What’s happening?
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Queensland Landcare Awards, which recognise people caring for the environment in local communities.
Nominations are open and free, including self-nominations.
This year’s call comes with a strong Darling Downs link.
Clifton Landcare, near Toowoomba, is being highlighted for its work protecting the endangered Bulloak Jewel Butterfly.
The group is helping protect a tiny remnant of Bulloak forest on the Darling Downs.
Volunteers have fenced, weeded and carefully managed habitat critical to the butterfly’s survival.
The statewide awards also point to other Queensland efforts, including Brisbane Intrepid Landcare in Kelvin Grove and Millmerran Landcare in the Condamine region.
Queensland Water and Land Carers Chair Michael Bond said the awards remain an important way to recognise local action.
“Last year, Queensland Water and Land Carers marked more than 21 years of proudly supporting the Queensland Landcare Awards,” Mr Bond said.
“We were especially proud to see two outstanding rural landholders progress from the state awards to win at the National Landcare Awards, showcasing some of Queensland’s best landcare practices to the rest of the nation.”
He said communities across the state should take part again this year.
“We strongly encourage individuals and groups across Queensland to get involved again this year.”
“Nominating someone is a powerful way to recognise their contribution, celebrate their impact at a state level, and raise the profile of the important work happening in local communities helping ensure it continues to grow and thrive.”
Why it matters?
The awards recognise work that often happens quietly, in towns, farms, suburbs and regional communities.
They also show that landcare is not limited to one kind of person or place.
The program includes farmers, volunteers, schools, First Nations organisations, community groups and young people.
For the Darling Downs, the Clifton Landcare example shows how local action can help protect a species facing real risk.
It also shows how community-led work can support fragile ecosystems under pressure from fire, invasive species and extinction.
Local Impact
The strongest local link is Clifton Landcare’s work near Toowoomba.
Volunteers are helping save one of Australia’s rarest butterflies by protecting Bulloak forest habitat on the Darling Downs.
The work has been carried out with leading entomologist Dr Don Sands.
That makes this more than a statewide awards story.
It is also a local conservation story with direct relevance for Toowoomba and the wider Darling Downs.
The region is also represented through Millmerran Landcare in the Condamine area.
That group is helping farmers protect soil, waterways and biodiversity while improving productivity and resilience.
By the numbers
- Nominations close on Friday, 31 July 2026, giving Queensland communities until mid-winter to put forward local nominees.
- Queensland Water and Land Carers has supported the awards for more than 21 years, showing the long-running place of landcare in the state.
- Brisbane Intrepid Landcare has worked across 6,000 square metres of Enoggera Creek in Kelvin Grove, where 600 plants have now been established with minimal damage.
Zoom In
Clifton Landcare’s work stands out because it is focused on a tiny and vulnerable habitat.
The group has fenced, weeded and managed a remnant Bulloak forest that is critical to the Bulloak Jewel Butterfly.
That effort is being supported by science and local knowledge.
Natura Pacific has also produced a documentary on the butterfly for its Back from the Brink series.
The film was reviewed by L Skidmore, Dr Don Sands and Peter Sparshott from TMR.
Don said he was delighted with it.
Louise reported the documentary was charming, suited all ages and innovatively told the butterfly’s story.
Zoom Out
The wider awards program shows how broad landcare work can be across Queensland.
In Brisbane, youth-led volunteers from Brisbane Intrepid Landcare restored part of Enoggera Creek in Kelvin Grove.
Early planting efforts failed because of brush turkeys.
The group adapted by planting deeper and compacting the soil.
That change helped 600 plants establish themselves with little damage.
In the Condamine region, Millmerran Landcare is helping farmers with regenerative agriculture, gully erosion repair and pest control.
The group also supports bushfire preparedness, mitigation and recovery.
Its work includes feral animal control, Harrisia cactus control and knowledge around cool burns.
The awards also cover a wide range of categories:
- Australian Government Landcare Innovation Award
- Australian Government Sustainable Agriculture Landcare Award
- Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award
- Australian Government Community Partnerships Landcare Award
- Coastcare Award
- First Nations Landcare Collaboration Award
- Women in Landcare Award
- Junior Landcare Award
- NextGen Landcare Award
That spread was reflected in the 2024 Queensland Landcare Awards winners:
- Australian Government Climate Innovation Award, Grant and Carly Burnham
- Australian Government Sustainable Agriculture Landcare Award, Leather Cattle Co
- Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award, Judit Roland
- Australian Government Community Partnerships Landcare Award, Russell Family Park BushCare Group
- Coastcare Award, Friends of Federation Walk
- First Nations Landcare Collaboration Award, Woppaburra TUMRA Aboriginal Corporation
- Women in Landcare Award, Janet Mangan
- Junior Landcare Award, Butchers Creek State School
- NextGen Landcare Award, Rosalinde Green-Brinkman
Who can be nominated?
The awards are open to a wide field of nominees across Queensland.
Eligible nominees include volunteers, landcare groups, environmental community groups and sustainable farmers.
They also include farming systems groups, primary producer groups and agricultural co-operatives.
Industry associations, Traditional Owners, First Nations organisations and Indigenous land and sea Rangers can also be nominated.
Landholders, land managers and urban landcare groups are eligible too.
That includes Friends of groups, bushcare groups, Coastcare, Rivercare and Dunecare groups and individuals.
Environmental community care groups, natural resource management agencies, local government and NGOs are also included.
Research agencies, academics, junior landcare groups and young adult groups can also be nominated.
Persons who are deceased can be nominated posthumously.
What To Look For Next?
Friday, 31 July 2026, is when nominations close.
From there, the state winners in national categories will progress as finalists to the 2027 National Landcare Awards in Adelaide, South Australia.