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2007/08 - a year of creativity...
The financial year ending 30 June 2008 has been a year of great creativity as a reduced number of staff have worked alongside our regional community to manage more land than ever before, with the most diversified sources of funding in our 12 year history. Acknowledgement goes firstly and most importantly to our honorary Board who have steadied the ship through some rough seas on this journey. Many thanks to our regional community for investing more than $463,960 worth of time into the planning, development, management, maintenance and promotion of 3,350 hectares of bush reserves. Thank you to staff members Ben Berry, Toby Alker-Jones and Wayne Carlson, who resigned during the year. These staff collectively contributed over 14 years of time. effort, passion and commitment. On ground outcomes focus…As a consequence of a substantial cut in funding this financial year from our largest stakeholder, parklands rose to the challenge that we needed to operate with a more diversified revenue base. In February 2008, parklands celebrated it’s 12th birthday. We would not have reached this milestone without the strong partnerships and community support that have evolved over the past decade. Albury Wodonga Environment Centre moved into the office space vacated by Regional Skills. A diversity of community volunteers provide reception, administrative and research assistance to both the Albury Wodonga Sustainability Alliance and parklands. This has enabled Rangers to spend more time in the field “making things happen”. Our core focus throughout the year has been maintenance works across 3,350 hectares of public land. As we are often asked, these are our core activities; Additional project-related funding and sponsorships has enabled our community to further develop our regional parklands; Working in partnership…We would like to particularly acknowledge the ongoing support of Parks Victoria and Corrections Victoria. Parks Victoria provided a staff person on secondment during our busy spring period which coincided with the lead up to the Bonegilla Migrant Camp’s 60th anniversary celebrations. Corrections Victoria has been a key supporter of Parklands for the past decade. During the past lean year, CV provided a Supervisor and bus for the Parklands Community Service Order team. It was with much delight that we witnessed these volunteers grow personally whilst also making a significant contribution towards achieving environmental and recreational outcomes. Our 7th Greencorp team, the Gateway Island Wetland Restoration Project was one of our best teams yet. They left lasting imprints through extending the Wetland walking track and relocating a bird hide, installing a footbridge and pedestrian gates at Kiewa River, tonnes of woody weed removal (the dreaded False Acacia!), km’s of fences, thousands of seedlings planted and so much more. Most importantly, these ten youths completed their six month employment with significantly increased self confidence and life direction. We value this important youth development program. Albury City Council increased both their funding and the range of bush reserves where we have been working in partnership with the community. It has been rewarding to undertake bush restoration projects at such high conservation value reserves as roadsides backing onto Albury Ranges Threatened Species Network lands, Eastern Hill Reserve, Mungabareena Reserve, Monument Hill Parklands and Kremur St Reserve. We look forward to involving more local residents in learning to appreciate and care for the magnificent natural areas that are their backyards. Special thanks to the Friends of Padman and casuals employed through an Envirofund grant for implementing the steepest and most challenging stage of the Padman Park Management Plan. Through the efforts of lots of community members over the past seven years, this weed and pest infested wasteland has been transformed into a popular recreational reserve and one of the key sites for the 2008 Multisport Event. Albury Wodonga Corporation financial support enabled ongoing restoration works on Albury Ranges and Thurgoona Threatened Species Network lands and Huon Hill North-East. Whilst no longer funding Crown land (an 80% cut in our service agreement), Wodonga City Council have continued to support Parklands in works on Wodonga-owned bush reserves. The findings of a WCC-funded financial review confirmed to all stakeholders that parklands operates extremely efficiently with a financially viable future. The following charts demonstrates just how efficiently we operate and the real value of our involvement when including community contributions across a diversity of landscapes. It is interesting to note the level of funding per hectare. In Victoria, where we are working on significantly degraded lands and high maintenance river frontages, we operate on an average of $10 per hectare plus additional project-related funds. In contrast, with higher investments per hectare in NSW we have achieved quality outcomes. Diversifying our income base…
In keeping with our core philosophy of “lots of people all doing a little, really adds up”, we take this opportunity to list the various sponsors of projects. Collectively, all these financial contributions really add up and enabled us to get some great outcomes. Bonegilla Migrant Experience Heritage Park Victorian Multicultural Centre (website development), Heritage Victoria (develop & print 4 booklets; “Caldwells Balts, Forever Dutch, The Army at Bonegilla” and “Food at Bonegilla”), Department of Environment, Heritage & the Arts together with Heritage Victoria jointly funded major restorations works on the Hume Club and a number of other heritage buildings. Thank you to the many former migrants who have sponsored our Tribute Wall, Dutch Exhibition and 60th Anniversary celebrations. High Country Rail Trail –Community Support Fund (horse yards at Tallangatta), Goulburn Murray Water (fencing), Ian Potter Foundation (fences, tractor, revegetation, weed & rabbit control) and VicTrack (traffic control training to support CFA environmental burns & other capacity building activities) Huon Hill/Kiewa River – Sunshine Foundation IMBY Project – Sustainability Victoria McFarlanes Hill – DSE’s CORIS Program Murray River (including Gateway Island) Envirofund; Fred Archer Charitable Trust; Department of Sustainability & Environment’s CORIS and Stewardship in Action programs & Hume Building Society corporate sponsorship of our Growing Green Offset Program Padman Park - Bundaberg Rum & Envirofund Volunteer & disability volunteer support- Rotary Foundation of Albury and Department of Environment & Heritage’s Voluntary Environment & Heritage Organisation program Our Parklands Public Fund has attracted $22,513 of donations during the year from Foundations and local supporters. In November 2007, the Public Fund Management Committee approved the first Parklands Community Grants. We thank Management Committee members John Watson, Frederick Dougald and Barry Grant for their work in developing Policy and Implementation Guidelines to ensure expenditure from the Public Fund complies with relevant ATO legislation. Working cooperatively…The past three years of severe drought have taken their toll on the farming community. Despite the ongoing fence repairs from hungry stock and increased weed control, we are appreciative of the ongoing cooperation of our neighbouring landholders and our 42 licensees who graze 735 hectares of Crown land parcels which are yet to be developed into bush reserves.
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Copyright © 1999- Parklands Albury Wodonga. All rights reserved.
Shop 7, 48-54 Lincoln Causeway, P.O. Box 1040, Wodonga 3689, Australia
Phone: (02) 6023 6714 Fax: (02) 6023 2425 Privacy Terms of Use
Shop 7, 48-54 Lincoln Causeway, P.O. Box 1040, Wodonga 3689, Australia
Phone: (02) 6023 6714 Fax: (02) 6023 2425 Privacy Terms of Use