About Us

About Us

The Moorabool Landcare Network was launched on 2 August 2012. We formed to co-ordinate revegetation efforts in the Moorabool local government area, with eleven Landcare groups and five friends groups.

The 2023-2024 executive committee is:


President - Justin Horne (Friends of Werribee River through Bacchus Marsh)  - President@mln.org.au

Vice President - Colin Cook (Friends of Brisbane Ranges)

Secretary - Allan (Bart) Bartholomew (Brisbane Ranges Landcare Group)

Treasurer - Julie Keating (Moorabool Catchment Landcare Group)

MLN Landcare Facilitator - Roger MacRaild  - facilitator@mln.org.au 0459 622 588

Please contact our Facilitator with any suggestions or enquiries.

The Network committee meets on the first Monday of every second month (February to December) and comprises representatives from its constituent groups, and is supported by a Landcare Facilitator employed with funding from the Victorian Government.

Speaking at the launch of the network, Environment Minister, Mr Ryan Smith said “This new network will expand co-operation between landholders and Landcare volunteers as well as the Department of Primary Industries and Environment, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority and Melbourne Water right across this diverse region.” 

It was originally thought the Landcare Network might address issues in the Werribee Catchment but it quickly became obvious that there were issues that needed addressing right across the local government area.

The Network has worked toward empowering its individual member groups to undertake projects in their own right, and only takes a co-ordination role when projects involve multiple Landcare groups.



MLN Hall of Fame President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Facilitator

2022-23 Adam Buzza Colin Cook Allan Bartholomew Julie Vanzyl Roger MacRaild

2021-22 Adam Buzza Colin Cook Allan Bartholomew Julie Vanzyl Roger MacRaild

2020-21 Adam Buzza Colin Cook Allan Bartholomew Julie Vanzyl Roger MacRaild

2019-20 Adam Buzza Colin Cook Allan Bartholomew Julie Vanzyl Roger MacRaild

2018-19 Adam Buzza Colin Cook Allan Bartholomew Julie Vanzyl Roger MacRaild

2017-18 Anthony Dufty Colin Cook Allan Bartholomew Alan Morton Roger MacRaild

2016-17 Anthony Dufty Colin Cook Allan Bartholomew Alan Morton Roger MacRaild

2015-16 Anthony Dufty Bryan Hanrahan Allan Bartholomew David Turley Roger MacRaild

2014-15 Anthony Dufty Bryan Hanrahan Allan Bartholomew David Turley Max Coster

2013-14 Anthony Dufty Simon Cook Allan Bartholomew David Turley Max Coster

Four new groups have formed since the Network began;

Moorabool Landcare Network Inc

PO Box 1012

Bacchus Marsh 3340

Assoc No A0057713L     ABN 373 394 021 04

Overview of the Network Area

The area covered by the Network extends from just east of Ballarat to near Melton. The northern border is the Wombat State Forest and Lerderderg State Park whilst the south extends from near Elaine across the Brisbane Ranges. It is a little over 2,000 square kilometres.   

 

Below is a map showing Landcare and Friends Groups in and around the Moorabool Landcare Network area. Hover over the white pointers to see local Landcare Groups and red pointers for Friends Groups in the area.  

Rainfall

Rainfall varies from around 700mm in the higher areas to less than 500mm east of Bacchus Marsh. Rainfall is closely related to topography with the uplands around 550m above sea level and mountains reaching around 750m, and the lowlands extending down to less than 100m.

Agriculture

A wide range of agriculture is practiced across the Network area, with forestry, potatoes, and dairying in high rainfall areas, and dryland cropping and grazing in the low rainfall areas. Much of the terrain is unsuited to cropping (too steep) and duplex soils - and is used for grazing of sheep and cattle.

The river flats around Bacchus Marsh are extremely fertile and are used for intensive irrigate horticulture.

Around two-thirds of the area of the Network is a declared water catchment, with groundwater and run-off used to supply water for the urban centres of Ballarat, Geelong, Melton, and Bacchus Marsh.  Most of the water in the Werribee River is used for irrigation at Bacchus Marsh and Werribee South.

The agricultural potential of the region is increasingly comprised by ongoing division of rural land into smaller holdings. The Shire of Moorabool has over 4,000 rural holdings. This has implications for land management and full-time land managers find it extremely difficult to co-ordinate activities such as weed and pest control with neighbours who may not even live in the area.

Our Role

The Landcare Network has a vital role in bringing landholders together to address issues of fragmentation of the remnants of native vegetation, infestations of weeds and rabbits, and the ongoing challenge to produce a viable income from rural land to enable reinvestment back into the landscape.

There are two Catchment Management Authorities operating across the Network area, two river authorities, and three water retailers.

The region is yet to establish an identity for its agricultural produce, with the most advanced efforts being;

Amendments to the overview are invited and should be addressed to Roger MacRaild, Landcare Facilitator, at 0459 622 588 or facilitator@mln.org.au.

Links

The following organisations have a relationship with the Network, provide support and/or have been found useful by rural landowners.

Also check out some links on our other pages including Resources and Rabbit information

 

Shire of Moorabool 

Moorabool Environment Group

Department of Environment Land Water and Planning

Agriculture Victoria

Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Authority

Corangamite Catchment Management Authority

Grow West

Landcare Victoria 

Nature West

Country Fire Authority Victoria 

Wadawurrung

Wurundjeri

 

Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities of the Victorian Volcanic Plain: Natural Temperate Grassland & Grassy Eucalypt Woodland

 

Landcare

Water Authorities and River Health

Melbourne Water - manager of the Werribee River catchment

Corangamite CMA River Health Group - provides support to landowners wanting to improve the river environs in the CMA area.

Barwon Water - uses water from the Moorabool River system

Central Highlands Water - uses groundwater and water from the Moorabool River system

Western Water - uses water from the Lerderderg River

Southern Rural Water - manages reservoirs on the Werribee River,  supplies irrigation water to farmers, and authority for licenses for groundwater.

 

 

StrategicPlanforBiolinks.pdf

MLN Landcare Awards - 2014

We were delighted to see so many of the local Landcare and Friends groups enjoying the Awards event which was held in Ballan the evening before the 2014 Landcare Expo.

Eighty people attended the reception at Ballan Mechanics Institute to see individuals and groups across the Shire of Moorabool honoured for environmental work associated with Landcare.

Individuals awarded for long term significant contribution to the local environment (sponsoring group in brackets) included;

Outstanding environmental projects by Landcare groups were also acknowledged and included -

Myrniong Primary School and St Patricks Primary School at Gordon also received recognition for their significant contribution to environmental education.

As the citations were read out, it was clearly evident that the individuals and groups had made an enormous contribution toward improving the natural environment in the Shire.

President of the Moorabool Landcare Network, Mr Anthony Dufty, said the awards evening was only possible due to Grow West (major sponsor), Ballan and District Community Bank, Moorabool Shire Council, Moorabool Catchment Landcare Group, and the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority.