Environmental heroes honoured at 2011 VIC Landcare Awards

Victoria’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith has paid tribute to thousands of Landcare volunteers across the state at the 2011 Victorian Landcare Awards ceremony at Government House with Governor Alex Chernov AO QC.

Mr Smith said the awards celebrated the 25th anniversary of Landcare and the great work done by thousands of volunteers across the state to make a difference in their local environment by supporting and maintaining the great natural assets throughout Victoria.

“Landcare is a grass-roots environmental movement that was started by a group of Victorian farmers in the 1980s and what has been achieved since then deserves our praise and ongoing support,” Mr Smith said.

“The winners of the 2011 Victorian Landcare Awards embody the enthusiasm and commitment that has made Landcare in Victoria what it is today and I’d like to congratulate the Highly Commended and all nominees for their solid efforts.

“These Victorians give up their time to make a difference in their local areas and the Victorian Landcare Awards are a great opportunity to celebrate and recognise the real difference volunteers can make to the environment and to our community,” Mr Smith said.

“The Victorian Coalition Government delivered $12 million in the 2011-12 Budget to fund 60 Landcare facilitators across the state to assist in managing practical programs that help the environment.

“The government has also delivered $600,000 for Landcare to progress the vital work that Landcare volunteers perform in Victoria.

“These awards recognise what Landcare is all about, people working together to put the environment first, while strengthening community partnerships.

“I hope that all Victorians will join me in recognising the significant impact that Landcare has had on our environment and our community,” Mr Smith said.

All the winners of the National categories will go through as nominees for their respective categories at the 2012 National Landcare Awards to be held in Sydney next year. Winners of the 2011 Victorian Landcare Awards are:

Urban Landcare Award – Friends of Merri Creek
Leighton Holdings Indigenous Award – Darren Perry
Local Government Landcare Partnership Award – Corangamite Shire Council
Toshiba Landcare Community Group Award – Friends of Willow Park
Be Natural Young Landcare Leader Award – Cate Barham
Westpac Education Award – Ballarat Christian College
Citipower and Powercor Landcare Network Award – South Gippsland Landcare Network
Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award – Shaun and Lisa McIntyre
Australian Government Coastcare Award – Friends of the Great South West Walk
Australian Government Local Landcare Facilitator/Coordinator Award – Belinda Brennan
Australian Government Natural Resource Management (NRM) Award – West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
Rural Press Primary Producer Award – Elizabeth Balderstone
Australian Government Innovation in Sustainable Farm Practices Award – Gecko CLaN Pasture Cropping Project

DPI Sustainable Farming Awards (State only category)
Corangamite Region – Troy Missen
East Gippsland Region – Rick and Jenny Robertson
North East Region – Neil Paulet and Janice Horsfield
Port Phillip and Westernport Region – Faye Tuchtan and Graham Wood
West Gippsland Region – Elizabeth Balderstone

Heather Mitchell Memorial Fellowship (State only category) – Karen Brisbane
Dr Sidney Plowman Travel and Study Award (State only category) – Malcolm Thompson
Bushfire Recovery Award (State only category) – Baw Baw Shire Council, Nillumbik Shire Council Natural Environment  Recovery Working Group, Upper Goulburn Landcare Network
Long Service to Landcare Award (State only category) – Max Skeen

About Landcare

The Landcare movement is made up of approximately 4,000 Landcare and 2,000 Coastcare volunteer groups that work on environmental projects in their local communities. The groups that fall under the Landcare umbrella are varied in nature and don’t necessarily include Landcare in their names, including Productive farming groups, ‘Friends of’, Bushcare, Coastcare, Rivercare, and Dunecare. Landcare also include farmers embracing sustainable farm management and any community group that partakes in volunteer environmental activities.

Click here to find out how you can become a Landcare volunteer

Click here for full details on all 2011 State and Territory Landcare Award finalists