Environmental Volunteering in the Greater Sydney region 2012 In 2012, the value of the work of environmental volunteers surveyed in Sydney was $5.96 Million. Putty St Albans Lithgow Gosford Katoomba Penrith Hornsby Parramatta Camden Sydney s natural areas such as the bush, beaches and rivers all contribute to the liveability of our city, the suburbs and outer regions. Essential to keeping these landscapes healthy and free of weeds and pollution are thousands of people who regularly volunteer for the environment in their local patch. Goulburn Moss Vale Wollongong This brochure celebrates the contribution of 27,971 volunteers and 61 organisations, especially Local Councils that supported and managed volunteer programs in 2012 and provided data for this survey. The number of people involved in environmental volunteering activities in the Sydney region increased by 54% from 2009 to 2012.
Volunteer Activities Traditional Bushcare programs are still the mainstay of regular volunteering in Sydney, with group numbers relatively stable. However the trends in 2012 are towards more short term and one-off volunteering. There are new opportunities to entice the next generation of volunteers through fun and flexible activities that fit in with changing lifestyles and work habits. are combining personal passions like fishing, kayaking or diving with environmental volunteering. One off events such as Bushcare s Major Day Out, National Tree Day or an annual bandicoot survey can engage families for the day or just an hour or two. In 2012 the number of volunteers who participated in one-off events in Sydney almost doubled from the previous survey conducted in 2009 Survey Results n 7,542 volunteers worked as part of small groups that met on a regular basis. 90% of these volunteers undertook bushcare, bush regeneration or tree planting, 7% community nursery work, 2% did flora and fauna surveys and 1% water quality monitoring. n Regular committed volunteers contributed 163,250 hours in 2012. n More than 19,000 people contributed time for one-off occasions at community events organised over the year. n The number of corporate volunteers has decreased since the last survey, with 2,020 corporate volunteers providing 7,443 hours to projects for 25 different organisations. n The value of environmental volunteering in the Greater Sydney Region continued to increase. In the three years since the 2009 survey was undertaken the value has increased by just over $400,000, although the region surveyed has also expanded. Regional bushcare exchanges across the Sydney region and further afield into typical Landcare country are increasing in popularity. Bushcare/ Planting 90% Community Nursery 7% Flora & Fauna Monitoring 2% Water Quality Monitoring 1%
Benchmarking the survey results This is the 4th survey which covers the Greater Sydney Region. The first survey was conducted in 2005 by the former Sydney Metropolitan CMA (now merged with the Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA). The 2005 survey set the benchmark for the type of activities included and defined the local government areas to be covered for all future surveys. This table compares the results within that same range of activities and areas. 2005 Survey 14,060 volunteers 169,981 hours $5,099,430* 2007 Survey 21,407 volunteers 178,793 hours $5,363,790 2009 Survey 17, 119 volunteers 180,196 hours $5,405,880 2012 Survey 26,394 volunteers 169,430 hours $5,082,900 The 2005 survey shows a value of $3,399,620 because at that time the standard hourly rate for volunteers was calculated at $20 per hour. It is now calculated at $30 per hour based on Australian Government Guidelines. What has changed in 2012? Overall the volunteer effort has remained steady. A 54% increase in the number of people involved in environmental volunteering A 6% drop in the number of hours volunteers contributed A range of reasons for the changes have been identified by the organisations who supplied the data: Older volunteers are retiring from Bushcare volunteering. Younger people are focussing on different environmental improvement activities which may not be so easily captured by this survey, such as improving backyard habitat, introducing native fauna into their own backyards or doing advocacy work. Several major government-funded urban restoration programs have now been completed. There are limited opportunities for projects of smaller scales to involve large numbers of unskilled volunteers, including corporate volunteers. There have been changes in the capacity of organisations to manage volunteers, e.g. staffing and budget issues and work, health and safety requirements. About this survey Organisations providing data were asked to comment on the reliability of their data. The professional approach to volunteer management and record-keeping in Sydney is highlighted by the fact that almost 75% of respondents said they were very confident about the information they provided. Others made estimates based on previous surveys or number of groups and meeting times throughout the year. To keep the survey results consistent and comparable to previous years, work measured was on-ground but did not include rubbish removal and clean ups, work done by students in classroom hours, administration, newsletters, publicity, presentations, and leading guided walks. These other activities nonetheless make an important contribution towards caring for and protecting our natural areas. Environmental Volunteering in Sydney How to get involved CONTACT your local Council environment or bushland section VISIT www.bushcare.org.au JOIN Bushcare s Major Day Out www.facebook.com/bushcaresmajordayout SEARCH the Find a Volunteer Group map at: http://www.sydney.cma.nsw.gov.au/standard/77.html
