Ms BURNET (Clark) – Honourable Speaker, tonight I would like to talk about the value of organisations such as Landcare and the value, so important to our busy lives, of connecting with nature.
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Tanya Scharaschkin from the Friends of Collinsvale landcare group. Tanya is a talented artist and botanist, and engages with the local primary school to teach students about nature, science and the importance of looking after the natural world. She is involved with landcare up in Collinsvale.
Tanya took us for a walk through the local Collinsvale bushland reserve. Not only did we go for a walk and hear about the conservation values of the area, but Tanya introduced us to the concept of nature journaling. We sat, listened to our surroundings, drew our breath, then took in our surrounds, whether the larger landscape of the amphitheatre of the Collinsvale area, that valley we were visiting, or the miniscule of smaller plants, or even mapping a soundscape. It was great just to sit and listen and enjoy hearing the black cockatoos eating the pine cones close by.
What struck me about this journaling was the ability to slow down. In today’s world, we are always so busy. This is something particularly true for many in a busy life, with the world events as they are, with the war in Gaza as Mr Garland talked to us about yesterday in this Chamber. It is easy to be drawn into the minutiae of our lives that we forget to engage with the world that sustains us. In a world increasingly impacted by climate crisis, the need to connect to nature is more important than ever. For thousands of years, humans have been custodians of nature, caring for it and, in doing so, caring for ourselves. We have often lost touch with this.
This is why organisations such as Landcare are so important. Landcare Tasmania started in 1994 and since then has grown to over 300 community groups and over 5000 volunteers. As a Clark MP, I have spent a significant amount of time connecting with landcare groups, particularly in the northern suburbs. I have also had a long history through my work as a local representative on Hobart City Council with bushcare groups on this side of the Newtown Rivulet, or actually part of the Newtown Rivulet.
One such organisation is South Hobart Bushcare, who have been working on restoring bushland in Wellesley Park for over 20 years, and the New Town Rivulet Platypus Landcare Group who, inspired by the work to save the South Hobart Platypus, advocates for the protection of the Newtown Rivulet Platypus by removing litter and clearing up waterways.
Since starting in 1994, Clark now boasts nearly 30 landcare groups all organised by local people and all reflecting the local values of the area. There is the Moonah Nature Mates group who have been planting trees at Jim Bacon Reserve to revitalise the landscape and improve carbon storage. There is the Claremont Coast Care group, which looks after the wetlands that stretch from Mona through to Austins Ferry.
There have also been amazing efforts to remove boxthorn, blackberries and other invasive species across the electorate by a group of volunteers who work with Glenorchy City Council staff. I have been involved with that great group of volunteers at Prince of Wales Bay, taking out a lot of boxthorn and then turning it into biochar. I might add that the Tasmanian University enviro group, on Saturday 4 May, will be doing a marine clean up at Prince of Wales Bay between 10.00 a.m. and 12.00 p.m.
It is a chance to connect, honourable Speaker. It is very important for our mental health and wellbeing, as Ms Rosol said yesterday. Connecting to nature is a good way to stave off depression and improve mental health.
