Landcare volunteers benefit from a significant increase in mental and physical wellbeing – and a significant decrease to their healthcare costs, according to a new report.

Unveiled by Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley at a launch event in Albury NSW, the newly published findings by KPMG Australia in partnership with Landcare Australia, suggested volunteers involved in Landcare enjoy substantial improvements to their mental and physical wellbeing. 

These improvements lead to an approximate saving from avoided healthcare costs of $403 per individual per year, and for the Landcare movement which exceeds 140,000 individuals, that number equates to $57 million nationally. 

Championed by the late Bob Hawke in 1989, the Landcare movement has surged across the country over the last 30 years to become one of the largest volunteer movements in Australia, with local groups focused on conservation and improved management of agricultural landscapes.

Federal Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley, who was once a secretary of her own local Landcare group, said while the benefits of Landcare had long been evident, this report shows those gains also flow through to their volunteers.

“As one of the oldest conservation and sustainable agriculture movements in the country, our people in Landcare breathe extra life into our communities and local environment. Now we can see there is a quantifiable return to their physical and mental wellbeing as well, and that’s got to be a win-win for our country.” 

The report also goes on to address additional savings to the Landcare volunteer community relating to productivity, and benefits owing to natural disaster resilience and recovery, with the combined value amounting to $191 million annually. 

“For decades, those involved in Landcare have testified to a greater sense of self, both physically and mentally, resulting from an enhanced link with their local environment,” said Doug Humann AM, Chair Landcare Australia.

“This in turn has boosted community wellbeing and it has long been the desire of the Landcare movement to quantify the significance of these benefits. Clearly, these ground-breaking new figures speak for themselves and to the importance of volunteering and engaging with Landcare activities within the community.”

With a connection to the land felt by almost all of those surveyed at 93 per cent, and 90 per cent experiencing a stronger connection to the community, 19 per cent reported a reduced use of physical health services, contributing to avoided healthcare costs.

Elsewhere, the study found that the majority of people who were not in full-time employment enjoyed an improvement in their mental wellbeing associated with participation in Landcare activities, and more so than those in full-time employment.

Do you think volunteering can provide people with mental and physical health benefits? Are you a volunteer? Where do you volunteer? What benefits to your receive from your volunteering activity?