The Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and Landcare work in partnership to engage communities and primary producers in sustainable natural resource management activities that will lead to better soil health, water quality and vegetation condition.
The National Landcare Program, Natural Heritage Trust and National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality supports Landcare activities to raise awareness amongst landholders and the community about sustainable agricultural practices such as tree planting, weed removal, water quality monitoring and changing their own farming, business and domestic habits to be more environmentally friendly.
In the Murrumbidgee catchment the Murrumbidgee Landcare Association (MLA) and the Network Chairs meet with the Murrumbidgee CMA Board and senior staff on a quarterly basis to ensure grassroots input into the Murrumbidgee CMA's strategies and projects.
The Murrumbidgee CMA works in partnership with the Landcare community in the following ways;
- All Murrumbidgee CMA staff are committed to supporting Landcare. The MCMA Natural Resource Officers work closely with the Landcare Networks in project delivery and community capacity building.
- Providing support in the writing of funding applications including Environment Trust, Community Water Grants and Envirofund. In the 2004-2005 financial year, there were two rounds of Envirofund.
- The Chair of the Murrumbidgee CMA and senior Management host quarterly meetings with the Chairs of the Murrumbidgee Landcare Networks.
- Commissioned Landcare Networks to manage four large scale investment projects. The projects being the Yass, Jugiong, Muttama and Kyeamba Valley Targeted Salinity and Water Quality Projects. This model of project management has proved to be very successful.
- Landcare Networks are working with the Murrumbidgee CMA to manage nine of the 14 Profitable Farmers, Sustainable Systems, Healthy Landscapes project focus groups.
- Joint displays at field days including Henty Machinery Field Days, Murrumbateman Field Days and Murrumbidgee Field Days in Yanco.
- Landcare Networks assisted in the organisation of the focus meetings for the development of the Draft Murrumbidgee Catchment Action Plan.
- The Murrumbidgee Landcare Association was a joint organiser with the MCMA, Wagga Wagga City Council and DIPNR for the 2005 NSW State Landcare / Catchment Management Forum in Wagga Wagga.
Listed below are the 11 Landcare overarching organisations in the Murrumbidgee catchment. Within each of these organisations are a number of individual Landcare groups.
