We were thrilled to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister, The Hon Michael McCormack MP as a special guest for our Celebration Dinner last Friday evening. Mr McCormack looked very at home meeting locals and two of our producers, Wendy and Kim Muffet from Girragirra Green Living and Shelley Nutley from Tumbling Downs Olives. He gave an entertaining and engaging address which continued the celebratory feeling of the evening.

The evening was an opportunity to present positive things that are happening in our region, in regenerative agriculture and showing the important synergy that Landcare have with organisations, both government and private.

Whilst Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL) have always recognised the importance of health on many levels being vital to not only landholders, but our communities in general, we undertook to promote a health focus during 2018, with our tag: Healthy Landscapes; Healthy People; Healthy Communities, which was one of the drivers for holding this event. Anyone involved with voluntary organisations, know how important volunteers are. We are fortunate to have generous volunteers who gave up their time to prepare everything to make the evening such a success. I can’t thank you enough for your dedication!

Our first speaker, Pip Job, set the tone for the evening, drawing on her experience working with Landcare. She managed to sum up a lot of what I feel personally about the role that Landcare coordinators play, working with what, on the surface seems like an obvious land-based issue, that can often involve many other issues that we have to work through with a landholder or community member, drawing on skills beyond what a degree supplies. Susan Madden, Chair of the Central West Local Land Services gave an overview of the Landcare/CWLLS relationship and the importance of the relationship that both organisations have in the Central West.

Wendy Muffet spoke about the fantastic Grazing Down the Lachlan event that is held each year and how it came into being. If you haven’t checked it out, do it today! Most of us would have at least seen Guy Webb’s winning presentation for the TEDx Quick Pitch in 2017. Since then the Soil C Quest team have been working to progress their research. Landcare are keen to support this project and were thrilled to have Guy presenting.

Lastly, but not least, we were fortunate to welcome the new Chief Executive Officer of Landcare NSW to bring our evening’s presentations to a close. Dr Adrian Zammit has taken on this important role at a time when Landcare NSW, in partnership with the Local Land Services, oversee the employment of 70 part-time Landcare coordinators across NSW and will be leading the organisation, through the next important phase of growth. CWLL work closely with Parkes Shire Council, Forbes Shire Council and the Central West Local Land Services and we are fortunate to have their partnership. Until next week, happy Landcaring!