When Central Tablelands Landcare held community forums to try and boost local support, they turned to Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Zelma Bone to monitor and evaluate their efforts. Using a grant from the Natural Resources Advisory Council of NSW and her US experience with what is called deliberative process, Ms Bone and Dr Judith Crockett from CSU have assisted in three community forums so far, not only reinvigorating interest in Landcare, but also re-engaging the locals in community issues. In Blayney, the Landcare group established a relationship with one of the local schools, overcoming transport obstacles which had held them back in the past. And in Millthorpe, the primary school community garden will expand with help from the local gardening club, prompting interest in locally grown produce. Ms Bone explains that deliberative forums are unlike public meetings “where you get a lot of discussion and debate but sometimes not very useful outcomes. Deliberation is a process where we identify a couple of choices, look at the costs and consequences of each one, and ultimately the real benefit is moving people from the individual to a more community perspective”. Central to the success is follow-up, says Ms Bone. “They agree on a project, and we can help with external resources or steer them in the right direction, but then it is up to them. Our project goes back to these local communities in six months time to track the progress.”