HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-09-08 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY GRANTS

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:50): Will the Minister for Environment and Conservation advise the house of any recent government initiatives to encourage volunteer participation in projects to care for our state's precious natural resources?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister Assisting the Premier in Cabinet Business and Public Sector Management) (15:51): As many members would be aware, this week is Landcare Week. It is a time when we reflect on the enormous contribution that the Landcare movement has made to the care and management of our natural resources in this country. It is a particularly important week this year because we commemorate 20 years since former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke stood alongside the National Farmers Federation and the Australian Conservation Foundation. It was a genuine coming together of groups that traditionally had not communicated. The Landcare movement was born in that substantial way.

The significance of this event should not be underestimated. It marked a new way of thinking about natural resources. It was a vision that included the use of our land alongside the protection of our environment—something that we now take for granted. Some 20 years on, community interest in caring for our land is just as strong. Again, the Labor Party has been at the forefront of renewing the way in which we think about our precious soils, plants, water and ecosystems with reforms that the Minister for Health (the former minister for the environment) made when he introduced the integrated system of natural resources management in 2004.

Here in South Australia many people dedicate their spare time, expertise and energy through sustainable farming groups, Friends of Parks groups, catchment groups, progress associations and many other community organisations to undertake relatively small but quite vital local environmental projects. They have a huge impact. Members may recall that, in June, I announced $631,000 in small grants funding to 73 community groups. I can recall the member for MacKillop saying it was all too late and we had not given people enough time—

Mr Williams: There was no new money.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It was all new money. They actually got cheques and I call that real money. The member for MacKillop said that this was far too short a time in which to roll out these programs, but they were all over-subscribed. There were more applications for these grants than money. The proposals were of an excellent quality and because we used a very non-bureaucratic way of assessing them—a very simple process using the natural resources management boards in a quick process; we designed a simple application form process to cut through the red tape—the community groups were able to access those funds in a timely fashion; and they did wonderful things with them.

There has been strong support for the government to build on the success of this grants program, so on 26 August I announced an expanded $2.5 million community grants program as part of the state NRM funding for 2009-10. Today I am pleased to announce that the state government's land care, coast care and water care grants for 2009-10 are officially open. I encourage all those community groups involved in caring for agricultural land, water resources and our native flora and fauna to consider applying for a grant. I encourage them to discuss their project ideas with their regional NRM boards so that we can marry the strengths of the regional planning process with the on-the-ground approach of these community organisations.

As Landcare celebrates its 20th birthday, it is fitting that we are empowering people to work locally to deliver results on the ground that will help their community effectively respond to the broader challenges posed by climate change and extended drought. By providing this support, the government believes it can help the people to do the work about which they are so passionate in their communities. Applications for the community grants program close on 9 October and further information can be found at the NRM website.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT