Central Coast Council’s Landcare program is to be rebranded and expanded as the Environmental Volunteer Program, following a survey conducted among Landcare volunteers in April 2019 on how they thought the program could be improved.
There were 233 respondents, representing about 38 per cent of the volunteers with ideas put forward including support for short-term groups noting time constraints for residents committing to longer term projects.
Mayor Lisa Matthews said it was important that all volunteers and other interested community members were able to have their say on the program before it was adopted by Council.
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in the consultation about the Environmental Volunteer Program to help us understand what the important aspects of the program were to them, and how they thought that the program could be improved,” Cr Matthews said.
“We know our community is a giving community and that our residents care and appreciate the beautiful natural environment that we live in.
“There was great support for the program to continue and expand and now more members of our community will be able to take a hands-on role in conservation, protection and remediation of our local environment.”
The new program will give all community members the opportunity to get involved in improving the wellbeing of the natural environment and identify opportunities to grow Council’s popular environment focused volunteering programs in order to enable greater participation.
The program will also investigate opportunities for funding additional support, including external grants and third-party sponsorship.
New technologies including phone apps will be considered for managing the program and Council will consider expanding the program by recruiting two additional full time equivalent staff, at a projected cost of $40,000 in capital and $134,125 in operational expenditure per additional FTE, to support additional volunteer groups as outlined within the strategy.
Community members interested in volunteering within the program should email landcare@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
Source:
Agenda item 3.1
Central Coast Council meeting, May 11
Central Coast Council Watch