Even with increased funds from the Federal Government's National Heritage Trust (NHT) Fund, Landcare groups in Victoria completed less onground work in 1998 than three years earlier.

Increased paper work and fewer government support staff have been identified as major causes for the decline according to a report on Landcare in Victoria by Charles Sturt University researcher, Dr Allan Curtis.

"Last year's drought explains only part of the decline in tree planting and fence building. There was also a drought just before the last survey in 1995. According to the most recent survey of Landcare groups, there were excessive delays in allocating NHT funds, which meant they couldn't complete important conservation work in 1998," Dr Curtis said.

Dr Curtis said that Landcare members indicated they needed more help with the time consuming task of organising groups.

"There are signs of flagging morale among Landcare groups as they are forced to take on more government responsibilities. They feel cuts to State Government support staff and constant staff changes are placing excessive pressure on groups, which consist mostly of volunteers with limited time and other business and family commitments," Dr Curtis said.

"Landcare groups need more assistance with organising their activities and paperwork needs to be cut if we are to reverse this decline in onground work. The first things to help Landcare groups would be to cut the time taken to assess bids for NHT funds and to simplify the complex application form for these funds," he said.

Other facts from the survey on the state of Landcare in Victoria include:

• In 1998, Landcare had 27,500 members across rural Victoria in 890 groups.
• During 1997/98, it was estimated that Landcare groups established three million trees and erected 4500 kilometres of fences. This activity was down by over 20 percent compared to similar work in 1994/95.
• Almost a third of Victoria's Landcare groups received less than $2000 from government sources in 1997/98. During the same period, 16 percent of groups received over $25,000, which made up over 62 percent of all funds received by Landcare groups.
• The 1998 survey sent to 441 Landcare groups in rural Victoria and answered by 223 groups. This was the fifth survey of Victorian Landcare groups since they were first established in 1986.