A very successful launch of our Catchment Management Strategy (CMS) was held at Tuggeranong Homestead on June 26th. Dr Sarah Ryan Chair of the ACT NRM Council officially launched the Strategy.

Southern ACT Catchment Group recognizes the significance this land had for Aboriginal people before European settlement and acknowledged that we are now on land that belonged to the Ngunnawal nation.

The Southern ACT Catchment Group is a community-based umbrella group for 23 smaller community groups whose primary aim is caring for our environment. The Catchment group employs a Catchment coordinator and a Waterwatch coordinator. The funding for these positions, which are imperative to the ongoing sustainability of the group, has come through the ACT NRM Council from both ACT and Commonwealth governments. NHT Funds also covered the cost of publication for our Strategy.

Dr Sarah Ryan speaking at the
launch of the Catchment
Management Strategy.

The Catchment Management Strategy sets our course through to 2010, but the hard work of actually implementing the actions set out within the Strategy is dependent on creating and maintaining relevant partnerships, bringing together the necessary resources and broad community involvement.

Glenys Patulny, Chair,
Southern ACT Catchment
Group.

Special thanks were extended to Briony Woolaston for her work on initially putting the Strategy together, Jenny Widdowson for a remarkable proof read and the team at Graphicark for the publication. Also many of the images that appear in the Strategy were donated by Julie Lindner from the Farrer Ridge Park Care Group. These images were all taken within the reserves of southern ACT and most from Farrer Ridge. This is the biodiversity we are all about protecting.