NCG Friends Groups

Why join a Friends group?

For a small time commitment the rewards are enormously satisfying: both to the environment and personally, in making wonderful friends. Healthy Parks do mean healthy people.  What do we do? The specific work varies depending on which reserve to park you are working in, but the aim of each group is to care for their bushland reserve, working to a management plan. The groups usually meet for two hours on a monthly basis.  For example the E G Ritchie Friends Group meets on the first Sunday of the month from 9.00am – 11.00am. There are four regulars. We are supported by the Shire in this case. We weed (many plant escapees from surrounding gardens); we maintain the public access track; we seed and plant. We talk with the neighbours and inform them of our work and the need for conserving our local area.

We have learned on the job!  We have come to understand the roles of habitat, the contribution each layer of planting  (from grasses and groundcovers, to small and large shrubs and trees) makes to the overall environment. We have learned the characteristics of our indigenous vegetation and how we can best grow them on our own gardens too. We help provide a safe place for our indigenous animals, birds and reptiles. We help control introduced foxes and rabbits and feral cats. We see the positive impact of our efforts over time and can appreciate how well adapted the indigenous flora is to our local coastal region. We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you.

For more information email us at friends@nepeanconservationgroup.org.au

Click here for Shire Wide Friends Group Co-ordination.

NCG Insurance for Friends Groups

The Nepean Conservation Group has taken out insurance to cover all Friends Groups under its umbrella so that all friends are covered.

In Victoria generally, friends groups are trusted to work in reserves as long as they follow basic OH&S rules and the group members are given some autonomy when it comes to methodologies and on-the-spot, on the- day prioritisation and labour allocation decision making. This helps to keep people committed and avoids the perception that they’re just unpaid labour.

All reserves are required to have management plans to guide those works.

The policy that the NCG Inc. has taken out has both public/ products liability and personal accident components. It is a totally separate policy from that of the Shire.

It gives extra coverage and certainty and is specifically tailored for the needs of environmental groups such as the NCG, and widely used around Australia.

Public liability cover is up to $20,000,000; death benefits up to $100,000; 85% of weekly accident benefits up to $750; and medical and incidental expenses up $5,000.

It is essential that all working bees be documented in terms of attendees: signing an attendance sheet prepared by the group (name, date, site, times) and working as directed, preferably under Shire or Parks supervision. The attendance sheet must be securely kept and maintained as a full and proper record of each working bee. If there are any questions, please contact us via the contact form.

NCG has a Memorandum of Understanding with MPS for the purpose of ensuring insurance and
funding for each group listed below and to ensure that annual work plans agreed with MPS, are
developed, implemented and reported to Council.