Landcare Victoria Inc, the peak body for Landcare in Victoria, has launched an advocacy campaign calling on the State Government to invest $48 million into the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program (VLFP) over the next four years.
Launching the campaign this week, Landcare Victoria Inc. Chair Jane Carney said that without longer-term and greater funding, the future of the VLFP is at risk.
"Critical to the success of Landcare are our 80 local facilitators and 10 regional coordinators who harness the power of tens of thousands of volunteers across more than 600 Victorian Landcare groups," Mrs Carney said.
"The funding the Victorian Government provides right now gets extended bit by bit, year by year and is not enough. That's why we're calling for an investment of $48 million over four years, towards facilitator and coordinator roles.
"This funding increase would enable facilitators and coordinators to be offered longer contracts at a fairer wage and provide support for an additional 20 facilitator roles, to share the growing workload."
The work of facilitators has massive environmental, social and economic benefits. In fact, facilitators return more than $7 for every dollar invested in on-ground works. A 2024 review of the VLFP found that while Landcare groups and networks are functioning efficiently and effectively, the lack of funding and uncertainty about the future of the VLFP is hurting the program's ability to deliver outcomes for Victoria.
"The four-year commitment of $48 million is expected to generate a $336 million return on public investment, increase participation in caring for our environment and allow for more on-ground activities to be delivered by Landcare volunteers," Mrs Carney said.
"Landcare is critical to Victoria's response to biodiversity loss and the impacts of climate change, through local environmental restoration work and promoting sustainable agricultural production. This work is big and too important to risk with short-term thinking."
The Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program is the heart of Landcare, the glue that holds the Landcare ecosystem together, working at a grassroots level and delivering significant return on investment.
However, the program is currently facing critical challenges. Inadequate funding and lack of support has led to issues including dissatisfaction with remuneration structures and role insecurity for facilitators. These issues threaten the longevity and effectiveness of the program.
Securing additional funding is crucial to not only sustain the core objectives of the VLFP but also unlock enhanced outcomes that will amplify the program's long-term value and impact.
