Landcare Illawarra Annual Report 2014-2015 Prepared in partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia and South East Local Land Services Contents The Landcare Illawarra team 1 About us 2 Landcare groups 3 Chair’s report 4 Project Officer’s report 6 Treasurer’s report 8 Year in review 11 Appendix 1 20 Appendix 2 22 Table 1 24 Table 2 26 Report written by Tony Hepworth and Megan Rowlatt. The Landcare Illawarra team Tony Hepworth Neil McLaren Chair Deputy chair Pat Robson Michael Swanson Secretary Treasurer Support Richard Scarborough Megan Rowlatt Landcare Illawarra Land Services Officer Project Officer Illawarra Hosted by Conservation Volunteers Australia Funded by South East Local Land Services 1 About us Landcare is a national network of thousands of community groups who care for our country. Australia boasts more than 6000 community landcare groups and thousands of landcare volunteers. In 1999 a group of enthusiastic volunteers decided to get together and form Landcare Illawarra. A constitution was written and our objectives became: • To manage the implementation and supervision of the Landcare lllawarra Technical Coordinator position (now the Landcare Illawarra Project Officer). • To provide a forum for the discussion of issues relevant to landcare. • To represent the views of lllawarra landcare groups. • To encourage support for landcare. Since our inception, and in keeping with the objectives as they developed, we have: • Supported groups to develop skills and knowledge around natural area restoration. • Supported landholders to implement sustainable land management practices. • Facilitated many grants and programs. • Attracted over $4 million to environmental and sustainable agricultural projects across the Illawarra. Volunteers of the various Landcare groups have contributed over $1 million in volunteer labour to date. This $1 million does not cover the work of Bushcare volunteers or private landholders who are also contributing significantly to landcare initiatives. Today, Landcare Illawarra is a community-based volunteer driven organisation, which helps Illawarra residents living in the 3 local government areas of Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama on the NSW South Coast to become involved in a broad range of environmental activities. We support: • Local residents by connecting volunteers to local activities. • A number of individuals and groups across the region to access funding, resources and skills training to build their capacity to deliver quality education and on-ground outcomes. • Private landholders in the region to sustainably manage native vegetation on their property by offering advice and assistance in accessing appropriate native plant species for revegetation activities. We are getting the job done with 22 active Landcare groups working across the Illawarra and a much larger number of Bushcare Groups, which are supported by council programs with Wollongong City Council and Shellharbour City Council. 2 Landcare groups Wollongong Budjong Creek Landcare Mullet Creek Community Garden Landcare Helensburgh and District Landcare Illawarra Intrepid Landcare – young Landcare group Royal National Park Cabins Community Landcare Collins Creek Landcare UOW Intrepid Landcare Club – young Landcare group Kiama Bombo Headland Landcare Little Blowhole Landcare Werri Dunecare Upper Minnamurra Rivercare Jamberoo Mountain Landcare Cedar Ridge Landcare Seven Mile Beach Landcare Gainsborough Chase Minnamurra Wetland Landcare (not in operation anymore) Byrnes Run Landcare Bombo Outlook Landcare Kaleula Headland Landcare Foxground Landcare Hillside Native Food Forest Landcare Jubilee Grove Landcare Shellharbour Tullimbah Landcare Wollongong City Council and Shellharbour City Council both have active Bushcare networks supporting over 100 Bushcare groups across the two local government areas. 3 Chair’s report Tony Hepworth 2014- 2015 year has been a typically active year for Landcare Illawarra. With eight workshops, two Talking Landcare events, our annual celebration, presence at community days, and the ongoing work under the Illawarra Woodland and Rainforest project, we have been able to continue to provide training and capacity building opportunities for the wider community, Landcare and Bushcare volunteers and private landholders. We have a wonderful partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) which allows us to assist with large-scale bush regeneration activities on a number of private properties in priority biodiversity corridors. This means they are home to a number of endangered ecological communities as well as a number of threatened species. This has all been made possible with support from the federal government’s Biodiversity Fund and funding from South East Local Land