Landcare success

The success of the Swan Alcoa Landcare Program (SALP) in delivering environmental outcomes for the Swan and Canning river catchments has been recognised at the National Landcare awards.

Alcoa of Australia Chairman and Managing Director Michael Parker toured Wireless Hill Reserve with other employees and representatives from Friends of Wireless Hill.

SALP made the finals of the Partnership Category of the national awards, presented in Brisbane last week (11 Oct).

WA Environment Minister Stephen Dawson took the opportunity to praise the partnership –  between Alcoa, Perth NRM and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions – as a successful model of industry, government and community working together.

SALP was established in 1998 to provide community groups with a simple process to access funding for a wide range of landcare activities throughout the catchments.

In the last 20 years, SALP has provided $8.5 million to fund 1,351 projects carried out by more than 40 community groups. In that time, more than 2.6 million seedlings have been planted revegetating nearly 2,000 hectares of degraded land.

Alcoa of Australia Chairman and Managing Director Michael Parker said a key component to the success of the program was the work of tireless volunteers who had contributed more than 200,000 hours to improving the local environment.

Michael and other Alcoa employees last week took the opportunity to view some of that great work when they visited Wireless Hill Reserve, near the company’s Booragoon headquarters.

The Friends of Wireless Hill have used SALP funding over the last 20 years to protect and enhance the site.

ENDS