14-Jul-2011

The first of two Green Jobs Corp teams who have been busy at Springbrook and Beechmont clearing weeds, undertaking erosion control and establishing wildlife corridors on private land are set to complete the Towards Sustainability program next month.

Now into its second phase, the Springbrook Landcare’s Towards Sustainability program is providing training for Green Jobs Corps teams of 6-10 people in the 17 to 24 year age bracket, some of whom are long term unemployed.

The 26-week, three-day-week program, which commenced in March this year, will provide team members with Certificate 2 qualifications in Conservation and Land Management.

The Towards Sustainability program is building upon the waterway protection works to restore and rehabilitate areas to control erosion and to further maintain water quality in the Upper Nerang catchments, and to establish wildlife corridor links on properties immediately adjoining national parks and reserves.

Phase Two of the program is a partnership between SEQ Catchments, Job Futures SEQ – National Green Jobs Corps, Seqwater and the original partners from Phase One, including Springbrook Landcare and landholders. SEQ Catchments was responsible for moblising the partnerships projects.

SEQ Catchments Gold Coast Community Partnerships Manager, Linda Durham said: “The Green Jobs Corps team are a great bunch of blokes who are committed to achieving their certificate.

“Their activities have contributed greatly towards achieving the overall regional targets for the South East Queensland Natural Resource Management Plan,” she said.

“This has been a great partnership project. Phase Two is about 50 per cent complete and to date the team have rehabilitated 3.8 ha with native riparian vegetation for erosion control and wildlife corridor connectivity and removed 3ha of pest plants, mainly lantana to allow for natural regeneration.

“The team has also been involved with propagating native species and helping with hard crossing for cattle and track construction,” Ms Durham said.

In 1998 Springbrook Landcare was formed with many successful projects completed since that time. More recently the group, together with the local community, landholders and other key stakeholders have worked to build a sustainable future for the area by protecting land, vegetation and the waterways for future generations.

Almost three years ago SEQ Catchments was engaged by Springbrook Landcare to deliver a Property Management Planning workshop to 18 landholders, in a process designed to improve property management and subsequently assist them to develop plans to better manage their properties.

Through this process the Springbrook Landcare members and property owners identified a series of land management actions to ensure long term farming sustainability.

These actions have resulted in:

• 440 acres of riparian and terrestrial vegetation protected,
• 10 acres revegetated with native species,
• 610 acres of improved ground cover and,
• 22 km of streambank fenced to control stock access to maintain waterway health.

Financial contributions came through various sources including SEQ Catchments, the Federal Government’s Caring for our Country – Community Actions Grants program, local landholders, and other funding sources such as E-trees and Supergraze, both facilitated by SEQ Catchments.