Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Landcare Facilitator supports regional work
Waggamba Landcare Group representative Trevor Martin and local Landcare Coordinator Tammy Caldicott look at local maps and plan their strategy
Trevor Martin, Tammy Caldicott and QMDC GIS Officer Joel Pettiford have a planning meeting
Landcare Coordinators in Queensland's Murray Darling region are able to work towards the same goals thanks to the appointment of a Regional Landcare Facilitator.
The Facilitator, Rick Kowitz, is a mentor to the nine different Landcare Coordinators and groups who, in turn, support more than 60 sub-catchment groups in the region.
The Queensland Murray Darling-Committee Inc. (QMDC) appointed Rick to the role in September 2003.
Funding
Since then the position has received more than $24,000 from the Australian Government. Further Australian Government funding of around $490,000 a year has gone to supporting the nine Landcare Coordinators working under Rick.
Rick said his job involves training and support for people to work effectively with the community, maximising the effort put in at a regional level.
"A lot of the people we get are new graduates," Rick said. "Many are from the city and they're landed in a little country town and expected to get on and get things happening with very little experience. The big thing about my role is empowering them.
"I'm helping the Landcare Groups support their Landcare Facilitators."
Activities
"We mainly do sub-catchment planning with them. This involves identifying what agricultural and grazing issues they're facing. We can then help them identify more sustainable ways to do things and give them technical advice.
"They're encouraged to set targets that meet our regional planning priorities."
With so many sub-catchment areas in the region, the projects on which the groups and coordinators work vary widely. They include exploring different ways to combat soil erosion, or making efforts to improve habitat values around creeks; or dealing with issues in rural townships like replacing plastic with calico bags at stores and supermarkets.
"The most enjoyable part is seeing the results of all the effort after the sub-catchment groups have put their projects together - things actually happen on the ground," Rick said.
Trevor Martin, Landcare's QMDC Executive Committee representative, sees the contribution of the Regional Landcare Facilitator as vital.
"Without Rick's input many of the good ideas we see around the region wouldn't necessarily get off the ground," he said.
More information
- Rick Kowitz, QMDC Regional Landcare Facilitator: rickk@qmdc.org.au
See also
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