Exotic vine weeds such as Madeira vine, Cats claw creeper, moth vine and balloon vine are having a significant adverse effect on biodiversity and catchment water quality in the Richmond River. Supported by North Coast Local Land Services with funding from the National Landcare Programme, Northern Landcare Support Services is targeting these exotic weeds in the upper reaches of the Richmond River.
Tara Patel, from Northern Landcare Support Services said, “This activity is just one part of a larger project focussing on working with landcare networks to improve the biodiversity and sustainability of our headwaters. “These vine plants grow very quickly, smothering and replacing the native vegetation and they can produce a blanket of vegetation preventing anything else from germinating, decreasing biodiversity and posing a huge threat to catchment health.
Landcare Australia is asking every Australia primary and secondary school to take a few simple steps during the first week of June to demonstrate #Action4theLand:
Step 1 – Go Green for a day! Hold a school mufti day and have the students wear something green, dress head to toe in green, or wear a green themed costume for a day. Encourage the students to be as creatively green as they can!
Step 2 – Fundraise. Once your students are decked out in green, ask them to donate a gold coins to raise funds.
Step 3 – Complete an #Action4theLand challenge. Plant some native trees or pull up weeds in school garden beds, have a school recycling drive, or maybe run a colouring in competition or an environmental trivia challenge.
Step 4 – Share some pictures. Take some pictures of what your school achieves on the day, and share them on social media using the hashtags #Action4theLand and #Kids4theLand.
Step 5 – Celebrate your achievement with a morning or afternoon tea treat. Lamingtons and Scones work a treat – or maybe ask parents to send in some green cupcakes.
Your photos will then be automatically captured and featured on our #Action4theLand Wall - where you can check out all the activities being done by individuals, companies and schools right around the nation.
Step 6 - Don’t stop there! There are hundreds ways your school can take #Action4theLand and demonstrate its commitment to protect the land and water that sustains us.
Every dollar you raise by taking part in the #Action4theLand campaign will make a real difference, by directly supporting Landcare groups and projects across Australia.
The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has announced that Lismore City Council’s application for a special rate variation to fund the Biodiversity Management Strategy has been successful. The variation will result in a 3.6% rate increase for ratepayers in the 2016/17 year, which includes 1.8% to fund Council’s Biodiversity Management Strategy and the 1.8% rate peg that is available to all NSW councils.
SUEZ provide small grants of up to $15,000 to community groups to help create a more sustainable future. The program will partner with organisations that fit with the core philosophy of Suez as supporting local participation in social and environmental projects and build strong thriving communities.
2016 Applications opened until 16 May. Click here for more information.