NSW community environmental groups benefit from generous bequest

Landcare Australia today announced funding of $300,000 for 13 community environmental groups in New South Wales through the Raymond Borland Bequest grants program, which launched earlier this year.

The funding will support community groups and other organisations in New South Wales to undertake projects that will repair and restore the natural environment thanks to a generous bequest from Sydney businessman, Raymond Borland, to Landcare Australia.

The projects are varied in nature but all fulfil the criteria of the bequest which is to repair and rehabilitate degraded non-urban land and non-tidal waterways in New South Wales.

Funded projects include; the restoration of critically endangered lowland subtropical rainforest linking Nightcap and Goonengerry National Parks by EnviTE Environment, Native wildlife corridor plantings by Conservation Volunteers Australia in the Capertee Valley to help create habitat for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater, and the rehabilitation of habitat for the endangered Southern Pygmy Perch in Holbrook by Holbrook Landcare Group.

Landcare Australia CEO, Heather Campbell, recognises the great difference that Mr Borland’s generous bequest can make through this grants program.

“Raymond Borland greatly valued the Australian landscape and admired the work that Landcare groups undertake repairing degraded land and preserving our natural environment. Through this community grants program his generous bequest is being put to the best possible use,” she commented.

During journeys through country NSW, Raymond Borland, a Sydney businessman, became gravely concerned about the extent and severity of landscape and water quality degradation that he often encountered. He was also impressed by the outstanding achievements of local Landcare groups in repairing degraded areas, such as eroded gullies and riparian areas, and protecting the biodiversity of native habitat.

Raymond Borland resolved to assist future generations preserve and enjoy the integrity of our natural assets and as a result, his estate provided a bequest to Landcare Australia to be used for the preservation and rehabilitation of degraded natural environments in rural and non-tidal areas of New South Wales.

Raymond Borland grant recipients:

Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers trading as Conservation Volunteers Australia - Boosting the Capertee Valley Regent Honey Eater Recovery Program
Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group Inc. – Lowland Rainforest Restoration at Mortons Scrub and Booyong Flora Reserve
Byron Creek Catchment Landcare Group Inc. - Riparian Rescue of Byron Creek
Eurobodalla Shire Council on behalf of Deua Rivercare - Deua River Riparian Weed Eradication/Revegetation
Dunedoo Area Community Group Inc - Project Gully Remediation: Gully Erosion in Grassy Box Woodland
EnviTE Environment - Wompoo Gorge Rainforest and Riparian Restoration
Gunnedah Urban Landcare Group - Cushans Reserve Regeneration Project
Holbrook Landcare Group - Rehabilitating habitat of the endangered Southern Pygmy Perch
Nambucca Valley LandCare Inc. - Girralong Reach Project
Orara Valley Rivercare Groups Management Committee Inc. - Orara River Raingorest Regeneration at Coramba
Queanbeyan Landcare Inc. - Habitat Improvement at White Rocks
The Crossing Land Education Trust - Biodiversity riparian corridor linking koala habitat
Trees in Newcastle - The Martinsville Melaleuca biconvexa Missing Link

For more information on the Raymond Borland grants program, please click here.