Greater Sydney Landcare Network

GSLN employs two part time Local Landcare Coordinators – Clare and Elisha. The highly successful four year government sponsorship of these part time positions will wrap up mid-2019. Whilst Landcare NSW is lobbying for greater support and continuation for the LLCI role, they’ve already gained commitments from both sides of politics:

• The Government (Liberal Party) has announced the an additional investment of $22.4 million, allowing the part-time role of our LLCIs and regional coordinators. This commitment also introduces ten dedicated Indigenous-focused LLCI roles.
• Labor has gone one step further and committed to the full amount – $32.5 million – as requested by Landcare NSW. These investments will allow Landcare NSW to boost and expand the LLC role with continued support from Local Land Services allowing our LLCIs to go full time!

You can read a media release from the current Liberal Government here, and Labor Opposition here. And a reminder that we’re still collecting feedback to put towards the major political parties. You can download a copy of the questions here, and send feedback to our LLC Clare. We’ll collate the responses, put it to each major party and report back on what they say.

Written by Clare Vernon. 

With the NSW State Election coming up this March, we’ve put together some key policy and election promise questions to put to each major party.

From Streamwatch to development and conserving green space in Greater Sydney, we’ll be collating political party feedback from each major player, and sharing the results with our network.

We’re still seeking feedback on our proposed questions. You can find the link to our draft document here; submit your responses to LLC Clare. All feedback is confidential and your proposed amendments (or new questions!) will be collated before we send these items off for feedback.

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment is undertaking conservation planning across Western Sydney, including regions of the highly threatened Cumberland Plain woodland, as part of a development covering a sizeable area from Penrith, to ErskinePark, Luddenham, Macarthur (including the Mt Gilead development) and Wilton.

However, the Landcare and conservation community have serious concerns with the proposed terms. Specifically:

• Public reserves must not to be offsets for developers: The Terms of Reference (Section 3.1.5) do not include public bushland reserves in their definition of already-protected bushland. This will allow developers to use the public reserves we fought and paid for as their environmental offsets and deny local farmers vital conservation funding to protect bushland on farms. Tell the government that Section 3.1.5 must be amended to include ‘public bushland reserves’ in the definition of lands already protected; and
• Real public input is needed: The terms do not require the State Government to report on any public participation. The public must have the final say in planning our communities. Please ask for the Terms of Reference to require a summary of conservation priorities as stated by local communities from (at a minimum) local, face-to-face community workshops

You can read more about the terms here.

We need you – our Landcare, Bushcare and conservation community in Sydney and beyond to help. We have until 5pm Friday the 25 of January to make a submission to the Commonwealth Government, to guide federal assessment of these development plans. 

What we need you to do:

1. Read and note the above issues; it may help to read the terms too.
2.  In your own words (it can be as few as two sentences), raise the above points. More if you have more suggestions after reading through the terms above. Your submission must be in your own words for it to be counted. You can submit your thoughts to the Commonwealth Government here.
3. Share this post, raise awareness and get in touch with media. The wider we spread this message (and we have just over a day to do it!) the more submissions and publicity we can achieve.

Help us protect the Cumberland Plain woodland. This is our chance to make a meaningful contribution and send a real message to the planning authorities that we value this precious landscape now, and for future generations.

The proposed development areas covering substation portions of the Cumberland Plain woodland. Indicative map produced by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.