Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Landcare

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (03:43): (1553) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, and it relates to Landcare Victoria. Landcare Victoria friends of the environment groups filled Queens Hall last sitting week for two days, showing all the amazing work that they do in terms of habitat restoration, weed reduction and working for the environment – and they do it for free, these volunteers. One of their submissions to the government says, ‘A fair go for Landcare facilitators – the glue that holds Landcare together’. My particular issue tonight relates to the Victorian Landcare facilitator program, which ensures volunteers have the support they need to achieve positive outcomes for our natural environment in Victoria. Their work has not only environmental but social and economic benefits. Indeed facilitators return more than $7 for every $1 invested, and they coordinate over 60,000 volunteers. This means that the current $4.5 million state investment in the 80 part-time Landcare facilitators yielded over $31 million in economic return in 2023 alone. But the funding runs out in May next year. These people are hanging on, and they need that certainty. So what I am asking the government for – and this is in their funding request, so the government are well aware of it – is $48 million over four years for this facilitator program. This includes $9.5 million per annum over four years for 100 Landcare facilitator positions, $2 million per annum for a four-year term for 10 regional Landcare coordinators and a paltry half a million dollars per annum over four years for Landcare Victoria Incorporated’s support program. Now, this sits separately to the grants program.

Minister, the other day, when you were in the hall – and I know my colleague Mr Welch was there and many others – you made a commitment and you said to said to the group of people in this hall, the Landcare volunteers and facilitators and CEO Claire Hetzel, ‘We’re not going anywhere; Labor is not going anywhere.’ Well, not going anywhere is not good enough. In the past 10 years there has been no increase in funding, and if you consider inflation not even keeping up with CPI, this organisation needs your support. It needs you to fund $48 million over four years. If we look at that, that is only going to be two days worth of interest repayments on this government’s blowout debts. These are vulnerable species; we need our Landcare coordinators and facilitators to continue well into the future.