Paul Malcolm recognises the diversity of approaches to environmental conservation. “There is this common theme in that everyone cares about their land but in different ways,” he said.
Goomalibee Landcare has a productive year ahead thanks to a $10,000 allocation of the 2023 Victorian Landcare Grants scheme that has provided a total of $3.98 million for 245 on-ground and educational projects since their announcement in May this year.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Adding to that grant is the enthusiasm of the group’s new president, Paul Malcolm, who has taken prompt stock of the farming community that surrounds his 120 hectare grazing and cropping property, having moved into the area only three years ago and ‘never looked back’.
“I know that we have a fairly diverse group of locals in the district of Gommalibee and there is a mix of seasoned and experienced farmers and a whole lot of new landowners that you’d call lifestyle block owners,” Paul said.
“There is this common theme in that everyone cares about their land, but in different ways.”
Paul eschews idealism for the task ahead of him and the community and has a sensible philosophy which recognises an ‘obvious’ polarity in approach to the environment.
He wants to grow the Landcare group on his watch by nurturing the mix of input from such diversity and seeking new members to add to it.
“I’d say to younger people ‘get involved and understand’ because so much of what we have today is polarised, but we have got to have both biodiversity and farm sustainability.
“You find some people are into biodiversity and paddock trees and planting around farm dams, and others are into sustainable farming, of how can they get profits and protect their farm for future generations, which is the true definition of sustainability.”
Attracting younger landholders to the group has been difficult due to their relatively lower numbers in the area.
“The younger people have slightly different agendas because they don’t necessarily like doing things on other people’s farms, but would rather be doing tree planting in a public place, and there is not a lot of that which we do because we are more focused on more sustainable agriculture.”
Paul also encourages the more established locals to get involved with their tried-and-tested practices.
“We are not asking them to throw away their tilling equipment, but just come along to listen and of course to contribute.
“It’s invited that if you have got a view you can contribute to help other people, then do.”
The $10,000 grant will be used to hold workshops and field days to help landholders develop skills in sustainable farming.
Goomalibee Landcare group will use the funds to run workshops and community field days to address sustainability on farms.
Paul’s challenge to those not involved in environmental protection is direct and he thinks there is significant ignorance of the processes behind producing food and fibre, including the use of chemicals.
“It’s important that people understand that this hasn’t just happened,” Paul said.
“These are consequences of what people have done in the past and, you have to understand that to know how we got to where we are today, and hence where we can be tomorrow.
“Food doesn’t just magically turn up and it’s not just cute bio-fauna that disappears, but there’s a whole myriad of things that go.
“So for your soy latte, there’s a heap of bugs that have got killed to make it and it’s also had an impact on the bee population.
“We have to look after where we grow our food and fibre, and we have to look after our biodiversity and our air and water as well.
“It’s ‘our’ environment and not ‘the’ environment, and I use that word purposefully.
“It’s not some third-party thing out there that’s abstract.”
