National Landcare Program Phase One
2014-15 to 2017-18
The Australian Government invested $1 billion through the National Landcare Program over four years from 2014-15 to 2017-18, including support for the Landcare Networks, 20 Million Trees and Australia’s 56 regional natural resource management (NRM) organisations. This funding helps support local environmental and sustainable agriculture projects including the Reef 2050 implementation and complements funding for the Land Sector Package.
The Australian Government is continuing to support shared stewardship of the environment through investment of $30 million in a range of locally focused environment programs that support practical action in urban, rural and regional communities. This includes funding for the eradication of yellow crazy ants in North Queensland, a $5 million Threatened Species Recovery Fund, and continuing support for the National Landcare Network. This funding will ensure that on-ground works on these important national environmental issues continues with the help of local communities.
The Regional Stream
The regional funding stream will invest funding through Australia’s 56 natural resource management organisations, recognising the vitally important role these organisations play in delivering local and regional activities.
Australia’s NRM organisations have also committed at least 20 per cent of their National Landcare Program funding to help support local organisations, such as local landcare groups, to undertake a range of projects that help protect their local environment and deliver more sustainable agriculture.
The National Stream
The national funding stream supports a number of important initiatives that will protect and restore the environment and make agriculture more sustainable and productive. These initiatives will be directly funded by the Australian Government.
They include a range of commitments such as the 20 Million Trees Program, the Threatened Species Recovery Fund, as well as continuing commitments such as World Heritage and Indigenous Protected Areas.
National Landcare Program Phase One Strategic Objectives and Outcomes
By investing in local and regional projects that deliver against the program’s strategic objectives and outcomes, the Australian Government recognises the important contribution of local communities and regional natural resource management organisations in assisting Australia to meet its national and international obligations.
| Strategic Objectives | Strategic Outcomes | Contribution to national and international obligations |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Objective 1: Communities are managing landscapes to sustain long-term economic and social benefits from their environment. | Maintain and improve ecosystem services through sustainable management of local and regional landscapes. | Protection and restoration of ecosystem function, resilience and biodiversity; appropriate management of invasive species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or native species. |
| Strategic Objective 2: Farmers and fishers are increasing their long term returns through better management of the natural resource base. | Increase in the number of farmers and fishers adopting practices that improve the quality of the natural resource base, and the area of land over which those practices are applied. | Sustainable management of agriculture and aquaculture to conserve and protect biological diversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon stored in soil. |
| Strategic Objective 3: Communities are involved in caring for their environment. | Increase engagement and participation of the community, including landcare, farmers and Indigenous people, in sustainable natural resource management. | Build community awareness of biodiversity values, skills, participation and knowledge, including Indigenous knowledge and participation, to promote conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. |
| Strategic Objective 4: Communities are protecting species and natural assets. | Increase restoration and rehabilitation of the natural environment, including protecting and conserving nationally and internationally significant species, ecosystems, ecological communities, places and values. | Reduce the loss of natural habitats, degradation and fragmentation; protecting or conserving Matters of National Environmental Significance including management of World Heritage Areas, Ramsar wetlands, national heritage etc; reduce the number of nationally threatened species and improve their conservation status. |