Communique April 2009

In early February, peak Landcare organisations from around the country met to discuss forming a national body for community Landcare. Participants at this inaugural meeting shared a common sense of the importance of an effective national voice for Landcare. Furthermore, everyone present could see the opportunity for resource and skill-sharing between organisations through a national network.

As a result of this meeting an interim National Landcare Network (NLN) was established. A subsequent meeting in April developed governance and
operational processes for the NLN.

The critical next step is to have your support to formally establish this Network as the national voice for community Landcare.

Why form a national body?

Establishing a national representative body to speak for community Landcare will ensure that the unique character of Landcare is not lost in the centralised nature of natural resource management (NRM) planning at the national level. The NLN will help secure the place of Landcare into the future by supporting and promoting the critical role of community engagement in natural resource management. It will represent the interests, concerns and issues of community Landcare to government, industry, the broader community and other organisations engaged in NRM.

A national voice for Landcare can also encourage the 56 Regional Bodies
across the country to reinvigorate their connections to community Landcare within their NRM program, and to genuinely engage these groups in their decision making and project planning.

The NLN can act as an effective national advocate to engage in the debates shaping NRM policies, funding and structural arrangements to ensure the volunteer Landcare movement is included.

Membership of NLN

The National Landcare Network members are:

• Tasmanian Landcare Association
• Victorian Landcare Council
• Landcare NSW
• ACT Catchment and Landcare Association
• Queensland Water and Land Carers
• South Australia has representatives from Torrens Landcare and the SA Aboriginal Lands Trust.

WA and NT representatives have been contacted.

The NLN will advocate on behalf of all those community groups affiliated with these bodies, which include Landcare, Coastcare, Bushcare, Parkcare, Rivercare, Friends of, Associates of ….etc.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the NLN consists of four (4) representatives, each from a different State. They are:

• David Walker NSW (Spokesperson)
• Lyndley Chopping TAS
• Gerry Butler SA
• Vickie Webb QLD

If you wish to contact the NLN please contact Vickie Webb ph (07) 3252 7154 or email eo@qwalc.org.au

What can you do?

Pending your support the NLN will be formally convened as the national
voice for community Landcare.

Please email your respective State body to:

1. Advise your agreement or disagreement with the formation of the
   National Landcare Network as the National Voice for community
   Landcare.
2. Forward any suggestions, ideas or comments on how you would like to see the NLN operate.
3. Advise of any issues you would like the NLN to address on your behalf

Thank you for your support.