Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association

Project Profile

Issues

The Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association (MM LAP) was established in1998 and is a community organisation with around 100 members from the Murray Mallee, run by a committee drawn from its members. The group formed to develop an overarching plan for natural resource management in the Murray Mallee, and to this end a Local Action Plan was developed in 1999. A Strategic Plan and Action Plan was developed in 2009, with a vision for a “dynamic and health region supported by an active and committed community”, and a mission” to provide leadership and information which supports the Murray mallee community to implement long term land management solutions”.

Project Detail

The Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association (MM LAP) has been nominated for a National Landcare Award for its initiative in developing landscape scale planning and on-ground works to create healthy social, environmental and economic systems in its region.

The MM LAP has worked closely with local landholder groups to coordinate fox baiting and rabbit control over an area exceeding 100 000 hectares. Such landscape scale programs have enormous benefits both to agricultural production and to the natural environment.

The MM LAP has worked extensively at capacity building for sustainable farming and conservation, especially with youth through workshops, youth council, farm field days and constant engagement with landholders on the ground. Activities have included seed collection, propagation and tree planting and workshops at schools.

Other achievements of the MM LAP include its successful exploration of the scope for, and provision of incentives for sustainable farming practice such as sandalwood and oil mallee production, native grass grazing, saltbush and perennial pasture establishment, dune stabilisation works, remnant vegetation protection as well as clay spreading and woodlot plantings.

The extensive range of successful projects is evidence of the group’s focus on worthwhile, on-ground outcomes aimed at maximising the social, environmental and economic benefits to be gained from establishing sustainable and resilient agricultural and natural systems.

The MM LAP was established in1998 and is a community organisation with around 100 members from the Murray Mallee, run by a committee drawn from its members. The group formed to develop an overarching plan for natural resource management in the Murray Mallee, and to this end a ‘Local Action Plan’ was developed in 1999. A Strategic Plan and Action Plan was developed in 2009, with a vision for a “dynamic and health region supported by an active and committed community”, and a mission” to provide leadership and information which supports the Murray mallee community to implement long term land management solutions”.

The Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association Inc. 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