Landcare and land management
| Our land is our life Since time began we have cared for our
country and it has provided for us. When non-Aboriginal people came to our land they
ignored Aboriginal law and imposed their own law. But nothing changed our attachment to
our land …
Central Land Council and Northern Land Council 1991:1 |
Living continuously in one area places a lot of stress on both people and the
environment within and outside Aboriginal communities. There has generally been a lack of
foresight, consideration and funding for environmental design, planning, and management.
Erosion and land degradation
Land degradation can happen as the result of:
- soil erosion, poor drainage and weeds
- overgrazing by stock and feral animals (such as rabbits, horses, donkeys)
- poor management practices in time of drought
- poor placement of fences, roads and tracks and other things like bores, tanks and
watering points
Poor land management practices can have health related effects, for example:
- disruption of regular fresh food supply due to impassable roads
- respiratory, skin and eye disease due to increased levels of dust
- reduced shade areas and supplies of bush foods and bush medicines due to overgrazing
- reduced supplies of firewood for cooking caused by lack of replanting
| Landcare efforts What often ends up happening is that landcare
efforts become a series of small and disconnected landscaping efforts without looking at
broader issues or problems. This happens partly because agencies in general do not seem to
see the value of putting money into managing the environment. Many see landcare as an add
on. There are very few agencies which treat it as their core business.
Also, very few people see it as an environmental health issue, most people see it as an
amenity issue. There are also complex factors at work within the community which make
landcare issues difficult to deal with.
Andy Kenyon, Coordinator of the Landcare &
Environmental Health Unit, Tangentyere Council |
A model for understanding landcare and land management
A landcare model has been developed by Tangentyere Council Landcare Section, Alice
Springs. It divides the land into three zones: household, community and desert land (or
rangeland). The model is often used to:
- identify areas of landcare activity
- assist with planning of projects
- clarify responsibility for each area
- facilitate discussion on landcare issues
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Contact Tangentyere Landcare (phone: 8953 3120) for
information or to obtain a copy of the video |
Who is working in landcare and land management
- Some Community Councils via projects using CDEP labour and grants
- ATSIC provides project funding and advice on feral animals, erosion, environmental
health
- Australia Trust for Conservation Volunteers can provide voluntary labour for weeding and
erosion projects
- The Land Management Section of Central Land Council provides very specific information
for people about their land resources. They work using methods to encourage maximum
community participation and help people to make decisions about their land
- The Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA) provide funding for
training
- The Department of Lands, Planning and Environment provide advice, training and on the
ground assistance
- Environment Australia can provide funding for wages and equipment for: weed control
projects, erosion control, community based training of Aboriginal rangers, feral pest
programs etc
- Greening Australia works with the community to conserve, manage and replace vegetation
- Keep Australia Beautiful runs the Tidy Towns competition and provides advice on
recycling and general community clean up issues
- The National Heritage Trust has funding for landcare projects
- The Caring for Country Unit of Northern Land Council can help with funding and advice
- Parks and Wildlife Commission assists landholders in conservation management by
providing services, for example, computerised flora and fauna atlases, rock art
documentation, conservation projects, fencing projects, oral history, and cultural advice
- The Landcare Section of Tangentyere Council helps communities in Central Australia to
plan, design, and do landcare projects