Welcome to the Nambucca Valley Landcare History Page

General Landcare History

Australian farmers have been forming land management groups since the 1940s. In the late 1970s, under government agency encouragement, volunteer groups began to form to combat soil erosion at a district scale. The Victorian government in the mid 1980s introduced a program where community groups were actively involved in planning and implementing natural resource management projects.
The approach was to deal with several land degradation issues rather than single issues and the groups were neighborhood based rather than peer based. In 1986 this program was registered in Victoria under the name of LandCare. It was in the late 1980s that the Dunecare program was developed in NSW with the formation of community groups along the coast. The success of Dunecare provided a model for developing independent and autonomous landcare groups in NSW. Although there were some landcare type groups in NSW before 1989, it was during this year that landcare started to accelerate.
Find more at: Source: http://www.landcarensw.org/History.htm

Nambucca Valley Landcare History

The first Landcare group was established in the Nambucca Valley in 1989 and Nambucca Valley Landcare Inc. (NVL) began in 1995 to assist the then existing 14 Landcare groups. The number of groups increased in the 1990’s reaching its maximum in 1999 to approximately 30 groups. Since then the number of active groups has greatly reduced and NVL has changed its role acting as an umbrella organisation to not only assist in the implementation of projects but to receive, hold and administer funds, be responsible for Public Liability Insurance and to take under our administration all members of the community willing to carry out NRM projects whether they be groups, individuals or willing farmers.
NVL is now engaging the community as a whole and is becoming increasingly well known and trusted in the Nambucca Valley. Achievements include winning the State Landcare Award for Education with the Dung Beetle project, preparation of the Nambucca Estuary Inventory, a Planting Guide for the Estuary, a Landcare Evaluation data base, a Farm Forestry library and a booklet on River Restoration Activities in the Nambucca Valley. In recent years NVL intitiated the production of the innovative Resource Kit for Rural Landholders, followed by the Coast and Estuary Resource Kit both with information specific to the Nambucca Valley and mid north coast region. In 2007 NVL also produced the first ever and highly popular Nambucca Valley Vegetation and Planting Guide.
NVL is expanding its local networks and fostering community involvement in NRM the results of which we believe are yet to be fully realised.

Resource Centre
NVL has a shop front in Bowraville providing access for the community to information, resources, meeting and planning activities, and for the exchange of information.
Community activities include a Tree Fair twice a year, which attracts 30+ nurseries and approx. 500 people to each event. Community education includes field days, workshops, demonstration sites, MTG, ACE courses and TAFE courses.

Partnerships
NVL has established working relationships and developed partnerships across the community such as:

Local government – active member of NV Estuary Management Committee, produced the Estuary Inventory, wrote application for Council for the Estuary Management Plan, work with Weed Inspector to assist landowners with weed control, liaise over management of floodgates at Gumma, management of ICOLL at Deep Creek.

Indigenous Community- recently organised the first ever Koori MTG, liaised with land councils, assisting the Indigenous Land Corporation with their farm plan, assist them with funding, assist them with implementing NRM projects.

Industry – includes working with Kempsey Solar Timbers for sustainable management of timber resources, Norco produce supplies give a percentage discount, local Nurseries, local quarries, contractors and oyster growers

State Government – relationships with NRCMA, DECC, FISHERIES, NPWS, Waterways, ACE, TAFE, Local Schools.

Non-Government Organisations – includes GA, CVA, Work for the Dole, Green Reserve, NVCA, NCWAC, Scotts Head Trust, Tallowood Independent School, Landcare and Coastcare groups. Other MNC CLO’s – meet regularly to discuss Blueprint strategies, actions and mutual outcomes.

Media – NVL has very good relationships with the local newspapers and the ABC