Landcare has 80 salaried facilitators and 10 regional coordinators in Victoria and the organisation took little comfort from Tim Pallas’ budget on Tuesday, May 7, which has promised limited short-term funding.
Victorian Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos announced a nine-month extension to facilitator roles at the Victorian Landcare forum in Bendigo on Thursday, May 9.
No money was committed for funding coordinators.
Facilitators are specialist and highly qualified extension officers responsible for field- day training of regional landholders, farmers and volunteers.
Coordinators manage numerous community Landcare groups, often as a large ‘clan’.
A recent report described facilitators as ‘the glue that holds [Landcare] groups together’.
The report also said facilitators remained ‘seriously’ under-resourced.
A government spokesperson said the budget had committed $4.6 million for 2024-25 and an additional $3.6 million in 2025-26 to extend the roles of facilitators until the end of March 2026.
However, that funding had already been announced in 2023.
Landcare Victoria chair Jane Carney welcomed the commitment, which would cover the facilitator roles until March 2026, but said longer-term commitments and a funding uplift were still needed.
“The nine-month extension does provide some reprieve for facilitators needing to make decisions about their future, but piecemeal increments are not enough. This also leaves the fate of coordinators up in the air,” Mrs Carney said.
“Over the past few years, the Victorian Government has wound back investment in extension but increased its climate and biodiversity commitments.”
Mrs Carney said facilitators and coordinators were essential to bringing thousands of volunteers into practical programs across Victoria, and delivering on the ‘ambitious’ commitments of the government’s plans.
She said among those plans was the Landcare Plan for Victoria 2023-2033 and Biodiversity 2037.
In June 2023, the Victorian Government announced an $8.2 million investment in extending the roles of 80 part-time facilitators and 10 regional coordinators, until June 30, 2025.
Mrs Carney said while Landcare Victoria appreciated the extension until March 26, 2025, more long-term clarity was needed.
“We do a lot with a little at Landcare, but the reality is that you can’t keep good people if you don’t give them an adequate wage and ongoing roles,” she said.
“Having funding extended bit-by-bit, year-by-year does not provide the certainty we need for long-term planning and skilled staff retention.”
A government spokesperson said the Victorian Government was a long-term supporter of Landcare and environmental volunteering through the Victorian Landcare program.
“(This) includes funding for Landcare facilitators, regional Landcare coordinators and the Victorian Landcare grants to support communities to act for nature,” the spokesperson said.
“This additional Landcare facilitator funding provides contract certainty for an additional nine months, which is important as facilitators are largely employed by community organisations.”
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