John David Nicholas – Landcare Facilitator / Coordinator Award

Project Profile

Issues

Over the past four years, John David Nicholas has worked tirelessly to improve and enhance landholder awareness and adoption of improved management practices in his role with the Dalrymple Landcare Committee. Through a suite of field days, forums, training and on farm property demonstrations as well as state and federally funded projects, John has been the driving force behind Landcare in the district working closely with landholders in the Upper Burdekin Rangelands to improve land management practices.

Project Detail

Charters Towers’ John David Nicholas has been nominated for a National Landcare Award for leading his local Landcare network resulting in improved land management practices in the Upper Burdekin Rangelands

Over the past four years, John has worked tirelessly to improve and enhance landholder awareness and adoption of improved management practices in his role with the Dalrymple Landcare Committee. Through a suite of field days, forums, training and on farm property demonstrations as well as state and federally funded projects, John has been the driving force behind Landcare in the district working closely with landholders in the Upper Burdekin Rangelands to improve land management practices.

In his role as a Landcare Coordinator, John has completed 94 individual property projects, engaging 33 per cent of the area’s graziers in projects, influencing management on over 1.2 million hectares of land and has been a key driver behind the generation of $2.15 million in State and Federal funding which has been matched by $2.31 million of Landcare in-kind support. John has completed over 140 field visits to individual properties to inspect the challenges faced and give advice and suggestions as to what management practices could be improved or changed to enhance both the natural resources and the overall property productivity and management.

John has worked closely with a range of key stakeholders, including State and neighbouring regional Landcare organisations, regional NRM bodies, industry lobby groups, government departments, research institutions such as CSIRO, University of Queensland and James Cook University gaining their support and involvement in Landcare activities.

Through his work with the Dalrymple Landcare Committee, John has worked with a range of community members to improve the awareness and understanding by landholders across a range of topics related to both improved natural resource management and sustainable primary production methods. John has also provided landholders with the necessary tools and resources to build their skills through nationally recognised training packages including Grazing Land Management Edge Workshops, Nutrition Edge Workshops and computer-based NRM plans.

He has also worked within the community to assist the local Bushcare revegetation group and schools within the region to source funding for educational Landcare projects. These have included Junior Landcare Grants through Coles and Mitre 10 as well as a major Community Water Grant for a local high school to improve water use efficiency at their agricultural science farm.

In 2007 and 2008, John was a finalist in the Queensland Young Achiever Awards and was recognised for his outstanding commitment to Landcare in Queensland as a runner up of the 2008 Landcare Leadership Bursary at the 2008 QLD Landcare Conference in Monto.

John David Nicholas is one of 88 finalists in the National Landcare Awards to be announced in Canberra on 24 June 2010. Commencing in 1991, the Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and groups that make a valuable contribution to the land and coast where they live and work.

Photography

John Nicholas