Multiple benefits of Landcare and natural resource management

This report has been prepared by GHD for Department of Agriculture

Executive summary
Our understanding of Landcare in Australia is missing a vital component. Although the environmental and agricultural outcomes have been well-explored, the many other benefits of Landcare and natural resource management (NRM) beyond these domains have, for the most part, been only anecdotally acknowledged.

Recognising this, the Australian Landcare Council commissioned an investigation of the benefits of Landcare and NRM that exist beyond the biophysical domain. The research was intended to establish the extent of the evidence base and to build this into a stronger case for investment in Landcare and NRM, both to ensure ongoing levels of funding and to gain support from outside the primary industries and environment sectors.

The findings of this research reveal an impressive array of multiple benefits. The literature review, interviews and case studies that underpin the findings identified six main categories of benefits, incorporating 21 sub-categories of benefits.