“The climate is changing, and global modelling indicates that further change is already locked in. As a result, there is a growing risk of climate related impacts on our state’s natural, social and economic systems. Regional administrators, businesses and communities need to identify their strengths and weaknesses in the face of climate impacts – deciding how they will act together to minimise the impact of climate change on their local economy, environment and society.”
Hunter and Central Coast Enabling Regional Adaptation Report,
State of New South Wales and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment 2020
“Risks are higher for already vulnerable species. Climate change poses major risks to certain species (IPCC 2022). In NSW, only 50% of currently threatened species are expected to survive the next 100 years due to future climate change combined with past habitat loss (DCCEEW 2024). Without action to adapt, climate change is predicted to contribute to biodiversity losses of between 3% to 20% in south-eastern Australia between now and 2070 (Drielsma 2017).”
NSW Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan 2025-29,
State of New South Wales through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 2024
For those of us Landcaring on sites across the region, changes to seasonal patterns of rainfall and temperature and more frequent, extreme weather events are already of serious concern in our efforts to repair local biodiversity and maintain ecosystem health. Many of us are already seeing nature’s attempts to adapt and the areas where wildlife and plant communities are struggling to keep up.
The good news is there is much we can do as Landcarers to support biodiversity and the local and regional places we love, to increase resilience to the “locked in” climate changes associated with current emissions scenarios. In addition, if emissions can be reduced, there is still a chance that the worst-case scenarios may not be realised.
To get Climate Ready, we are responding with a series of workshops and resources for our Landcare communities across the Hunter and MidCoast. Funding for Phase 3 of the NSW Government’s Landcare Enabling Program 2024-27 has been announced this week. A regional grant of $410,870 has been confirmed which will support these and other climate resilience Landcare initiatives across our two regions as part of the Innovations and Partnerships Grant.
Over the next six months there will be opportunities to come together to explore climate impacts specific to the Hunter region and how that translates into Landcaring practices. These events will provide individual Landcare groups with information, training and resources to help care for and prepare their own sites for the future. Through these events and trainings we are also building solidarity to “weather the storms” together mentally, emotionally and on the ground. For climate resilience, it will be increasingly important to have strong and effective collaboration between Landcare groups across the Hunter Region and with our neighbouring regions to the north, south and west, in order to adapt to the challenges.
Bill Dixon, our guest speaker at the 2025 Hunter Landcare Muster will be facilitating a “train the trainer” workshop series on the Climate Ready Tool developed by CSIRO and the Australian Resilience Centre. This event was opened to HRLN members first, with places also allocated for Mid Coast to Tops Landcare Connection members, and it booked out within 24 hours. To ensure everyone interested has access to the information and opportunities to discuss and learn, a recording will be made and further trainings and resources on this will be offered. You can also join the waiting list here: Climate Ready Workshop Series. We will keep everyone posted on future events via the Scoop. Useful resources from CSIRO can also be found here: Resources – AdaptNRM.
In July there are two opportunities to attend webinars on the Restore and Renew Tool with Tricia Hogbin of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Please find event information here:
Using Restore and Renew for Landcare – daytime webinar
Using Restore and Renew for Landcare – evening webinar
In September and November there will be opportunities to attend field days facilitated by Peter Dixon, President of the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators and Strategic Advisor to Landcare NSW, on assessing and preparing different habitat types for climate resilience. We aim to include wetlands, woodlands, grasslands and rainforests in these field days. Dates are being worked out and will be advised through the Scoop.
These workshops will have a focus on biodiversity conservation on Landcare sites and properties. For adapting primary production practices for climate resilience we will continue to share relevant events hosted by Local Land Services and other partner and industry organisations. Please let us know if there are any topics you are particularly interested in.
In addition, watch this space for workshops on soil health and climate resilience. Coordination of seed collection and enhanced nursery capacity are also areas we will be developing. We are also preparing Landcare Leadership trainings and Aboriginal partnership pathways. It’s going to be a busy twelve months for HRLN. The NSW Government’s current Landcare Enabling Program ends in May 2027. Please show your support for Landcare at local, regional and state levels, as decisions on future funding are being made.