Services. We have also been able to support a number of Landcare groups through funding from South East Local Land Services and with support from the Illawarra Land Services Officer to send teams of Conservation Volunteers to Landcare sites to assist with additional bush regeneration activities. This has been very well received by the groups and we are thankful for the support CVA brings to local Landcare groups. CVA has worked with 7 different groups and brought an additional 1100 hrs of volunteer labour to these groups! Landcare Illawarra has also supported the establishment of two new Landcare groups; Jubilee Grove and UOW Intrepid Landcare group, another youth Landcare group in our region. We warmly welcome these new volunteer groups to the Landcare family. Due to the growing need to support Landcare volunteers with insurance, the Landcare Illawarra committee has introduced a membership system, which encourages a fee for groups and individuals. Funds raised from membership fees directly goes into supporting volunteer insurance so that volunteers can continue to carry out the wonderful work that they do across our region, and hosting community education evenings such as Talking Landcare. To date Landcare Illawarra has 134 members. Most recently Gareth Ward MP, Member for Kiama, facilitated a grant of $687.50 to Tullimbah Landcare. This money will be used to purchase signs so the group can label significant plants on the site. Gareth has organised similar grants to other local Landcare groups in the area over the past few years. We very 4 much appreciate his ongoing support. The University of Wollongong continues to support Landcare Illawarra through their “UOW Cares” work place giving program. Staff regularly make small contributions to local charities of which Landcare Illawarra is one. Through support from Landcare Australia we are able to accept these donations. This year we were able to combine funds raised through UOW with a small $1500 grant we received through the NSW Landcare Support Program to purchase much needed tools and gloves for Landcare groups across the region. We would like to thank all who have helped make this possible. Landcare Illawarra would also like to acknowledge outstanding work of the Illawarra Land Services Officer – Megan Rowlatt, and our Project Officer – Richard Scarborough. Without the vision and energy of these two staff, Landcare Illawarra would not nearly be so effective. At the same time it is important to acknowledge the enthusiastic support of the membership throughout the year ... friends and colleagues all. It is enormously satisfying to count myself a member of a group that constantly punches above its weight, and a great honour to be its Chair. As well as having a proud history, Landcare Illawarra is looking forward to the future. We have already received a notice of a grant of $100,000 from South East Local Land Services, which will enable us to employ a Community Support Officer from July 2016 on a part time basis until June 2018. In addition we have joined with Berry, Foxground and Shoalhaven Landcare groups, to try to negotiate becoming involved in the RMS offsets project for the Foxground Berry bypass. Watch this space. Yours sincerely, Tony Hepworth Landcare Illawarra Chair 5 Project Officer’s report Richard Scarborough The last year and a bit has been an extraordinarily busy period for the partners associated with the Illawarra Woodlands and Rainforest Project, which remains one of Landcare Illawarra’s long term projects for connecting to rural landholders. Project Partnerships with the Illawarra Woodlands and Rainforest Project During 2014-15 we have utilised funding from South East Local Land Services, as well as the 3rd year of our Federal Government Biodiversity funding. This has provided plants for revegetation on properties linked to the “Escarpment to Sea” program through South East Local Land Services, and provided funding for works, materials and plants on properties associated with the Biodiversity Project. From July 2014 to June 2015 the South East Local Land Services component funded the provision of 2,451 plants to 18 different properties, of which 12 sites were new contacts. In the same period, the Biodiversity Project funded the provision of 5,172 plants to 22 different properties, of which 7 sites were new contacts. The accompanying Table (Table 1) shows project engagement as a function of plants provided since 2012. This numbers 80 project partnerships across both funding streams and 23,975 plants during this time. Records for 2010 and 2011 will be added to this in due course, as will the post July 2015 numbers. The majority of project partners continue a working relationship with Landcare Illawarra, although some are content with their achievements and have