WALN has followed up with Federal politicians after LCDCs were deemed ineligible for the NLP Environment Small Grants Program.

In early July Land Conservation District Committees (LCDCs) that applied for the Environment Small Grants were shocked by the news that as a result of their status as non incorporated or State bodies they were ineligible in the recent application process for the National Landcare Environment Small Grants Funding. For over thirty years LCDCs had been successfully applying for Federal environment funding and while the small one off 25th Anniversary Landcare Grants in 2015 were a precedent to these guidelines, most were unaware of the new changes.

In response WALN wrote a rapid series of letters to the Minister for the Environment  Hon. Josh Frydenberg and Assistant Minister for the Environment, Melissa Price and alerted all WA Federal Ministers to the seriousness of the situation and appealled to them to overturn the status for this and future rounds of funding.

Recipients of successful NLP Small Environment Grants applications have now been notified and unfortunately the appeal to overturn ineligibility status for LCDC’s was not successful for this round. Assistant Minister for the Environment, Hon. Melissa Price has written to WALN indicating that it was not possible to change the grant program guidelines, including details of eligibility, once guidelines are published and grant applications have closed. However, the Assistant Minister did advise that she has asked the Department of the Environment and Energy to ensure, where possible, opportunities for unique local community groups such as LCDCs are considered in the development of future grant programs. WALN will be keeping a close eye on the situation with future grant rounds and  to ensure the Assistant Minister follows through with this committment.

WALN’s enquiries into the eligibility status for LCDC’s for the Smart Farms Small Grants did not determine whether there would be a similar result or not.  Due to the outsourcing of these grants it has been practically impossible to contact anyone who knew anything or could make a decision. The message, however,  has obviously been received that changes need to be made. WALN  has also received a response from Hon. Alannah MacTiernan Minister for Agriculture and Food,  stating she will be following up with her Federal counterparts.

So for now, WALN will be responding to Ministers and relevant departments to confirm that changes will be implemented which ensure LCDC’s (and other organisations such as public schools not just private) are eligible for future Federal funding grants. This, and other issues identified with the NLP2 program, have also been taken up as part of our membership and involvement with the National Landcare Network.

There also seems to be a broader conversation to be had regarding LCDC’s including; consideration and process of changing entity type (some groups have recently become incorporated to remove the status issue), support that was and now is available from the State government and what it may mean with a re-establishment of the Soil and Land Conservation Council.  WALN will be following up with LCDCs to these issues and their thoughts regarding the future and sustainability of LCDC’s.