About Central Otway Landcare Network
The Central Otway Landcare Network (COLN) advocates holistic land management, sustainable agricultural production and landscape management, local food and community resilience, weed and pest control and promotes the enhancement of waterways (above and below the ground), remnant vegetation and biodiversity.
The group aims to promote community driven grass roots Landcare to improve the health of the landscape and community and encourages participation throughout the Barongarook, Boundary and Deans Creek, Lake Corangamite, Lake Colac, Gellibrand and Carlisle River catchments. Including the communities of Colac, Barongarook, Elliminyt, Yeodene, Yeo, Kawarren, Gellibrand, Carlisle River, Weeaproinah, Beech Forest, Ferguson, Irrewillipe, Stony Rises, Pomborneit, Pirron Yallock, Nalangil, Corunnun, Alvie and Cororooke.
What We Do
We work with community groups, delegated land managers and private land holders. Purchasing and/or managing a new property can be a daunting but exciting responsibility, giving you a chance to start afresh. Often properties have been set up in a certain way for a long time, but this might not suit what you have in mind. For example, the watering system might be old and inefficient, the fencing might be in the wrong place, old or need repair, the soil and pasture might be exhausted and needing a new management strategy. This is a great window of opportunity to find out what’s current and what’s changed in ‘best practice’. This is where COLN can help.
Some Services We Provide:
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Whole Farm Planning advice and training (including goal setting, mapping, water management, soil and pasture management, land classing and fencing, waterway protection, shelterbelts, biodiversity, fire, pest plants and animals management);
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Support in accessing complimentary funding streams to assist with actions arising from the ‘Whole Farm Planning’ process;
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Desk top assessment and on ground site visits;
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Access to peer advice and interest groups (Farmer to farmer, mentors, etc);
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Capacity building activities (skills and knowledge);
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Small holding skills like poultry or orchard management, bees and permaculture;
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Enterprise specific advice and support;
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Local food and fibre networking, advocacy and events;
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Access to resources such as tools, monitoring equipment and works crews;
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Guidance for soil tests and land health trials;
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Advise on pest plant and animal management, erosion and soil degradation, plant selection for revegetation, shelterbelts, waterways and biolinks;
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Access to community driven landscape scale projects addressing pest plant and animal issues, biodiversity, soil and water improvements.
We acknowledge the Gulidjan, Gadubanud and Eastern Maar people, Traditional Owners of the land where we live, work and play, their elders past, present and emerging.
