September 09 - Urban-Rural Partnerships Program
The Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority is keen to encourage our thousands of urban-based volunteers to lend a hand to rural Landcare groups.
North
Sydney Council have run a successful partnering program with Boorowa in the Lachlan Valley for many years. Based on this great experience, they have recently developed guidelines through the
Environmental Trust Dissemination Program to assist Urban and Rural
Councils to form mutually beneficial partnerships. Go here to read about their very popular program and to download the guidelines.
July 09 - Innovations in Ecological Restoration
What are you doing in natural area restoration that is new or different?
What information can be shared with your industry peers?
This is the third of a series of industry forums being held this year for professionals from the government and private sectors of the NSW natural area restoration industry.
Join the momentum and the ongoing industry discussion about what is working and what can be done better in natural area restoration.
If you are a contractor, consultant, or employee of a local council, state agency, non-government organisation or tertiary institution, this one day forum is designed for you.
We are calling for abstracts for oral presentations (approx 20 minutes), facilitated workshops, poster displays and information/ product exhibits. If you would like to present or exhibit at this forum (or can recommend someone else) please read the guidelines here.
The deadline for abstract submissions is Friday August 14.
July 09 - Announcement of the Australian Government 2009-10 Caring for our Country Investment:
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, visited Towra Point Nature Reserve at Kurnell to announce the Federal Government's Caring for our Country investment package for 2009-2010 on Thursday, July 2.
The Ministers were welcomed by Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority Chair, Philip Sansom.
Details about the Sydney Metropolitan CMA Kurnell 2020 project here.
June 09 - Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt announces appointment of Sydney Metropolitan CMA Chair: 
The Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Carmel Tebbutt, announced on June 18 that Philip Sansom had been appointed Chair of the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority.
Mr Sansom has been acting Chair since September 2, 2008 and was Deputy Chair from the formation of the Sydney Metropolitan CMA in 2004.
“The appointment of Philip Sansom as the Chair of the Sydney Metropolitan CMA is good news for natural resource management in the region,” Ms Tebbutt said.
“He will oversee the implementation of the CMA’s Catchment Action Plan to improve the health and extent of biodiversity within Sydney’s urban bushland, coasts, rivers and wetlands, as well as advancing water sensitive urban design principles and promoting the innovative Kurnell 2020 project.
“Of the 13 NSW CMAs, the Sydney Metropolitan CMA is the only one with a specific urban focus and it plays a vital role in the health of our city’s waterways and bushland corridors,” she said.
Download media release here.
June 09 - Environmentally Friendly Seawall site visits:
Chances are you have not given much thought to seawalls unless you are a fish.
The Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority wants to see Sydney's seawalls mimic natural foreshores to provide feeding and breeding habitat for native birds and acquatic animals.
To launch its Guidelines for Environmentally Friendly Seawalls publication the Sydney Metropolitan CMA hosted two field trips in June to highlight examples of best practice in sewall design. The Guidelines and field trips were conducted in partnership with the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Download the guidelines here.
Photo: Participants on the June 18 Environmentally Friendly Seawall field trip.
