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NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2018-19

To be held on Fri 15th November at JT Pridham Centre, DPI 296 Binni Creek Road, Cowra from 2:00 – 5:00PM.

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The Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative and the future of LachLandcare

The purpose of this news bulletin is to update the LachLandcare community about the result of our bid for funds under the New South Wales Government’s 2019–2023 NSW Landcare Program to fund Local Landcare Coordinators.

As you would appreciate, for the past decade LachLandcare has successfully demonstrated its professionalism, commitment and capacity to deliver Landcare outcomes with a catchment focus. For this reason, the Committee considered the contract and funding offered very carefully.

LachLandcare was successful in its bid, however the terms of the funding agreement offered by LLS were not considered acceptable. Unfortunately, LLS was not prepared to address the matters of concern.  As a result, and following careful consideration and receipt of independent advice, LachLandcare decided not to accept the contract terms offered.

Notwithstanding LachLandcare’s decision, LachLandcare has offered and is currently working with LLS and Landcare NSW to ensure Local Coordinators are put in place in the Lachlan catchment. As a result of the work of LachLandcare in originally bidding for the funds, and as part of its ongoing support for individual groups in the Lachlan catchment, it has transpired that the funding will be made available at the individual group level, should those groups decide to accept the terms. Once these arrangements have been finalised we will provide further details of the coordinators working in the catchment.

Going forward, LachLandcare will continue to manage current and future projects with a catchment focus. In the short term this includes the remainder of our contribution to the Superb Parrot Partnership project and the Bundaburrah Creek Dabu Yarra Murun project, a project focussed on education and capacity building about cultural fishing in the Lachlan Catchment and including some habitat restoration on Bundaburrah Creek near Forbes.

LachLandcare can also continue to provide a governance framework for local unincorporated groups who may wish to undertake landcare related projects. An example is a Myna bird action group in Goulburn, which LachLandcare is hosting. If you are interested in joining this group or would like more information please contact Sue Theron at goulburnmyna@lachlandcare.org.au.

Without being tied to a focus on operational delivery of the Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative, LachLandcare are now looking forward to an opportunity to focus on advocacy and seeking project funding in support of a sustainable Lachlan catchment. In our view this remains a serious strategic gap, as an artefact of the LLS administrative boundaries and the largely compartmentalised management approach of the NSW Government within the catchment. LachLandcare looks forward working with our members in this broader strategic and important role. I would encourage anyone who is interested in, or even better, willing to make a contribution to this role, to come along to our strategic planning day and AGM on Friday 15 November in Cowra.

Yours sincerely

Matt Doyle

Chair
LachLandcare Inc.
On behalf of the Executive Committee

Lachlan River Spring Flow 2019

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