Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak and totally support the motion of the honourable member for Gippsland on Landcare. I, too, share the passion and commitment to Australia's unique Landcare movement. It is like a lot of volunteer movements in Australia—they are unique and they provide so much for our community. The volunteers provide a lot of work and a lot of hours and actually effect change in our community. But it is not the first time that the honourable member for Gippsland and I have come together to speak in unison. Previously, it was on the member's private members motion on wetlands and wetland care.

There are over 6,000 Landcare groups across Australia, and in my seat of Page I have counted about 69. That is a rough estimate based on the estimated 450 groups in the broader area from Taree to the Tweed. No-one knows for sure how many Landcare groups we have. That frustrates a few, particularly the people who need to count—and it is important—but that is symbolic of the grassroots nature of Landcare. It is a grassroots movement, and a lot of Landcare groups spring up where a few locals get together and see a need to do something for the land.

I have here with me the newsletter of the newly established Evans River and Coastal Landcare group. It was formed in 2012. The newsletter itself demonstrates the grassroots nature of Landcare. I will read a few things from it. First of all it says the president is Ian Drinkwater and the secretary is Lyn Thomson, and then it has a photo with a whole group of locals sitting around at a table, with lots of activity. I recognise them as locals not only involved in Landcare but also involved in a whole range of other areas. One of them I recognised is Donella Kinnish. She has just finished her term as a councillor    at Richmond Valley Council and she is very active in the community. I quote from the newsletter where it says:

The Evans River & Coastal Landcare group was formed in 2012. Our workdays are the first Sunday of each month at various sites around Evans Head.

We have undertaken tree plantings on the Sand Dunes south of the Evans Head Surf Club; happily we have had great success. Many of the trees were surrounded with protective wire and have done so well that we are now removing the wire, liberating their branches.

It goes on to say:

We are also working on the Bushland Reserve located on Ocean Drive Evans Head. Here we are removing weeds, lots of weeds and allowing the natural vegetation to come through. We are planning to upgrade the walkway which traverses the reserve from Sunderland Street to Ocean Drive.

Then it talks about members having taken part in workshops on weed and plant identification, and they are planning to hold more workshops on various aspects of natural resource management this year. It lists the days that this will happen. It asks to contact them for locations.

The local Landcare groups do wonderful work everywhere but particularly those in my area of Page. I try to get to know them all. They are all volunteers. Like a lot of voluntary work, volunteers give both precious time and money. Even though they volunteer, they are often out of pocket. They are passionate about their work and their care of their land.

I would like to read onto the public record as part of my contribution what the National Farmers Federation said in last week's e-newsletter—last week being Landcare Week from 3 to 9 September—a matter noted in the motion we are speaking to tonight. The heading said 'Farmers by another name: environmental stewards'. I could not agree more. There are four paragraphs and they speak so well about farmers and their role in Landcare. It says:

Farmers are best known for growing crops and raising animals to provide the food and fibre needs for Australian families, but this week, it’s all about the work they do on farm to look after the environment.

This week marks Landcare Week, an opportunity to recognise the role Australian farmers’ play as environmental stewards and land managers …

Landcare was founded more than 20 years ago by the NFF in a joint partnership with the Australian Conservation Foundation—

Wasn't that seen as groundbreaking at the time! A lot of people claim ownership of Landcare starting, but they were definitely very involved. It goes on to say:

… with positive outcomes for both the environment and agriculture …

"Today … Landcare has grown into an environmental movement.

“Farmers are Australia’s frontline environmentalists, looking after 61 percent of Australia’s valuable land resources …

“Farmers know that good environmental outcomes and increased agricultural production go hand in hand, which is why …

94 percent of farmers undertake some form of natural resource management—

on their farms.

The Land newspaper on 6 September gave extensive coverage of a survey undertaken by National Landcare Facilitator, Brett de Hayr, that involved about 550 Landcare and associated groups and about 1,000 producers, trying to get a picture, in the words so aptly put in the newspaper, of 'a movement that is firmly embedded in the culture of Australian farming'. The key findings are telling but not surprising. Ninety-three per cent said they practise land care; 73 per cent said they felt part of a land care movement; 95 per cent said no to the question, 'Has Landcare reached its use-by date?'; and 85 per cent said they would still be active in two to three years.

Other key findings or observations, perhaps already known but borne out and affirmed in the survey are the following: the Landcare model could have a substantial role in addressing some of the issues facing agriculture; Landcare could help tackle issues such as food security, the environment and climate adaptation; and Landcare could build a stronger relationship between the city and the bush. Even more telling is the sustained belief in Landcare's ability to build the social capacity of rural communities. The Land article went on to say that the people component of Landcare is an often overlooked benefit of Landcare. I could not agree more.

I want to turn to what I call the socialisation part of Landcare. These are things I know and understand, having been around when Landcare began, and being involved in various ways over the past decades, when it became more formalised. It was embraced by the federal government, when Bob Hawke was Prime Minister. He was a champion of it and it is appropriate that the national award was named after him.

Landcare now has many owners, having been so wholly embraced by the community. It was exciting in those days, and it is still exciting to visit a Landcare group to look at the great work they do to see their projects, hear about their projects and give them support.

When I was elected, in 2007, I started a conversation with the then ministers for the environment and for agriculture, Ministers Garrett and Burke, about the value of Landcare, the need for it to be supported, the importance of regional Landcare coordinators, the importance of community action grants and a new or revamped national body—and also to get things really shaking. I remember over the years some of the farmers talking and rumours starting every now and then that the word 'Landcare' was going to disappear. I always reassure them that it is never going to disappear, because Landcare is a brand and it embodies values of the community, of landholders and of the farming community. Nobody would ever touch it. I stressed to the ministers the people power component of Landcare. I told them that that is critical to effect change, and that Landcare by its very nature does that. I stayed engaged in that conversation for a few years. Also in that conversation was Jack Lake, known to many in agriculture, who was then the Prime Minister's agriculture adviser.

In the survey from the National Landcare Facilitator that I talked about, it was found that the ability to sustain community engagement and funding were two main areas of concern. But Landcare was also figuring out how to evolve to tackle new challenges. I know that Landcare is up to that. It needs our support and I will continue to give it my wholehearted support.

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