Hello Members, Staff, Board and Associate Members,
February has been a very busy month with event planning for 2026, across all of our programs in full swing.
Please keep an eye on the network update, our event page on the website for news and updates about our events. Please also keep an eye on facebook as we share not only share our events, but relevant events from a variety of organisations working toward the same goals. Coming up are working bees on the rail trail supporting fire recovery and Friends of Willow Park invite you to the opening of Uncle David Dunn’s mural. Read on for more information.
Flooding February 2026
The rain over the weekend was very welcome for much of North East Victoria, with rainwater tanks and dams filling and a sense of relief arriving for many in our rural areas. Unfortunately, Wodonga received the Lions share of this rainfall in torrential downpours, with many areas impacted by flash flooding. I had a chance yesterday to look at a few sites around Wodonga with varying levels of impact. One things that was clear was that work undertaken by volunteers, in line with Water Technology’s recommendations in the Wodonga Regional Waterway Action Plan and further reports following flooding in 2022 to increase the depth of riparian vegetation, increase “roughness” to slow water flow, is assisting in waterway resilience.
If your reserve has been impacted by flooding please contact the relevant Council officer (as per our patch planning process) with details and photos if possible and a cc to me. I will be meeting with Council on the 4th of March for our regular quarterly catch up and can follow up with them regarding flood remediation works.
Wodonga Council Submissions
WULN recently commented on the Wodonga Creek Activation Project, reiterating that the principles of the Wodonga Regional Waterway Action Plan and water sensitive urban design should be integrated into these designs. WULN also advocated for no loss of biodiversity or habitat, but rather enhancement of these assets. We are excited to see a number of nature based recreational opportunities including a nature based playground and improved walking and cycling access. We know that when our local parks and reserves are well utilised, they are also well cared for.
WULN will also be commenting on the Domestic Animal Management Plan, raising the issue of the impact of domestic cats on wildlife, which reinforces educational activities undertaken through the Gardens 4 Wildlife Program. If you would like to discuss either of these Council projects and WULN’s position or contribute to submissions, please contact me.
Work Health and Safety
A reminder that our safety policy and all our related safety forms are now on the WULN website. In addition there are a number of generic risk assessments for a range of Landcare related activities on our Google Workspace which all coordinators should be able to access. If you are having trouble finding these please get in touch and we can assist you.
Landcare Victoria and 2026 election advocacy – Local champions wanted
Landcare Victoria (LVI) is calling on the Victorian government to commit to consistent, reliable, adequate funding to ensure landcare’s ongoing success. LVI have released their 2026 Victorian election prospectus, which includes two investment levels: an ask of $111.9m to grow and transform landcare in Victoria and an alternate ask of $68.4m to maintain operations of landcare. You can find the prospectus on our website.
LVI are calling for ‘local landcare champions’ to engage in Landcare Advocacy locally as we head toward the election. If this appeals to you then please get in touch with LVI. If you would like to engage with your local MP, please take a look at their Communications Toolkit for templates and other handy tips.
2026 Membership Renewal Census
Landcare Victoria are undertaking their membership census for all groups wanting to renew their membership and access insurance services in 2026/27. Group coordinators, if a census email arrives in your inbox DO NOT ignore this. All census forms must be filled out by 20 April 2026. Lily is managing most of these renewals and in due course, payment of fees for unincorporated groups, however if an email lands in your inbox and you need assistance please get in touch with Lily ASAP
Celebrating 40 years of Landcare in Victoria
Landcare Victoria will be sharing the stories that have shaped landcare – and the people behind them – throughout 2026. If you have a landcare story to tell, they would love to hear it. Whether you’ve been involved for four decades or are just getting started, your experience matters. They would love to hear stories of innovation and change, collaboration and partnership, new or emerging tools, real-world impacts and successes, urban or coastal Landcare, and Landcare’s strong and proud history – or any other story you’d like to share. Share your story idea with LVI here.
2026 Victorian Landcare Forum- Save the date
The Victorian Landcare Forum will be held on 31 August to 2 September at the Cardinia Cultural Centre in Pakenham. Save the date now for an event that will bring together the landcare community to celebrate 40 years of landcare. More information about the event will be available soon.