Given the natural environment has been identified as the Huon Valley’s strongest asset, it’s not surprising that residents are actively looking after it.
Acting Mayor Sally Doyle said residents who responded to the Living in the Huon Valley 2021 Survey nominated access to the natural environment as the most important attribute when considering what makes somewhere a good place to live.
“What we’re seeing is that when it comes to natural resource management people in the valley are active when it comes to weed management, participating in local Landcare groups, and putting their hand up to help co-create a strategy to develop a new direction and structure for how natural resources are managed,” Acting Mayor Doyle said.
The 2021-2022 Natural Resource Management (NRM) Strategy Annual Report, tabled at the last Council Meeting, provides details on Council’s achievements and challenges for the last 12 months.
The achievements include:
- Cultural burning workshop delivered with the South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (SETAC)
- Co-design of the new NRM Strategy with community
- Two river health workshops in partnership with Landcare Tasmania
- Total of 17 community Landcare groups actively working on public land in the Huon Valley between July 2021 and June 2022
- Landcare Tasmania participation data indicates that Huon Valley Landcare groups contributed over $80,000 worth of work towards managing natural areas in the 2021 calendar year
- On-site monitoring of high weed spread risk and high natural values sites for compliance with conditioned weed treatment and hygiene measures.
Acting Mayor Doyle said it was pleasing to see a cross section of residents respond to Council’s engagement survey for the initial review of the NRM strategy and then come along to a meet and greet session to establish a working group.
“The working group is regularly attended by over 10 community members.
“The group has developed a new direction and structure for the reviewed strategy, with an aim toward producing a user-friendly strategy that can be utilised by the Huon Valley Community.”
A draft of the new strategy is expected to be ready to be presented at a Council workshop in January 2023.
“Our NRM team along with our local Landcare groups, and other community members, are dedicated when it comes to managing environmental issues in the local area. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the people who take the time to look after our natural assets,” Acting Mayor Doyle said.
Photo: Paul County