Six weeks after the devastating Black Saturday Bush Fires the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network took on the role of coordinating volunteer support to help out the fire-affected communities. This network has 18 groups and 6 of them were burnt out including Kinglake, Strath Creek, Flowerdale, Cereberus Creek, Marysville and Yea River.
Six weeks after the devastating Black Saturday Bush Fires the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network took on the role of coordinating volunteer support to help out the fire-affected communities. This network has 18 groups and 6 of them were burnt out including Kinglake, Strath Creek, Flowerdale, Cereberus Creek, Marysville and Yea River.
The fires had a devastating effect on natural resources, soils, water supplies, vegetation, animal food and habitat, etc. It was critical during that time that communities had access to appropriate technical information on minimizing the losses to the natural resource, especially soon after a fire.
The Landcare Network directed 2 days / week from their existing coordinator to facilitate land-holders with volunteers. GBCMA matched the assistance with another 0.4FTE and Fencers without Boundaries was born.
Tony Kubeil said, "The Upper Goulburn Landcare Network supplied insurance, equipment, PPE, toilet facilities, and matched landholder needs with volunteer skills. The strength of the networks existing community channels and executive members commitment saw the project running efficiently very
quickly."
Below is a summary of key outcomes from the Fencers Without Boundaries project:
- Coordinated 233 volunteers who spent 28 days in the paddock.
- 2097 hours total including travel @$25/hr = $52,425 in-kind contribution
- Coordinator wages $6,000
- Outcomes:
- 1 ha weed control
- 48.3 km fencing pulled down, picked up and removed
- 6 km new fencing erected
- 600m erosion control fencing erected
- 1.2 Ha riparian reveg.
- Water quality monitoring Stephenson River
- 1 Ha rabbit warrens destroyed Intangibles - mental health assistance for both landholders and volunteers
- Team building exercise for corporates with 100% positive feedback (one team of 10 I.T. staff valued at $15,000/day by their managers currently organising to come back)
- Building Urban-Country links and fostering further understanding of natural environment
- Increasing volunteerism in Landcare
- Engaging 20-40 year olds of a non-traditional demographic
- Building corporate relationships for future projects (Lorax and Coughing Parrot)
- Local producers benefit
- Volunteers coming back on weekends to continue to help families
In addition to this the UGLN has just received a $2,000 grant from the NAB to continue the support for the projects.
As part of the Australian Government Caring for Our Country investment in the fire affected areas, funding will be provided to the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network to continue this project over the coming two years.
Release Ends
For more information please contact
Marli Kelly 0409 410 178