Announcing theme for Murrumbidgee Landcare Annual Forum 2007

20th July 2007

The theme of the 2007 Murrumbidgee Landcare Annual Forum is ‘Landcare Partnerships.’ To be held in Narrandera on August 16th and 17th, the program, being hosted by the Central Riverina Landcare Network, addresses many current issues, including carbon sequestration, climate change, sustainable agriculture and endangered species.

“This is an excellent program,” declares Peter Holding, Chair of Murrumbidgee Landcare. “Landcare partnerships are necessary for successful natural resource management outcomes. We need to appreciate that environmental sustainability is not just about the landholder, but also about social and economic issues and the broader community.”

Guest speakers at the Forum represent a diverse range of organisations: non-government, including National Parks Association and Narrandera Landcare; government, including Department of Environment and Climate Change, and catchment management authorities; environment and community researchers from Charles Sturt University and Australian National University; private enterprise carbon traders; regenerative farmers and a keynote address from Kevin Goss, CEO of the brand new Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre, entitled “Farming for the future in altered landscapes.”

The Annual Forum is a highlight of the landcare year in the Murrumbidgee catchment. Murrumbidgee Landcare is the umbrella organisation which represents community-based landcare throughout the catchment. It includes 15 Landcare Networks including three in the ACT and 12 in NSW. People involved in Landcare in the Murrumbidgee range from high country graziers from Cooma to peri-urbanites in ACT; wheat farmers from Ardlethan to townspeople in urban centres such as Griffith and Wagga Wagga; from school children in Henty to Western Plains farmers in Balranald. The 2007 Annual Forum will include participants from all of the 15 Landcare Networks.

The Forum offers a significant opportunity for some of Australia’s top environmental researchers to “return their research to the community,” explains Peter Holding. “We want to share knowledge but also encourage debate. We will be hoping on some new partnerships coming out of this program. It has something for everyone with the common goal of a sustainable future.”

Date: 16th – 17th August
Venue: Narrandera Ex-Serviceman’s Club

Contact:

Peter Holding
Chair, Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc
ph. m. 0409 049 477
pholding@murrumbidgeelandcare.asn.au

Full program:
http://www.murrumbidgeelandcare.asn.au/AnnualForum