Off-road four-wheel driving and caring for the environment may not always seem compatible, but one Landcare group is working to change that.
The Victorian Mobile Landcare Group is part off-road driving club, part cross-country clean-up team.
What started life as a chapter of the Land Rover Owners Club of Victoria is now a committed outfit which roams regional areas, giving landcare outfits timely — not to mention heavy-duty — support.
Group founder and current club secretary Doug Parke said the group consisted of members who wanted to "do good" by the environment.
"The Land Rover Owners Club of Victoria had a survey to find out what the members wanted," Mr Parke said.
"A lot wanted to do more [off-road] trips, but some wanted to do more volunteering and stuff to do with the environment.
He said traditional four-wheel-drive clubs were all about "going bush" and "getting away from it all".
"As a group, we wanted to take care of where we went," he said.
"The four-wheel drive was a means to an end in that sense."
He said members wanted to partner with a group that was apolitical, environmentally oriented and outdoor focused.
"Landcare could see the possibilities of groups like ours, helping traditional Landcare groups, or doing projects in areas where there is no Landcare group operating," he said.
Environmental focus
The Victorian Mobile Landcare Group stepped out as its own entity in 2009.
It has since become a catch-all for other green-tinged four-wheel-drive owners, regardless of whether their preferred mode of transport was a "Cruiser" or Patrol, Pajero or Amarok.
"We wanted to be seen primarily as a Landcare group that was mobile as opposed to four-wheel-drive owners doing land care," he said.
"We were at pains to point out to people, while there was a core of us that had four-wheel drives, you didn't need to own one to be part of our group."
Founding member Esther Priestley came to Mobile Landcare via the Land Rover club.
Her husband was a very passionate four-wheel-drive fan but it was the environmental focus, along with the family and social aspects, that kept her involved.
"It was a nice social group to begin with, great for kids, with a lot of camping," Mrs Priestley said.
"I had seen some examples of four-wheel driving that wrecked the environment, and we wanted to go the other way — doing four-wheel driving responsibly and leaving it, not just the same as before, but better."
She said her children had been going on the trips "since they were little".
"My eldest son is now 22 and youngest son is 15, and they have been involved in tree planting, weeding, making hutches for endangered birds and other endangered animals," she said.
"I do enjoy the four-wheel driving part but it's become just a byproduct of getting into parts of a park for environmental reasons that you otherwise couldn't."
Investment in the bush
Having a strong four-wheel-drive element has advantages apart from a way to get deep into the bush.
"Generally the people who own them tend to go camping with them, and that means other handy skills," Mr Parke said.
"You also tend to have other useful things like a trailer, or a tent or a radio."
The east Gippsland bushfires in 2003 were the genesis for Victorian Mobile Landcare.
Some Land Rover Owners Club members took a field trip into the region with a view to spending time and money in the area to support the local economy.
It quickly became apparent a one-off visit was not what was needed.
"The local bush nurse told me our visit was fine but the best help we could offer would be six months after, when everyone else had moved on," Mr Parke said.
"Six months later all the weeds were coming up and we were able to pitch in with the clean-up."
More recently, group members have been seeing the devastation caused by flooding in Victoria.
"While there has been no formal request for their help yet, Mobile Landcare crews and their stout machines will be ready when that call comes," Mr Parke said.
He said the group was looking into what help it could offer next year.
"Working within the COVID-19 regulations we managed a couple of projects in the past 24 months, but the recent floods and the long road to recovery means there's likely to be plenty of opportunities to engage with Landcare groups in the affected areas," he said.
"When the floods have subsided and the clean-up begins, I'm sure there are things we will be able to help with and see if we can help make a difference."
