Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Northern Victoria Region

Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (13:02): (1281) My constituency question is for the Minister for Environment. Can the minister please guarantee adequate ongoing funding for the Victorian Landcare facilitator program? After a string of short-term extensions, the current round of funding runs out in March 2026. The Victorian Landcare movement now has more than 745 autonomous local groups that deliver thousands of hectares of revegetation, pest control and biodiversity projects every year. This huge network of 60,000 volunteers is supported by locally based facilitators. In May this year I attended the Victorian Landcare forum in Bendigo. At the forum the minister announced a nine-month extension to facilitator roles. I understand that Landcare Victoria appreciated the extension, but now more long-term clarity is needed for long-term planning and to retain skilled staff. Victoria’s Landcare program does great work and deserves to have more certainty regarding their funding.