Program Information, Welcome Pack and Templates
The 2021-25 Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program (VLFP) is funded by the Victorian Government and delivered by DEECA through the Victorian Landcare Program. The 2021-25 VLFP provides funding to a range of organisations to employ/engage 80 part-time Landcare facilitators across Victoria.
The 80 VLFP-funded Landcare facilitators support more than 740 Landcare and environmental volunteering groups and networks to build their capacity and resilience, and to provide to support with the planning and development of on-ground works to protect, enhance and restore our land and natural environment.
The 2019 independent review of the VLFP included key findings and recommentations. The response from DEECA to the 2019 review included a series of actions the department would undertake to improve the VLFP. When the 2021-25 VLFP commenced on 1 July 2021 it included strengthened governance arrangements and employment requirements, to implement recommendations in the 2019 VLFP review.
Below are links to key program information on the 2021-25 VLFP.
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The Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program (VLFP) - Welcome Pack has been developed to assist Landcare facilitators in their roles. The Welcome Pack includes five modules (on different topics) and includes several YouTube videos. See the links below.
Module 1 provides an overview of the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program Welcome Pack and an introduction to Landcare, its history, the Landcare model, and how it has grown and evolved.
Module 1 - Welcome to Landcare (PDF)
Module 2 draws Landcare facilitators' attention to key Victorian Government's strategies, plans and policies, and their links to the work of Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program funded Landcare facilitators. Includes links to each strategy, plan or policy.
Module 2 - Strategic Links (PDF)
YouTube Video:
Module 2 - Strategic Links - Claire Emmerson (Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action) (YouTube)
Module 3 has been designed to outline to Landcare facilitators who are the key stakeholders that support Landcare and environmental volunteer groups and networks in Victoria, and what each stakeholder does.
Module 3 includes:
Module 3 - Landcare in Victoria Stakeholder Map (PDF updated August 2023) - a one-page depiction of the main stakeholders in Landcare in Victoria and how they connect with each other. Note - January 2023 this stakeholder map needs updating with the department's new name.
Module 3 - Caring for Landscapes Map (PDF updated August 2023) - a one-page depiction of groups caring for landscapes and the Victorian Government's support for Landcare and environmental volunteering.
Module 3 - Stakeholder Contacts List (PDF) - details and contacts for the main stakeholders that support Landcare in Victoria.
Module 3 - Landcare for Country and Aboriginal Landcare Facilitator (PDF) - an outline First Nations people terminology, the history of the state-wide Aboriginal Landcare Facilitator as well as the role's aims and achivements, and information on the Landcare for Country program.
YouTube Videos:
Module 3 - Landcare Australia Limited (LAL) - James Link (LAL) (YouTube)
Module 3 - Landcare Victoria Incorporated (LVI) - Claire Hetzel (LVI) (YouTube)
Module 3 - Landmate - Matthew Menhennet (Dept. of Justice & Community Safety) (YouTube)
Module 3 - Regional Landcare Coordinators (RLC) - Tess Grieves (RLC, North Central Catchment Management Authority) (YouTube)
Module 3 - Victorian Landcare Program (DEECA staff) - Alham Johnson (Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action - DEECA) (YouTube)
Module 3 - Victorian Environment Friends Network (VEFN) - Paul Strickland (VEFN) (YouTube)
Module 4 outlines the Program Logic, Vision and Goals for the Victorian Landcare Program (VLP), and how the VLP's four outcomes translate into the six Key Work Areas in a Landcare facilitator's Work Plan. It also outlines the six Key Work Areas (and their sub-components).
Note - Landcare facilitators have to undertake activities against each component of the six Key Work Areas.
Module 4 - Program Logic and Key Work Areas (PDF)
Module 5 explains how the Key Work Areas apply in the day-to-day work life of a Landcare facilitator, via a YouTube presentation and a video transcript (of the presentation). It also includes a glossary of acronyms thata re used in the Welcome Pack.
Module 5 - Video Transcript of Landcare Facilitator Life Presentation (PDF)
Module 5 - Acronym Glossary (PDF)
YouTube Videos:
Module 5 - Landcare Facilitator Life - Presentation (no captions) (YouTube)
Module 5 - Landcare Facilitator Life - Presentation (with captions) (YouTube)
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This fact sheet provides links to current online information on a range of employment-related topics for both Landcare facilitators and their employer organisations. The links have been grouped into employment-related topics.
The list of links in this fact sheet, while not comprehensive, provides links to a wide range of useful employment-related information from Victorian and Australian Government websites.
Workplace Legal are employment law specialists who have been engaged by DEECA to provide free, confidential employment-related advice for Landcare networks/groups who employ Landcare staff/contractors, and for Landcare facilitators (both employees or contractors).
Please phone Workplace Legal on (03) 9972 4950 for free confidential employment-related advice.
VLFP funding recipient organisations can use the generic Landcare Facilitator Position Description template when they advertise to employ/engage a 2021-24 VLFP-funded Landcare facilitator.
This employment contract template is for Landcare Facilitators who are employees, but not employed under an Award or Agreement. Note - there is no specific Award or Agreement for Landcare staff.
There are two versions of the Landcare Facilitator Engagement Contract Template for the Provision of Landcare Facilitator Services, with separate versions for Landcare groups and Landcare networks who are 2021-24 VLFP funding recipient organisations.
Note - the only difference between the two engagement contract templates is the replacement of ‘Groups’ with ‘Networks’ throughout the contracts, as appropriate.
Compulsory Superannuation Payments for Contractor Landcare Facilitators
Note – the wording of Clause 2.5 in the engagement contract templates on compulsory superannuation payments, i.e. under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992, allows for two types of engagement contract situations with contractor Landcare facilitators:
1. with compulsory superannuation payments, and
2. without compulsory superannuation payments.
Go to the links to the engagement contract templates for Workplace Legal's guidance for groups and networks engaging a contractor to provide Landcare facilitator services to determine if compulsory superannuation payments should be paid to the contractor Landcare facilitator under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992.
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Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program - Training Requirements for Employers
To understand your responsibilities as an employer of a VLFP-funded Landcare facilitator, you are encouraged to complete the two free training modules provided by Fair Work Ombudsman, i.e. Hiring employees, and Managing staff.
Note - completion of these two training modules is required by all Managers ad Backup Managers of VLFP-funded Landcare facilitators. See links to the two training modules below:
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The funding agreements that all 2021-24 VLFP funding receipient organisations have with DEECA (i.e. previously DELWP) include a requirement for funding recipient organisations to have a Code of Conduct, Grievance Policy, and Workplace Health and Safety Policy for the duration of the funding agreement. An oganisation's existing policies are acceptable to use instead of the three policy templates below:
If your VLFP-funding recipient organisation does not have these three policies in place already, the policy templates above may be used and adopted as our organisation's policies.
For more information on the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program please contact DEECA's Victorian Landcare Program staff via email landcare@delwp.vic.gov.au
