Landcare began in 1986 when farming neighbours recognised that they could be more effective and have a greater impact if they addressed common natural resource management concerns together. From its perennial roots in production agriculture, Landcare has branched out to encompass land stewardship and improved land management practices on both public and private land – in the bush, along the coast, and in peri-urban and even urban areas.

Landcare is many things to many people, but it is still about a simple idea; people organising to come together to discuss shared land management issues, and to design and implement practical solutions to address these issues.

There are currently more than 600 community-based Landcare groups in Victoria, working to improve the quality of the land, biodiversity, and waterways. These Landcare groups have around 60,000 members who contribute their time and resources to undertake local action to care for the land.