Kayla Groombridge – Young Landcare Leader Award

Project Profile

Issues

The lower section of the Tarra River between Tarraville and Robertsons Beach in Victoria has provided residents and Landholders alike with a suite of difficult problems including the infestations of invasive plants, illegal camping and boat launching and deteriorating river banks which has resulted in a rapidly advancing scarp, rampant littering and fly tipping.  Noting with alarm the rapidly decreasing area of riverbank and associated vegetation, Kayla Groombridge, a young resident of the area, launched a localised campaign to tackle these issues head on.

Project Detail

Sixteen year old Tarraville local, Kayla Groombridge has been nominated for a National Landcare Award for mobilising and inspiring her local community to tackle environmental issues in the local area.

The lower section of the Tarra River between Tarraville and Robertsons Beach in Victoria has many difficult problems including the infestations of invasive plants, illegal camping and boat launching and deteriorating river banks which has resulted in a rapidly advancing scarp, rampant littering and fly tipping.  Noting with alarm the rapidly decreasing area of riverbank and associated vegetation, Kayla, a young resident of the area, launched a localised campaign to tackle these issues head on.

Kayla wrote letters to key local agencies and organisations including CoastAction, Department of Sustainability and Environment, local councillors, Yarram Yarram Landcare Network (YYLN) and the Robertsons Beach and Tarraville Communities Neighbourhood Management Group (RTCNMG) in the hope of generating some interest and action to tackle littering, the advancing scarp and illegal camping.

With the help of YYLN, Kayla coordinated a joint meeting and site visit, and was able to mobilise Parks Victoria, the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) and Wellington Shire to create a management plan and budget for the remediation of these issues.  To date, Parks Victoria has cleaned up the site and also addressed the illegal camping issues.

Kayla is currently seeking funding from the Wellington Shire and the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority to remediate the advancing scarp on the eastern bank of the lower Tarra River and rehabilitate the foreshore area with indigenous native vegetation, her plans include a way for suitable recreational pursuits to still take place.

Kayla actively contributes to meetings with the Robertsons Beach and Tarraville Communities Neighbourhood Management Group which she then feeds back to the YYLN for inclusion into Network Newsletters.

In recognition of her outstanding contribution to both the environment and the social fabric of her area, Kayla was awarded Yarram Yarram Landcare Network’s Young Landcarer of the Year Award.

Kayla Groombridge 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

Kayla Groombridge