National Landcare Programme

The NLP is a longstanding programme within the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry which supports the landcare movement and the sustainable use and management of natural resources. The NLP encourages landholders to undertake landcare and related conservation works by supporting collective action by communities to sustainably manage the environment and natural resources.

The NLP has been highly effective in encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable management practices, and improve their productivity, profitability and the condition of our natural resources, both on and off farms. Landcare is also strong in regional towns and metropolitan centres.

The partnership between government and the community is critical to encouraging on-ground action to improve natural resource management at the farm, catchment and regional level.

NLP funding continues until the end of 2011-12, although details of the delivery arrangements from 2008-09 to 2011-12 are being developed.

Further information

Contact: The Landcare Contact Officer
Phone: 1800 657 220
Fax: 02 6272 4526

South Coast NRM Actions

National Landcare Programme Investment Framework: 2008-2012

The National Landcare Programme (NLP) fosters the landcare ethic of caring for land, water and biodiversity. It targets the adoption of sustainable management practices by Australian primary producers to achieve its goal of a profitable and resilient primary production sector.

Landcare activities occur primarily in rural Australia and, as managers of 60% of land and 70% of diverted water across a vast range of landscapes, primary producers are crucial to achieving the Australian Government’s natural resource management (NRM) goals. Around 75% of primary producers are involved in landcare type activities or benefit from the shared knowledge gained from these activities. Surveys have shown that producers who have been involved in landcare type activities are twice as likely to have adopted innovative practices to address NRM issues as other producers who have not.

The NLP provides funding to a variety of stakeholders for work targeted at the broad range of primary industries across Australia, and which protects and improves the natural resource base and reduces off-farm impact for the benefit of all communities.

NRM reviews in 2006 found that many primary producers have little contact with regional NRM organisations, and that the NLP provides an entry point for primary industry to become engaged in NRM by focussing on profitable, sustainable agriculture. Accordingly, the Australian Government will continue to deliver the NLP as an additional and complementary programme to the Natural Heritage Trust.

Australian Government funding for the NLP over the 4 years from 2008-9 to 2011-12 will be $151 million ($36.6 million, 2008-9; $37.4 million, 2009-10; $38.1 million, 2010-11; and $38.9 million, 2011-12). This phase will continue to highlight profitability as a key driver for the adoption of best management practices, empower landholders; promote innovation and foster the strong, positive engagement of stakeholders at the local level, as a way to reinforce social networks which are essential for the resilience of rural and regional communities.

NLP funding is delivered under the Natural Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992 (click here for more information).

Outcomes

Outcomes to be achieved from the NLP investments include: