Peter Garrett AM has been appointed chair of the Landcare Australia board, a national environment organisation, with Doug Humann AM stepping down after a 9-year tenure.
Garrett is well known as an environmentalist, musician and former national Environment Minister. He has been a long-time campaigner on a range of local and global issues, advocating for stronger laws to protect biodiversity, addressing the climate emergency, and supporting land conservation initiatives, Indigenous rights and reconciliation.
With a strong record of supporting community-led land stewardship through policy, funding and advocacy, Garrett plans to use his force for good to support the work of the landcare movement.
Serving as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), Garrett’s tenure coincided with the historic alliance between conservationists and farmers that created Landcare. He worked closely with ACF’s Phillip Toyne and the National Farmers’ Federation’s Rick Farley in lobbying the Hawke government to establish the National Landcare Programme and the national independent not for profit Landcare Australia.
Over the last 35 years, Landcare has evolved to now include volunteers in rural, regional and urban areas, and is made up of landcare groups, bushcare and ‘Friends of ’groups and other community-led environmental groups, First Nations Peoples, farmers, landholders, researchers, and the next generation of landcare leaders.
Peter Garrett AM said “Australia’s Landcare has been an outstanding world first conservation program, bringing together community, farmers and First Nations people to produce healthy and productive landscapes. I relish the opportunity to take this role and help build on the great work underway right across the country.”
Peter Garrett appointed chair of Landcare Australia