Environmental Volunteering in the Greater Sydney Region 2012 This table covers the parts of Greater Sydney within the boundaries of the Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA region. The survey lists the organisations that support volunteers participating in bushcare and other groups and covers some of the key environmental activities undertaken from January to December 2012 by volunteers working mostly on public land. Main activities: B: Bush Regeneration P: Planting Events N: Community Nursery W: Water Quality Monitoring F: Flora and Fauna Monitoring Name of Organisation Activity regular One-Off & Corporate Total No. Hours Total Value of Hours $ Ashfield Council B P 12 252 987 29,610 Auburn City Council B P 12 126 440 13,200 Bankstown Bushland Society B 7 0 52 1,560 Bankstown City Council B P N 39 115 743 22,290 Bass Sydney Fishing Club* B P W 13 13 305 9,150 Bidjigal Reserve Trust* B P N F 13 27 294 8,820 Blacktown City Council B P 122 531 1,285 38,550 Blue Mountains City Council** B P W F 330 97 8,904 2671,20 Bonnie Doon Golf Club Bushcare* B P F 14 12 518 15,540 Camden Council B P 20 140 1,310 39,300 Campbelltown City Council B P 30 60 870 26,100 City of Canada Bay B P 40 52 813 24,390 City of Canterbury B P F 154 50 2,740 82,200 City of Ryde B P W 167 271 4,759 142,770 City of Sydney B P 230 170 7,700 231,000 Conservation Australia # B P 80 7659 1,386 41,580 Earthwatch Institute* F 0 72 576 17,280 Fairfield City Council B P 25 126 2,427 72,810 Georges River National Park* B P 4 0 96 2,880 Georges River Combined Councils Committee Riverhealth Program W 225 75 930 27,900 Hawkesbury City Council B P N 67 164 2,246 67,380 Hornsby Shire Council B P N F 857 3293 11,710 351,300 Hunters Hill Council B P 50 57 1,375 41,250 Hurstville City Council B P 120 0 3,908 117,240 Inner West Environment Group B P 28 57 346 10,380 Kamay Botany Bay National Park B P F 30 0 2,805 84,150 Kogarah City Council B P W 37 12 163 4,890 Ku-ring-gai Council B P N 802 280 6,736 202,080 Lane Cove Council B P N 69 143 3,192 95,760 Lane Cove National Park B P N 178 539 8,821 264,630 Leichhardt Council B P N F 60 93 4,200 126,000
Name of Organisation Activity regular One-Off & Corporate Total No. Hours Total Value of Hours $ Liverpool City Council B P W F 36 144 1,090 32,700 Manly Council B P W 48 62 587 17,610 Marrickville Council B P N W F 98 66 2,882 86,460 Mosman Council B P 102 41 871 26,130 Mudcrabs/Cooks River Valley Association B P W F 96 42 1,699 50,970 National Parks & Wildlife Service (Northern Beaches)* B P N 133 47 2,706 81,180 National Trust (NSW) B P 14 9 389 11,670 North Head Sanctuary Foundation* N 47 45 3,552 106,560 North Sydney Council B P N F 142 179 4,490 134,700 Parramatta City Council B P F 182 258 2,887 86,610 Penrith City Council B P 150 50 1,083 32,490 Pittwater Council B P F 210 400 6,541 196,230 Randwick City Council B P N 78 310 1,821 54,630 Rockdale City Council B P W 28 110 498 14,940 Royal National Park B P 40 55 4,110 123,300 Strathfield Council B P 14 561 1,207 36,210 Sutherland Shire Council B P N F 884 1123 24,216 726,480 Sydney Harbour National Park (North) B P F 55 594 4,694 140,820 Sydney Harbour National Park (South) B P 15 150 1,237 37,110 Taronga Conservation Society Australia B P 8 35 317 9,510 The Habitat Community Nursery and Garden* B P N F 75 300 1,143 34,290 The Hills Shire Council B P N W F 237 335 12,035 361,050 Warringah Council B P N F 230 250 7,967 239,010 Waverley Council B P 32 34 682 20,460 Willoughby City Council B P N F 268 82 6,239 187,170 Willow Warriors Inc* B P 25 273 2,301 69,030 Wingecarribee Shire Council** B P N F 142 60 3,731 111,930 Wolli Creek Preservation Society B P W F 70 9 2,092 62,760 Wollondilly Shire Council B P N W 98 259 12,058 361,740 Woollahra Municipal Council B P 150 60 1,000 30,000 TOTAL 7,542 20,429 198,762 $5,962,860 * Organisations which have provided data for the first time in the Sydney Metropolitan Region ** Organisations which have provided data for the first time in the Greater Sydney Region # CVA covers all work done at Centennial Parklands, Western Sydney Parklands and Parramatta Park as well as other locations within Sydney. These organisations were recorded separately in the 2009 survey. Acknowledgements This information has been collated by the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority (HNCMA) with the assistance of the Volunteer Coordinators Network (VCN) Sydney Region. This is a network of staff from local councils, national parks and other organisations that undertake professional support and supervision of volunteers. The HNCMA would like to thank the VCN and all of the organisations, including the volunteer-run organisations, who kindly contributed their data on volunteer numbers and hours. This 2012 survey of Environmental Volunteering in the Greater Sydney Region provides information that builds on the HNCMA Landcare survey (March 2013), published on the HNCMA website. The Landcare groups work mostly on private land. However we acknowledge that there may be still other volunteers doing similar activities in Greater Sydney that we have not yet captured in either survey. This survey and information has been prepared by the Hawkesbury Nepean HNCMA with funding provided by the NSW Government. For further information: Web: www.hn.cma.nsw.gov.au Photographs were kindly supplied by Bruce Gimber, Bankstown City Council, North Sydney Council, Graham Johnston, Jeff Cottrell, Blue Mountain City Council, Colin Parrott, Andy Doldissen, Peter Miller, Maureen Correy and National Parks & Wildlife Service. June 2013