Christmas Hills Landcare Group
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Who we are
Our Vision
With the residents of Christmas Hills so widely dispersed, the group endeavours to bring people together and strengthen the social connections between each other by designing social components into all of our events. Our membership has steadily grown to about 50 private properties covering over 715 hectares in the Nillumbik and Yarra Ranges shires
The group also strives to build strong and ongoing relationships with the Christmas Hills Fire Brigade and Christmas Hills Primary School, as well as the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people, Nillumbik Shire Council, Melbourne Water, and Parks Victoria.
“Christmas Hills landholders working together in a coordinated and collaborative way to care for and sustain the environmental assets we value in Christmas Hills”
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The traditional owners of Christmas Hills, and its original Landcarers, we share the principle of being custodians of the land and nature temporarily in our care, and believe we have much to learn from Wurundjeri culture about caring for the country we have in common – Christmas Hills.
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The Christmas Hills Landcare Group is one of eleven Landcare groups that form the Nillumbik Landcare Network supported by a part-time Landcare Facilitator who is employed by Nillumbik Shire Council and funded by the Victorian Government.
The Nillumbik Landcare Network has developed the strategic document “Caring for our rural landscape” and is using this as a basis to seek coordinated and aligned action across their member groups and public land management agencies such as Nillumbik Council, Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria.
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The Nillumbik Shire Council hosts the Nillumbik Landcare Network Facilitator and employs two Land Management Officers with expertise in Biodiversity and Agriculture. These roles provide valuable support and guidance to the Christmas Hills Landcare Group. The Nillumbik Shire Council also offers funding through their Land Management Incentive Program.
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The Christmas Hills Landcare Group shares several members with the brigade, and we work together through cross promotion of news and events and collaborate on activities and events of mutual interest.
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Landcare Victoria Incorporated is the peak body for community Landcare in Victoria. It provides an influential voice for the Victorian Landcare movement. The Christmas Hills Landcare Group is a member of Landcare Victoria Incorporated, and we get our insurance through this membership. Landcare Victoria Incorporated can also act as an auspice on our behalf in cases we are not an eligible organisation for grant applications.
Artwork by Margo Heeley
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Christmas Hills Strategic pathways
Understand what our environmental assets are, why we value them, what threatens them, and what needs to be done where to protect and sustain them.
Engage all the landholders that have a role to play in protecting and sustaining these assets.
Help each landholder understand what needs to be done and work out how they can integrate this with their own aspirations for their property.
Coordinate and support landholders to take action on their property.
Integrate our efforts and collaborate with others who have a shared interest in the environmental assets of Christmas Hills.
Management Committee
The management committee is tasked with the role of setting the strategic direction for the group, ensuring the group remains focused on fulfilling its agreed purpose and directions, is accountable, and supporting its members. Elections for the management committee are held at the AGM, typically held in February of each year.
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The Christmas Hills Landcare Group in its current form came into being following a community gathering in October 2005 designed to assess the level of interest in forming a group. The good turnout made it clear that interest was strong and at the CHLG event in March 2006, several people put their hand up to help run the group. Other than a Treasurer, no specific ‘office bearer’ roles were defined and an informal committee of Rob Shackleton (Treasurer), Mark Gardner, Wayne O’Donovan, Margo Heeley, Phil Styles, Bridget Bainbridge and Doug Evans was formed.
In December 2010 the group held its first official AGM to elect a management committee for the group, with Doug Evans, Rob Shackleton, Nicole Noy, Ross Coupar, Mark Gardner, Kylie Moppert and Tina Keene duly elected onto the inaugural committee for 2011.
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The committee meets about five times a year to focus on:-
options for grant applications
planning the delivery of events
financial management
following and maintaining the CHLG strategic plan
responding to Nillumbik Shire and other relevant initiatives
communications within and beyond the group membership
The 2025 management committee consists of 9 members elected at the AGM in February 2025
Doug Evans - Chair, Nicole Noy - Treasurer, Tina Keene - Secretary
Margo Heeley, Suzanne Craine, Jan Cranwell, Joy Bell, Judith Ellerton, Paul Mitchell
Membership
Membership has many benefits. Learn about the local Christmas Hills environment, build skills and get assistance to care for it, and connect with like-minded neighbours - whether your property is bushland, cleared land or both.
Membership allows you to participate in the environmental and social initiatives offered by the group. You will also be able to borrow tools and books from our library.
Members are updated via email on current events, support, training workshops, and opportunities to become involved in environmental projects. There is no expectation regarding the extent to which you participate, this is completely up to you. Your membership is a valuable statement of support for what the Christmas Hills Landcare Group does.
Every contribution, big or small, plays a valuable role in supporting our vision
Whether you have lived here for a few months or a few generations, whether your property is one acre or a hundred, whether it is bushland or pasture, you are welcome.
Membership is $10 per annum per property ($20 new member for CHLG sign)
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Join, Renew, Donate
Whether you have lived here for a few months or a few generations, whether your property is one acre or a hundred, bushland or pasture, you are welcome.
Membership is $10 per annum per property ($20 for the first year includes a CHLG gate sign).
New members please complete the following Membership Form and continue to Payment.
Existing members head straight to payment, please ensure you add your name in the description field of your payment .
Payment can be made by Bank transfer, PayID, PayPal, Credit Card, or cash or EFTPOS at one of our events
Please contact us via email if you have any queries:
$20 first year of membership, $10 each year thereafter.
Bank transfer
Bank transfer Details:
Account Name: Christmas Hills Landcare Group
BSB: 633 000
Account Number: 125918920
Reference: Please include your name as a reference so we know it was you who paid.
If making a donation please also add “Donation” in description field
Payid
Pay CHlandcare@gmail.com
Please include your name and address in the description so we know it was you who paid.
If making a donation please also add “Donation” in description field
Paypal and credit cards
Please note that the CHLG is charged additional fees when using these methods:
PayPal - 2.9% + 30c
Visa and Mastercard - 1.5% + 30c
If using one of these payment methods, please consider donating $1.00 on top of the membership fee.
Please contact us via email if you have any queries:
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