Landcare Victoria Inc. is your state Landcare association. Together with around 600 other Landcare groups and networks, your membership of Landcare Victoria gives your group access to Landcare Victoria’s services and contributes to the strong foundation community Landcare needs grow and thrive in Victoria.
Your membership fees are a very important contribution to the operations of Landcare Victoria, comprising about 39% of total revenue in 2021. Support from Australian and Victorian government programs and philanthropic donations helps to subsidies services to keep membership fees as low as possible.
Services for our Member Groups
Insurance
Each year, Landcare Victoria organizes cost effective insurance cover for Member Groups. Our insurance package protects Member Groups and their committees against damages claims that may arise from Landcare activities. The comprehensive cover Landcare Victoria obtains meets the requirements of government grant programs. Landcare Victoria staff frequently provide Member Groups with information and advice about insurance cover, referring issues to our brokers as required.
Grants auspicing
A foundational purpose of the establishment of Landcare Victoria was to provide a legal framework that allows many Landcare groups to operate without the need to formally incorporate. About half of our membership is unincorporated and often require Landcare Victoria’s support to auspice their grants. In 2021, Landcare Victoria provided auspicing support for over $1M in this way.
Communications and advocacy
Landcare Victoria is your voice for Landcare. We advocate on your behalf for supportive policies and funding at the state and national level. We share the Landcare story – the story of your success – through our website, various social media channels and media liaison. With a state election approaching at the end of 2022, your support for Landcare Victoria’s advocacy on your behalf is more important than ever.
Advice and Liaison
Every day, Landcare Victoria receives enquiries about Landcare from the public, business and government about how to best engage with Landcare. In response, we do our best to build confidence in the value and purpose of Landcare. We also work to develop projects and partnerships for the benefit of community Landcare in Victoria. In addition, we regularly provide advice to Member Groups on a variety of topics including starting and operating a Landcare group, record-keeping and reporting requirements, banking, incorporation and other legal structures, understanding association rules, applying for funding, merging, and winding up.
Governance
Like every other organisation, Landcare Victoria incurs expenditure on governance of the organisation. We are very fortunate to have a voluntary Board who collectively offer many hundreds of hours of their time. Covering
meeting and travel costs, securing professional advice, Board administration and statutory reporting are vitally important to the efficient and effective functioning of Landcare Victoria.
Data management
With a large membership, Landcare Victoria has a big task to ensure our membership records are up to date and accurate. We do this to ensure we have the information we need to support your Member Group, and to meet our statutory obligations. We are making steady improvements to our data and systems and always looking for ways to make the exchange of information with members as efficient as possible. This data underpins almost all that we do for our Member Groups.
How we used your membership fees in 2021
- Insurance – 26%
- Advice and Liaison – 11%
- Data management – 18%
- Grants auspicing – 8%
- Communications and advocacy – 17%
- Governance – 20%
Membership Fees for 2022/23 – A new and simpler fee structure
During 2021/22 Landcare Victoria reviewed the way it levies fees on members. We concluded that the existing system was complicated and treated Member Groups inconsistently. It was difficult to administer by Landcare Victoria and demanded a lot of information from our Member Groups at the time of renewal, delaying the provision of renewed insurance certificates to members. The 2022/23 fees will be based on a simple tier structure based on the expenditure figures you reported to us in the annual census. Fees and insurance costs will be levied on a sliding scale that reflects both the level of activity in Member Groups and their ability to pay.
Landcare Victoria 2022/23 Membership Fee Schedule Tier
- Annual Member Group Expenditure ($)
- Insurance fee (GST Inc.)
- Membership Fee (GST Inc.)
- Invoice total (GST Inc.)
1 – 0-999 $170 $200 $370
2 – 1000-9999 $190 $370 $560
3 – 10,000-99,999 $220 $495 $715
4 – 100,000-999,999 $460 $570 $1,030
5 – >1,000,000 $500 $700 $1,200
Your census data gives us the information we need to generate your membership fees. No longer will there be an exchange of emails about membership numbers and frequent small adjustments to your membership fees as your member numbers rise and fall.
Fees Increase in 2022
As well as simplifying the fee structure, the Landcare Victoria Board has made the difficult decision to increase membership fees. Landcare Victoria has been operating at a loss for some years and the Board believes it must take the responsible decision to ensure the financial viability of the organization. The Board continues to pursue other funding sources that can subsidize member services and reduce the call on membership fees. The Board has structured the increase to avoid imposing fee increases on the smallest Tier 1 groups. Indeed, about a quarter of these groups will benefit from a small fee reduction. Larger groups will carry a larger burden of the fee increase, reflecting both greater levels of activity and greater capacity to pay.
Questions and Comments
If you have any questions or comments about Landcare Victoria’s member services, please call Landcare Victoria on 03 9034 1940.
Landcare Victoria Inc.
ABN 69 561 995 226 | INC A0011936S
(03) 9034 1940 | info@landcarevictoria.org.au
PO Box 509, FLINDERS LANE VIC 8009