A survey by Greater Sydney Local Land Services has found land care and bush care volunteers in the South West Sydney region contributed more than 8,730 hours of environmental service in a single year.
Greater Sydney regional land care facilitator Vanessa Keyzer says their contribution equated to almost $306,000 worth of conservation work to protect and restore the region’s unique and beautiful bushland.
The survey looked at the 2015-16 financial year period.
“The South West Sydney area encompassing the Camden, Campbelltown and Wollondilly LGAs is home to 70 active volunteers making up 13 groups regularly carrying out activities such as bush regeneration, tree planting, community education and advocacy work,” Ms Keyzer said.
“Some of our volunteer groups include Kentlyn bush care in Campbelltown, Valley View Estate Landcare in Picton and Kings Bush Reserve bush care in Camden.
“These volunteers have helped remove weeds, restore habitat for the local koala population and other fauna as well as working to repair riverbank vegetation at various sites.’’
Ms Keyzer said South West Sydney formed part of the Greater Sydney region which saw volunteers collectively contribute more than 176,000 hours of their time.
“The time they have given equates to more than $6 million worth of conservation activities including bush regeneration, tree planting, community education and advocacy work,” she said.
“Our land care and bush care volunteers are integral to the protection and maintenance of our unique natural environment.
“Pleasingly, our survey shows 100 per cent of land care and 98 per cent of bush care groups rated their satisfaction with our support very highly with 90 per cent of volunteers describing their well-being and motivation as stable or thriving.
“They are very much the unsung heroes of our natural environment, working quietly behind the scenes purely for the love and passion for what they do,” she said.
In the 2015/16 financial year Greater Sydney Local Land Services provided $531,408 in funding support to land care and bush care groups for environmental projects.
The funding was made available by the Australian government’s national land care program and the state government’s Catchment Action NSW program.
