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Australian Landcare Council
The Australian Landcare Council is the Australian Government's key advisory body on landcare and natural resource management matters. It has a major role in advising the Government on priorities and strategies for natural resource management to achieve efficient, sustainable and equitable management of natural resources in Australia that are consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development.
Statutory functions
The Australian Landcare Council must carry out its role according to the terms of its enabling Act, the Commonwealth Natural Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992, and where necessary, in consultation with other expert bodies, including the Natural Heritage Trust Advisory Committee, the Council for Sustainable Vegetation Management, the Biological Diversity Advisory Council and the Endangered Species Advisory Council.
The objectives of the Act are to:
- Facilitate the development and implementation of integrated approaches to natural resources management in Australia which are
- for the purpose of achieving efficient, sustainable and equitable management of natural resources in Australia, and
- consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development.
- Promote community, industry and governmental partnership in the management of natural resources in Australia.
- Assist in establishing institutional arrangements to develop and implement policies, programs and practices that will encourage sustainable use of natural resources in Australia.
- Assist in enhancing the long term productivity of natural resources in Australia.
- Assist in developing approaches to help resolve conflicts over access to natural resources in Australia.
The Act requires the Australian Landcare Council to:
- Make recommendations to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Minister for the Environment and Heritage on
- matters concerning natural resources management, and
- priorities and strategies for natural resources management.
- Investigate and report to the Australian Government on matters concerning natural resource management referred to it by either of the Ministers.
The Act defines "natural resource management" as:
- (a) any activity relating to the management of the use, development or conservation of one or more of the following natural resources:
(i) soil
(ii) water
(iii) vegetation, or
- (b) any activity relating to the management of the use, development or conservation of any other natural resources for the purposes of an activity mentioned in paragraph (a).
Membership
The NRM Act states that the Australian Landcare Council is to consist of at least 12 members who are to be appointed by the Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, and that there must be a community majority. The majority of Council members are community people active in the Landcare movement and not employed by the Australian or State governments.
Membership is generally comprised of the following representatives:
- Chairman
- NRM Ministerial Council Representative
- National Farmer’s Federation Representative
- Greening Australia Representative
- Indigenous Community Representative
- Australian Local Government Association Representative
- Murray-Darling Basin Community Advisory Committee Representative
- Forest Industries Representative
- Irrigation Industry Representative
- Australian Conservation Foundation Representative
- Australian Capital Territory Community Representative
- Northern Territory Community Representative
- New South Wales Community Representative
- Victorian Community Representative
- Western Australian Community Representative
- South Australian Community Representative
- Queensland Community Representative
- Tasmanian Community Representative
- Youth Member