North East Catchment Management Authority

Project Profile

Issues

The key focus of the North East CMA Landcare support has been to build the skills and capacity of Landcare groups, their executives, project managers and members, to enable them to deliver their priorities. The strength of Landcare groups, combined with the assistance of North East CMA support and funding has resulted in groups being able to deliver a wide range of NRM projects, ranging from small local projects to large landscape scale, and region-wide integrated projects.

Project Detail

The North East Catchment Management Authority has been nominated for a National Landcare Award for the strong role it plays in coordinating and supporting the Landcare networks in its region. The region has the highest rate of Landcare membership amongst farmers in Victoria, with 50 Landcare groups and three Landcare networks operating.

Since its formation in 1997, the North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) has recognised that strong, active Landcare and related groups will actively participate in NRM projects and provide effective engagement with the community to promote and deliver regional and project activities.  The North East CMA actively strives to build and maintain group capacity to enable involvement, rather than using groups as a service delivery arm.

The key focus of the North East CMA Landcare support has been to build the skills and capacity of Landcare groups, their executives, project managers and members, to enable them to deliver their priorities. The strength of Landcare groups, combined with the assistance of North East CMA support and funding has resulted in groups being able to deliver a wide range of NRM projects, ranging from small local projects to large landscape-scale and region-wide integrated projects.

An example is a soil health education and training program for land managers which continues to expand participation. Driven by Landcare and supported by the North East CMA through funding for Coordinators and a Soils Officer in Department of Primary Industries, the program has resulted in a significant re-energisation of the Landcare movement with more than 1,000 farmer contacts made through the program. More recently, a combined Landcare and CMA bid attracted ‘Caring for Our Country’ funding for the innovative ‘Do it with Dung – from the mountains to the Murray’. This project now spans the entire north east catchment plus the Corowa Shire on the NSW border and features the establishment of fortnightly dung beetle community-based monitoring sites; training of volunteers in beetle identification and monitoring; distribution of dung beetle species and trialling of potentially suitable species and field days on caring for beetles, soil health and parasite management.

Since its inception, the North East CMA has recognised the importance of supporting the community to adjust to challenges such as ongoing drought, and recovery after the extensive bushfires in 2003/04, 2006 and again in 2009.  The CMA has provided in-kind and financial support for group priority planning, training events, field days, forums and workshops. It has also sponsored a Landcare representative to undertake leadership training each year for the past four years.

The North East Catchment Management Authority 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

North East Catchment Management Authority