National Landcare Awards announced

Roleybushcare Inc WA, an innovative conservation group, has been recognised as a National winner in the 2014 National Landcare Awards at the annual conference gala dinner held in Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building on Thursday 18 September.

This year’s conference was a celebration of 25 years of Landcare and the program was based on the theme – Celebrating our history – growing our future.

The Awards ceremony celebrates the work of the Landcare community and Roleybushcare was one of sixty-nine finalists across nine diverse categories, including Coastcare, Indigenous Land Management and Innovation in Sustainable Farm Practises.

Eleven awards in total were announced at the event, with Roleybushcare the winner of the Qantas Innovation Landcare Group category.

The award is made to an outstanding and innovative community group that is working towards sustainable land use and/or is undertaking on-ground action to protect, enhance or restore an area on behalf of the community.

Roleybushcare formed to conserve the bushland from Phytophthora Dieback which is recognised as a major threat to the biodiversity of the country. The disease is widespread in the jarrah forest in the south west and kills trees and wildflowers in bushland reserves and residents’ properties.

Roleybushcare designed and manufactured hydraulic tree injectors, injecting over 18,000 trees to protect them, and also worked with City of Armadale staff to ensure every local bushland reserve in Roleystone had a registered custodian.

Mayor Henry Zelones said recognition of the Roleybushcare group at the Landcare Awards was a significant achievement for the group and the City.

“Being nominated as a finalist in these awards is a credit to the commitment of the group, and their win recognises their expertise and passion and the success of their conservation program.

“They have excelled in their delivery of a range of initiatives to educate residents to conserve and restore our degraded bushland.

“The group has planted over 32,000 seedlings and are responsible for the transformation of dieback and weed-affected bushland in Roleystone into a healthy and diverse forest,” said Mayor Zelones.