About Murrumbidgee Landcare Incorporated

Murrumbidgee Landcare is the community voice for natural resource management and sustainable farming systems throughout the Murrumbidgee catchment.

Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc (ML) is a grass roots, umbrella organisation representing Landcare in the Murrumbidgee catchment. Historically, the Chairs of the 15 Landcare Networks in the catchment, 12 in NSW and 3 in ACT, made up the committee of MLi. Each Landcare Network represented the Landcare groups doing on-ground activities in their area. In its heyday, Landcare in the Murrumbidgee included up to an estimated 2,000 members from approximately 140 Landcare groups.

The membership of MLi is made up of members of groups and networks across the catchment. The community Landcare movement has been through significant changes since MLi was established in 1997. Many groups have folded but the movement remains dedicated to continuing to promote and build community involvement in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management education, on-ground works and practice change.

Catchment Vision:
A landscape supporting vibrant, financially sustainable communities, managed in harmony with natural systems to maximise their retention and expansion.

Our key priorities are to:

• support the Landcare networks
• encourage strategic alliances for the implementation of Landcare initiatives
• promote Landcare to the wider community and in particular to encourage young people to engage in landcare activities

Our activities are directed to:

• Providing initiatives to improve and strengthen the grassroots Landcare movement.
• Representing Landcare group members, including speaking on their behalf and lobbying government at National, State and Local levels.
• Developing linkages and brokering partnerships with other organisations.
• Promoting and developing a Landcare network.
• Promoting resources available through the state community organisation, Landcare NSW, to facilitate training and skill building for Landcare members.
• Investigating funding sources for community projects.
• Providing a forum for Landcarers to gain information and exchange ideas.

The Murrumbidgee Landcare Association (as we were then known) was officially formed in July 1996. The Association was incorporated in June 1997. In late 2006 we decided on a name change to Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc, in part because the acronym MLA was apt to be misrecognised and also because it coincided with a period of reinvigoration and renewal for our association.