2021 National Landcare Award winners

9th August 2021 | Eativity editors

More than 2000 people from across the country came together online to watch the 2021 National Landcare Award ceremony last Thursday. ABC TV presenter and Landcare champion Costa Georgiadis hosted the event, which celebrated 75 state and territory nominees for their outstanding contributions to preserving the unique Australian landscape.

At the ceremony, winners from 11 diverse national environment categories were announced. These included the Australian Government Landcare Farming and Australian Government Individual Landcarer Awards. Also presented were the Coastcare Award, the KPMG Indigenous Land Management Award, the Woolworths Junior Landcare Team Award, the Austcover Youth Leadership Award and the ACM Landcare Community Award.

2021 National Landcare Award winner Professor Lynette Abbott
General Jeffery Soil Health Award winner Professor Lynnette Abbott is a world leader in soil health.

Caring for our land

The KPMG Indigenous Land Management Award went to Wunambaal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation. They won for their work on Wunambaal Gaambera country. This covers 2.5 million hectares of key cultural and ecological land in the Kimberley region.

Floating Landcare landed the Australian Government Partnerships for Landcare Award. It was recognised for its program to restore weedy hotspots in national parks and public lands along the Hawkesbury estuary, Pittwater and waterways of the NSW Central Coast.

A leading University of Western Australia academic won the inaugural General Jeffery Soil Health Award. Emeritus Professor Lynette Abbott, an expert in the field of soil science and soil biology, scooped this award, dedicated to Australia’s first National Soils Advocate, the late Major General the Honourable Michael Jeffery.

2021 National Landcare Award winner Andrew Stewart
Andrew Stewart has transformed his property and formed a wildlife corridor to connect several farms.

Bob Hawke Landcare Award

The prestigious Bob Hawke Landcare Award for 2020 was awarded to Victorian grazier Andrew Stewart. He was recognised for his environmental and sustainable agricultural advancements on Yan Yan Gurt West Farm, a regenerative sheep farm in the foothills of the Otway Ranges. His work on this 230-hectare grazing and agroforestry property includes the establishment of 50,000 trees and shrubs. This increased woody vegetation across the farm from three to 18 percent. Stewart was presented the award, along with a $50,000 prize, by Minister for Drought, Agriculture and Emergency Management, David Littleproud.

2021 National Landcare Award winner Dhani Gilbert
Aboriginal student leader Dhani Gilbert won the Austcover Young Landcare Leadership Award.

The 2021 National Landcare Award winners:

Australian Government Individual Landcarer: Basil Schur, WA

Australian Government Landcare Farming: Amarula Dorpers, NSW

Woolworths Junior Landcare Team: Newham Primary School, Vic

Australian Government Innovation in Agriculture: Redbank Farm, Tas

Austcover Young Landcare Leadership: Dhani Gilbert, ACT

Australian Government Partnerships for Landcare: Floating Landcare, NSW

ACM Landcare Community Group: Red Hill Bush Regenerators, ACT

Coastcare: Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation, NT

KPMG Indigenous Land Management: Wunambaal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, WA

Bob Hawke Landcare: Andrew Stewart, Vic

General Jeffery Soil Health: Professor Lynnette Abbott, WA

For more about the winners of the 2021 National Landcare awards, head to nationallandcareconference.org.au