An article from Farfax’s “The Land” reveals a fight back by NSW landcare groups in the wake of job cuts. As a result the upcoming C4OC Open Grants Round is going to be very competitive. By the sounds of it the Holbrook Landcare Group still have plenty of passion and are convinced that the landcare model is valuable to their stakeholders. Read the full story by clicking on the link below.
Fighting for future - State News - Agribusiness and General - Services - The Land
Tags: SustainableAgriculture, Agriculture, Landcare, C4OC
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July 10th, 2008 by dean Uncategorized
As the sun begins to set on current Natural Heritage Trust NHT arrangements, people employed by Regional Bodies, Catchment Care and Landcare Groups, Research and Extension projects and all manner of NHT funded roles wonder about their future. A cloud of uncertainty mars the competition of successful Natural Resource Management projects. At a time when successes should be celebrated, and processes reflected upon in the spirit of continuous improvement, many of the front-line of sustainable agriculture and natural resource management are scanning the employment columns and surfing seek.com.au. This is not an uncommon event but none the less it causes pain.
In 2006 while working for the Burnett Mary Regional Group BMRG I had the good fortune to attend a forum “Young People In Extension” organized by Australasia Pacific Extension Network APEN. Two things happened at that event that influence my outlook on the push and pull that sporadic funding puts on Natural Resource Management careers.
The Future Of Employment
During the first evening of the event after a round of ice breaking by a group of people whose profession is facilitating where subject to an ice breaker session. Is that life imitating extension? Anyway with that uncomfortable session out of the road we where shown a video of an English futurist who specialised in workforce trends.
His advice was that in the future employment would become more entrepreneurial. Workers would have many employers in a lifetime, work would be more likely to occur on a contract/freelance basis, people would collect a portfolio of successful projects and a roster of clients.
In his 2002 book 
;Free Agent Nation”, Daniel Pink wrote a manifesto for people finding themselves on the eve of such an age.
Secondly our Queensland APEN forum found that the biggest issue facing Young People in Extension was a lack of security in employment due to the cyclic nature of funding. Luckily I was chosen along with Peter Hocking to travel to Melbourne to present a paper at the APEN National Forum.
Peter and I were most certain our fantastic paper would floor everyone and our group’s finding that a lack of employment security was the number issue facing young people in queensland extension would be a revelation. It will probably come as no surprise that every other state presented the cyclic nature of employment as the biggest issue in their states as well.
There was a convergence of messages.
On one hand the futurist telling us that we should become more entrepreneurial on the other a national forum telling us overwhelmingly that as young people in extension our careers were likely to be characterised by cyclic employment. There and then I decided to look for ways to get on the front foot.
The Number One Issue
At around the time I was completing my employment with BMRG I noticed another trend. All around me NRM professionals seemed to be saying “… until the broader population see Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management as an real issue we are going to struggle to have a real impact on sustainability…” or some variation of that. It seems to me that the message of just was not getting out, not reaching the people who needed to hear it. Preaching to the converted, always the usual suspects, and similar statements were common amongst colleagues. It seem that the number one issue was Who Cares??
The Future Of Natural Resource Management
What does your NHT future hold? In 2013 when “Caring For Our Country” potentially expires will you be taking a short holiday and hoping for swift funding negotiation and a plethora of job offers when you return. If the future of employment is more contractually based, more freelance, more entrepreneurial, why not start now? One small step might be to consider starting a blog or some eExtension activity.
Working in Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Agriculture, or Environment is a rewarding career path if not turbulent at times. So my question to you is What colour is Your NHT Parachute?
July 9th, 2008 by dean Uncategorized
July 8th, 2008 by dean Uncategorized
- Anyone from Rockhampton on Twitter? #
- have been wondering how many central queenslanders are into social media, twitter #
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July 6th, 2008 by dean Uncategorized
- Heading into to Fitzroy Basin Association territory today (Yeppoon) nice to be in a new catchment. #
- On the Burnett Dawson watershed. Needs rain. Beautiful view! #
- Good signage for Parthenium Washdown bay at Biloela. #
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July 5th, 2008 by dean Uncategorized
- Ross Gamut speking to National Press Club http://www.npc.org.au/ draft Garnaut Climate Change Review for Prime Minister on ABC tv now #
- apologies to Prof Ross Garnaut for misspelling name #
- Vote for this presentation in the World’s Best Presentation Contest on SlideShare http://tinyurl.com/6eua6x #
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July 4th, 2008 by dean Uncategorized
