The idea was developed by the National Farmers Federation and the Australian Conservation Foundation. They pitched the idea to then Prime Minister Bob Hawke. They had hoped originally to get 300 Landcare groups established in the first decade; they reached over 2,000 in that time and today there are over 5,400 groups right across Australia.
In the ACT we have a number of very active subgroups under the three catchment groups: Ginninderra Catchment Group was the first to be established 20 years ago, followed by the Southern ACT Catchment Group and the Molonglo Catchment Group. The chair of ACT Landcare is Dr Maxine Cooper. I would like to acknowledge her work, the work of previous chairs and all those who have been involved in the running of Landcare in the ACT.
Recently, in evidence to estimates, Dr Cooper said that the groups were concerned at the constant erosion of their funding base. For example, there is no longer funding for water education. Other states such as New South Wales appear to be far more generous in their support for local Landcare groups. That is why recently the Canberra Liberals committed to provide over $2 million over four years to ensure certainty of funding and continuity of projects for Landcare and the catchment groups.
We have committed to exactly what they asked for: $130,000 annually for each group, unlike this government, which has offered them $90,000 each year, and the government offers only annual funding and tells them in about May whether they are going to get funded again for the following year. This means quite a lot of uncertainty for those groups. It is difficult to plan projects and work on such short time frames. It is also difficult sometimes to retain key staff if they feel that their position may be no longer funded.
Frogwatch, Waterwatch, Junior Landcare and dozens of projects relating to woodlands and wetlands come under the banner of Landcare. Landcare works with farmers, local communities and many groups to restore native vegetation. This is all evidence of the quiet but absolutely vital work that Landcare volunteers do each year, all year round.
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