25th Anniversary Landcare Grants now open
Landcare and other community groups will share in up to $5 million to help restore local environments and enhance the natural resource base with the launch of the 25th Anniversary Landcare Grants 2014-15 as part of the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.
Posted 19 September 2014.
Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, and Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, were pleased to officially launch the 25th Anniversary Landcare Grants 2014-15 at the 2014 National Landcare Conference, saying the grant round was a fitting way to help celebrate 25 years of landcare.
"The best way to help celebrate landcare’s 25th anniversary is by supporting landcarers across the country to do what they do best. Grants of up to $20,000 will support local Landcare groups to help protect their local environments and look after the land," Minister Hunt said.
"We are looking to harness the expertise and enthusiasm of not just Landcare groups but farmers, fishers, Indigenous communities and other land and sea managers," Minister Joyce said.
"Applications are now open and close on 20 October, so I encourage the whole Landcare community to come up with great ideas that will help protect our land and natural assets, and to get involved by getting their applications in."
Minister Hunt and Minister Joyce reconfirmed their commitment to ensuring that 20 per cent of Australian Government investment made through the regional natural resource management organisations will be directed towards local projects and activities undertaken by community groups, including Landcare, under the National Landcare Programme’s regional stream.
"This means that farmers, landcare and other community groups will have access to funding on an annual basis so that they can continue to undertake important on-ground works in their local communities," Minister Joyce said.
As part of the National Landcare Conference, Ministers Hunt and Joyce were also pleased to announce the establishment and membership of the National Landcare Advisory Committee.
Over the next twelve months the committee will provide advice directly to both Ministers on matters such as landcare investment priorities, implementation and whether the National Landcare Programme is meeting its objectives.
The committee has a broad membership and will ensure both Ministers have a direct line of advice from the regional and local level. The National Landcare Advisory Committee consists of the following members:
- Ms Sue Middleton (chair). Ms Middleton has extensive experience in land management and community leadership in project development and planning. She is currently Chair of the WA Regional Development Trust, and Chair of the Institute for Agrifood Security at Curtin University.
- Ms Juanita Hamparsum (deputy chair). Ms Hamparsum comes to the Committee with 16 years experience in agriculture, accounting and finance. She is Chair of the Cotton Innovation Network, the Risk and Audit Committee – Namoi Catchment Management Authority, and a Director of CSD Holdings Pty Ltd.
The other members include:
- Dr Ron Edwards, who brings extensive board experience in the fisheries and not-for-profit sector
- Ms Melissa George, Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Committee
- Ms Tessa Jakszewicz, Chief Executive Officer of Landcare Australia Ltd
- Mr James McKee, Chief Executive Officer of NRM North, region of Tasmania
- Mr Cameron O’Neil, who works with community run natural resource management organisations across regional Queensland.
- Ms Cathy Phelps, Dairy Australia’s Natural Resource Management Programme Manager
- Mr David Walker, Past Chair of the National Landcare Network
- Mr Allan Williams, Programme Manager at Cotton Research and Development Corporation
The Government’s total investment in complementary natural resource management programmes amounts to over $2 billion over the next four years.
