Swan Alcoa Landcare Program up for national award

The Swan Alcoa Landcare Program (SALP) partnership between Alcoa, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and Perth NRM is in the running for a national landcare award. 

SALP is a finalist in the Australian Government Partnerships for Landcare category of the 2018 National Landcare Awards, to be announced in Brisbane in October. It is also in the running for the People’s Choice Award, which is now open for voting via the awards’ website at www.nationallandcareconference.org.au/awards.

Now in its 20^th year, SALP reached the national finals by taking out the equivalent State award at WA’s Landcare Awards last year.

SALP was established in 1998 to support urban community groups throughout the Swan and Canning rivers catchments.

Perth NRM administers the program, which provides grants of up to $20,000 annually for community groups to perform important on-ground work. SALP projects range from invasive weed control, feral animal removal and dieback management to improving water quality and restoring areas of natural bush land.

Alcoa and the State Government have provided more than $8.4 million for these on-ground projects over the first two decades of SALP. Volunteers have contributed more than 182,000 hours and put close to 2.5 million plants in the ground, revegetating nearly 2,000 hectares of degraded land.

SALP is estimated to have injected more than $18.3 million into the economy through not only the initial project funding but also through local government contributions and volunteer labour.

Alcoa of Australia Chairman and Managing Director Michael Parker said Alcoa was proud to have worked alongside the government, Perth NRM and community groups to protect local biodiversity and deliver long-term community benefits.


ENDS


Media contacts:
Sonia Nolan, Senior Communications Adviser, 0401 034 103, sonia.nolan@alcoa.com.au
Jane McGuire, Senior Communications Adviser, 0410 694 676, jane.mcguire@alcoa.com.au