Hi Landcarer’s

Our Skillset Green Army Team undertake a variety of jobs that help to improve our local area, increase their skill base, develop resilience and work as a team.

As part of their undertakings, the team have collected local seed and processed it to use for propagation, future projects and seed balls.

The seed balls were developed to increase habitat in areas that are difficult to plant in. The clay and soil that is added to the ball, with the local seed, helps to give seed an increased opportunity to propagate in areas that may have been disturbed and compacted. The ball breaks down when conditions are optimised for propagation.

Have you ever seen a tree growing out of a rocky outcrop and wondered just how on earth it managed to grow there? It is surprising how resilient some trees and shrubs are when they are growing in conditions that they are designed for.

The team had fun distributing the balls and we are looking forward to seeing if there are any improvements in the area that they were distributed.

Speaking of vegetation, we know that NSW is home to some of the most treasured wildlife, natural environments and productive land. Native trees and plants are vital for the health of our environment, supporting native animals and agriculture and protecting soil and water.

In November 2016 the NSW Parliament passed the Biodiversity Conservation Bill and Local Land Services Amendment Bill. The draft regulations for the Bill and Act have been released for public exhibition as well as supporting products and tools. The exhibition period runs until 21 June. For more information, click here.

The Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and Local Land Services Amendment Act 2016 take advantage of the best available science and data and deliver a modern approach to land management and biodiversity conservation in NSW.

These documents are the culmination of three years of review, recommendations and exhibitions and details can be found on the NSW Government website. I will also place links in our blog for easy access to the documents.

Their website also contains fact sheets and guides that provide further information on key topic areas. You can also register to receive further updates.

The NSW Government are busy at the moment, as they are also seeking the community’s input on the Travelling Stock Reserve (TSR) network in NSW to ensure it remains connected, viable and well maintained.

There are more than 6,500 TSRs on Crown land in NSW, covering approximately two million hectares.

The NSW Government is committed to maintaining a viable, well maintained and connected TSR network for the future. The Crown Lands Management Review in 2012 found that many TSRs are no longer used for their original purpose.

A new, comprehensive review of the network will examine the parcels of land required for the TSR network in the future.

The aim of the TSR review is to determine which TSRs are still used or required for the original purpose they were set aside for and to determine if they are important for other reasons. This information will feed future decisions about how this land can be best reserved, managed and owned.

To assist in responding to the discussion points raised in the consultation paper, the government has created an online mapping tool to allow you to investigate TSRs in your local area. The mapping tool is available on the Local Land Services website. Submissions close 5 pm Thursday 22 June 2017.

For further information and links to further information in this article, please go to our website at centralwestlachlanlandcare.org or go to our facebook page.

Until next week, happy Landcaring!