The full transition to the Australian Government "Caring for Our Country" natural resource management funding program is now being felt across the state. This is especially affecting the delivery of traditional facilitator/coordinator support to grass roots Landcare groups. Recent commentary from around the state has seen a number of positions lost or redirected to other programs.
The full transition to the Australian Government "Caring for Our Country" natural resource management funding program is now being felt across the state. This is especially affecting the delivery of traditional facilitator/coordinator support to grass roots Landcare groups. Recent commentary from around the state has seen a number of positions lost or redirected to other programs.
In the Goulburn Broken Catchment management Authority area the level of landcare support has been maintained until June 30th 2010. The funding will allow the GBCMA to maintain the current 8 positions, totalling 5.9 FTE ($480k), to support 7 Networks and 83 groups.
In addition there is initiative funding for: 1 FTE "Corporate Landcare Partnerships Coordinator and 0.4 FTE to continue working with farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices and adopt to farming in a changing climate.
Tony Kubeil, Regional Landcare Coordinator said, "It is very encouraging that the GBCMA has managed to maintain the current level of landcare support for the 2009/10 financial year. We have been able to do this by combining many sources of funding, both state and federal and working with the seven (7) landcare networks of the GBCMA to utilise network carry forward funding allocated for facilitation."
Beyond June 30th 2010 funding is still very much unknown but the GBCMA is committed to working with the groups and networks as well as the coordinators on landcare support into the future.
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Marli Kelly 0409 410 178