The Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) is the umbrella organisation of more than 50 community groups. In this issue of Eco, we feature the Noosa District Landcare Group.
Noosa District Landcare members with Phil Moran
Landcare – it’s all about nurturing and cherishing the land and making sure it’s in a fit state for our descendants. It began in Australia in 1989 as a collaboration between government, business and the community to tackle some serious environmental concerns – erosion, salinity, and loss of biodiversity to name just a few. Now there are over 4500 Landcare groups, with over 60,000 people involved in Landcare activities in Queensland alone.
The Noosa and District Landcare Group – based in Pomona in the Noosa hinterland – has been around since 1991 and has some impressive statistics of its own.
With 28 staff it’s the second largest employer in town, and it has well over 150 volunteers.
Their work seems to cover the spectrum of on-ground environmental repair work. Water quality monitoring, revegetation, weed control, Greenhouse abatement measures, coastal rehabilitation, nurseries for propagating native plants (120,000 last year) and education – Noosa Landcare does it all and more.
Phil Moran is the Natural Resource Manager and is passionate about the bush as well as involving the community in its protection.
One current project is running a Green Army programme, under the auspices of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. It provides work in local National Parks for 14 unemployed people, repairing flood damage and removing weeds.
Phil sees much value in this type of project.
“There’s the obvious environmental benefit,” said Phil.
“Not only that, it’s better for the community to have more people in work, and the value for individuals is enormous.
“Long term unemployed people develop more confidence and better self-esteem. Younger people gain a work ethic. For all, there’s an opportunity to acquire valuable skills.”
Contracting services out to landholders is another part of Noosa Landcare operations.
There is a consultancy service, and an experienced crew who deal with weeds, plant the trees and make sure they keep growing.
“These are the guys and girls who do the hard work,” said Phil. “They’re out there in the heat and rain helping property owners repair the land.”
Phil himself began with Noosa Landcare as a volunteer in 2000. He lives on a 13 hectare bush block, where he’s done much revegetation and pulled lots of weeds. He was the first in the old Noosa Shire to have his property covered by a Voluntary Conservation Agreement, thus protecting it in perpetuity.
Noosa Landcare has water care firmly in its sights too.
With financial help from the Federal Government and Sunshine Coast Council, they’re running the Cootharaba Community Erosion Awareness Project – this is a detailed study of sediment, water and nutrients in Lake Cootharaba, Kin Kin Creek and the Upper Noosa River.
Solid data about threats to the waterways is essential to guarantee their long term protection.
The project has a multi-disciplinary team with people from universities, government bodies and community groups all contributing their energy and expertise. They’ll be using the latest technology to pinpoint sources of pollution, and relying on a lot of well-trained and well-supported volunteers.
Then there’ll be workshops to inform the community, look at the research and help prioritise management issues.
Projects like this are all part of Noosa Landcare’s multi-faceted approach to caring for our patch of country.
They offer education programmes – learning the difference between native and exotic plant species is popular – and run talks and walks for schoolchildren, even the tiny pre-schoolers, as well as presenting at universities, State Government agencies and community group meetings.
Noosa Landcare coordinates the Community Nature Conservation Programme. Residents from the coast to the hinterland gather each weekend at their local bushland reserve for a working bee, learning much about local plants and animals in the process.
The group has won many awards, and in 2010 were themselves sponsors for the Conservation for Biodiversity Award at SCEC’s Froggies, the Sunshine Coast Environment Awards. (The winner was Beverley Hand for the Bunya Dreaming Festival.)
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