We celebrate Landcare Week by acknowledging East Gippsland’s Landcare groups and their commitment to the environment that has led to well-deserved nominations in the 2024 Victorian Landcare Awards.
The Awards hosted by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Landcare Victoria last month, saw representation from our region’s committed volunteers who excelled across various categories.
The Landcare Awards aim to honour individuals, groups and organisations for their outstanding contributions to their local area and community.
We congratulate all of the nominees at these Awards and thank each and every volunteer in East Gippsland for their dedication, commitment and hard work that benefits our region. Included in the nominations were:
• Bairnsdale Joey Scouts who have been busy cleaning up rubbish and weeding to enhance a wetland within the Bairnsdale Education precinct, home to birds, frogs and lots of other wonderful species. They’ve been learning about the migratory Latham’s Snipe and how to identify different bird species.
• Eastwood Landcare Group, a small, diligent, and dedicated team that has been hard at work since 2013, enhancing the local area for residents, school groups and visitors. Their work has provided a haven for multiple species of native birds and animals that call Eastwood home.
• Lakes Entrance Community Landcare Group, a dynamic group operating in the picturesque stretch between Lakes Entrance, Kalimna and Toorloo Arm are proud of their hallmark initiative, the ‘Green Firewalls’ project. It aims to mitigate wildfire risks by establishing natural barriers composed of native, fire-resistant vegetation as well as providing critical habitat for local fauna.
• The Tambo Bluff Landcare Coastcare group has worked tirelessly to protect and enhance a diverse range of habitats. Their workspace includes wetlands, gullies, parklands and the coastline around the Tambo Bluff region of the Gippsland Lakes and their work includes creating conservation programs for schools, weed control, erosion control and native vegetation restoration.
• Jeanette Honey, an active member of the Jarrahmond Landcare Group, has made a significant impact on her local environment. She and her husband, Peter, have created wildlife corridors, restored eroded gullies, and fenced off dams to exclude livestock. Her passion for photography has also contributed to the Group’s efforts with her project, “Birds of Jarrahmond,” serving as a valuable resource for bird enthusiasts and farmers.
• Norm Borg legacy echoes through the Bruthen Landcare Group’s district. His Landcare journey over three decades has included revegetating gullies, creeks, and properties in his community, fuelled by a passion for biodiversity and sustainable living. Projects along the Tambo River near Bruthen were Norm’s focus. Initiatives like the Roadside and Wetland Revegetation project secured $100,000 for combating invasive weeds and planting 17,500 native plants.
• Paul Slater received a commended award in the Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award section. Paul has been a dedicated Landcare member for over two decades planting over 10,000 native plants on both public and private land, many of which he collected the seeds and propagated himself. Paul has been a driving force behind the success of the Snowy West Landcare Group’s nest boxes for Sugar Gliders.
• Tony and Julie Brindley’s Wallagaraugh property is an absolute haven for wildlife and an inspiration for Landcare volunteers. Their passion and decades of hard work has turned the once degraded 440 acres into a spectacular wetland and home for a multitude of flora and fauna. Their breathtaking property has seen a massive weed control program, been planted out with over 80,000 native flora species and had extensive wetland areas constructed.
• Robert Belcher, Chair of the Snowy River Interstate Landcare Committee for 33 years has led large scale projects in the Snowy catchment promoting land health and community interests. Through community forums and social events Robert connects remote communities to broader initiatives. His dedication paves the way for a healthier, more sustainable environment for generations to come.
• Bryce Watts-Parker, a Mallacoota local, was the winner of the NextGen Landcare Award, a much-deserved accolade following his hours of investment into Mallacoota’s community and environmental recovery following the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. Working with the Friends of Mallacoota, they created the Mallacoota Endemic Garden, Victoria’s most eastern botanic garden.
Anyone wishing to become involved in Landcare or receive further information about the groups in East Gippsland should contact the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
