Wayne Chaffey is a man guided by science, communitarian compassion, and devotion to the land he lives on.
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From his beef and cattle farm in Somerton, he reflects on his "blessed" life and how he enjoys spending his later years with his wife, Nell, volunteering for his community in a myriad of ways.
"We're lucky we're at a position in our lives where we can give back a little bit to our community. We've raised our kids, and they've left, so we've got a bit more time to get involved in the local Somerton community in terms of managing the hall and the sporting fields and things," Mr Chaffey said.
![When asked for a fun fact most wouldn't know about him, Wayne Chaffey told the Leader "there's probably not much because I'm a good talker. I tell all". Picture by Gareth Gardner When asked for a fun fact most wouldn't know about him, Wayne Chaffey told the Leader "there's probably not much because I'm a good talker. I tell all". Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/e449ab52-03a7-4542-88c5-b06634f78209.jpg/r0_0_6409_4201_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr Chaffey's unwavering commitment to helping others was recently recognised by the University of New England (UNE), his alma mater, which is also where he and his wife first met.
The university awarded him a Community Alumni Award as a testament to his passion for education, sustainable agriculture, and the betterment of his community.
"The nomination was actually submitted by my dear sister, who is also an alumnus from UNE. It was lovely that she did that," Mr Chaffey said.
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Before he was recognised for his work in community groups, including his work as president of Tamworth Regional Landcare Association (TRLA), the farmer and landcare enthusiast was once a science teacher at Manilla high.
"For many years I've been a teacher in the Tamworth community in a number of different schools. I was a science teacher and then a principal at Manilla for a little while and then principal at Tamworth High School for quite a few years," Mr Chaffey said.
During his time in the education industry, he forged connections with many Parents and Citizens Associations and other community groups, in addition to a few global links via sister city student exchanges with Japan.
It's this experience Mr Chaffey credits with giving him the people skills necessary to lead many landcare organisations following his retirement.
"We've been involved with landcare for many years, pretty much since it started in the 80s when Bob Hawke was the first Prime Minister to provide funds for landcare programs," he said.
His foray into landcare started with the Manilla Landcare Group, one of the first of its kind in the country.
From there he eventually joined the Bubbogullion 100 Landcare Group in the 90s and worked his way up to chairman, though he has now passed on that position to a former student.
"More recently I was elected to chair the Tamworth Regional Landcare Association and from there I've gone on to represent on the state advisory committee as well," Mr Chaffey said.
Over the years, the former teacher has seen the landcare movement evolve from simple farming sustainability to a call for everyone to take responsibility for the planet we all share.
"It was initially all about trying to get people on the land like farmers involved with tree planting and restoration, but it covers a much broader base now," he said.
It's trying to involve people in all walks of life, whether you're in town or on broad acres it's all about getting people to think a little bit more about the long-term sustainability of our planet and making things better for our children's children's children."
![Mr Chaffey says he is "blessed" to be able to live in a "beautiful part of the world" with his loving wife in a home built by his grandfather in 1930. Picture by Gareth Gardner Mr Chaffey says he is "blessed" to be able to live in a "beautiful part of the world" with his loving wife in a home built by his grandfather in 1930. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/5b16e754-965b-4783-a5ae-43a212f18a21.jpg/r0_0_6145_3821_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Consequently, Mr Chaffey acts to put TRLA at the forefront of regenerative agriculture, striving to restore native soils and vegetation that have been hurt by more than a hundred years of colonial and post-colonial land practices.
"It's even beyond sustainability. There's a lot of scientific evidence to show that since white settlement the land here has changed drastically and in many cases in a negative way," he said.
"Not apportioning blame to people, but settlers came here from different environments with different knowledge from those who came before us, so there has been significant damage done to the land.
"Now there's a real push for regenerative agriculture where we're working on trying to repair the soils and vegetation areas because of the damage that's been done due to practices since settlement."
But Mr Chaffey's commitment extends beyond agriculture.
He also collaborates with UNE and local councils in the Namoi region as part of the Upper Namoi Water in the Landscape Initiative, a smorgasbord of community activist groups who have banded together to advocate for protection, research and education into groundwater.
"Because of changed land practices a lot of the water tends to run off very quickly into streams and rivers and disappears from our area," the science educator said.
"We've started this initiative as a cooperative venture where we're going to work with people to try and make that water stay in the upper regions of our landscape for a little bit longer rather than rushing off into the streams and causing floods."
Mr Chaffey says when he isn't working on landcare, he enjoys spending time with his four kids, five grandchildren, his loving wife, and their 120 "beloved" cows.
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