The meeting was held on the 24th February 2021 at the Tourist Information Centre, Wentworth.
Dave Allen gave acknowledgement of country.
Reports given were:
- Chairs Report by Dave Allen
- Operations Report by Louise Turner
- Financial Report by Sonia Carey
- Correspondence In/Out by Sonia Carey
- Local Landcare Coordinators Reports by Thel O’Shea, Julia Dearn, Patrick Koo, Jessie Armstrong, welcome to Patrick Koo (Broken Hill LCC) and Vanessa Anderson (Wentworth LLC).
- Landcare NSW Council Report by Louise Turner
- Kangaroo Management Taskforce Report by Leon Zanker
- Weeds Report by Thel O’Shea
- Far West Rangelands Rehydration Report by Louise Turner
- Western Local Land Services Report by Andrew Hull
- Western Landcare Group Reports
Attending at the meeting were guest speakers:
- Claire Butler – Regional Recovery Officer, Far West NSW for the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency
- Claire gave a description of her position and role with the Drought and Flood Response and Recovery Agency. The role is there to support people affected in the region and give them a voice back to the government.
- Braeden Lampard – Manager Murray Darling Basin, Oz Fish – Sunraysia River Repair Bus & Lower Darling River Re-snagging
- Braeden gave details of the two projects OzFish are doing in the region. One is reinstalling woody habitat into the Lower Darling river to provide homes for native fish and the second is the River Repair Bus which will undertake restoration projects along the river.
- Scott Jaensch – Landholder Support – Biodiversity Conservation Trust
- Scott gave a description of what programs the Biodiversity Conservation Trust are running in NSW and directed at the Western Region. He gave an overview of the conservation agreements landholders can undertake.
A review of the previous actions was undertaken:
The National Landcare Conference is on the 4th – 6th August in Sydney. Western Landcare have tickets available if anyone is interested in attending.
General Business:
- The State Landcare meeting will be held in June at Dubbo. All Landcare staff will be attending. There is availability for one member of the organisation to go. If you are interested in attending, please contact Louise.
- Landcare Broken Hill are building a hub at Jubilee Oval that will potentially be a seed bank for NSW. Seeds and seedlings will be produced both at the hub and locally around Broken Hill. The facility will also be for educational and tourism.
- The Life and Light Photo Competition 2021 is pen. The theme is ‘Appreciate the Little Things’. If you want to enter head to https://lifeandlight.com.au/.
- Willandra World Heritage Project is in its 3rd year running with 2 years to go. Ripping has started for this year.
- Funding has been acquired for 3 carp musters along the Murrey last year. Dates were cancelled due to Covid-19. A meeting it set up to discuss follow up.
- WLNSW have partnered with DPI- Dr Susan Orgill – Leader Soil R&D South, Agricultural Resources Branch, to run a competition with primary schools to design the logo for ‘Living Sins Project’
- Governance training will take place in Bourke 19th April, Broken Hill 21st April, Buronga 23rd One member of each group is encouraged to attend. Please contact your Local Landcare Coordinator to arrange attendance.
- Funding has been acquired for 2 advanced dog trapping schools. Goodwood Station 16th-18th May, Big Ampi Station 20-22nd 6 advanced and 3 novice positions are available. If you would like to attend, please contact your Local Landcare Coordinator. LLS are also running 2 advanced dog trapping schools at Brewarrina and Louth. Please contact Phil Baird if you would like to attend these.
- Western Landcare are running 6 one day geomorphology workshops. Bourke, Cobar, Milparinka, Broken Hill, Wentworth and Buronga. If you would like to attend, please contact your Local Landcare Coordinator.
- The Western Landcare newsletter will be running monthly again. If you have any group activities you would like added, please contact Julia Dearn.
- There is still a WLNSW executive position and a State Council position available. Western Landcare will be putting together a criteria for these roles. If you are interested in either position, please contact Louise Turner.
- WLNSW is looking at contracting a PR person for a short period to raise the profile of Western Landcare, all member groups, and what is it all about.
The next Steering Committee Meeting is the 8th September in Bourke.