New program to help NSW landholders participate in carbon farming

Greening Australia will deliver carbon feasibility assessments for landholders across Southeast New South Wales as part of a new NSW Government-supported initiative designed to help landholders better understand the carbon opportunities from Environmental Plantings on their properties.

Karoola Station, near Mundarloo, NSW. Merino breeding business. Through a carbon project, James was able to secure funding to fence and revegetate 64.5 hectares.

The program forms part of an $11 million NSW Government investment supporting low carbon farming and land management initiatives aimed at reducing emissions, improving landscape resilience and helping landholders participate in carbon markets.

Through the initiative, Greening Australia will work with eligible landholders to assess the suitability of Environmental Planting carbon projects on their land and provide practical insights into potential pathways for project development and to secure investment. Assessments may include consideration of how plantings can be incorporated to best complement grazing operations, to provide production benefits, to maximise carbon credit generation and for broader landscape outcomes for water quality and biodiversity.

“There is growing interest in the role that carbon farming and specifically environmental plantings can play across agricultural landscapes but sometimes that message is confusing, complicated or even contradictory,” said Graham Fifield, Greening Australia’s Land and Restoration Lead.

“We look at every property individually and try to understand what the landholder wants to achieve on their land. This could include addressing erosion gullies, providing shade and shelter for livestock, or deriving an income from land that is less productive, difficult to manage, or that they don’t wish to farm.”

Land and Restoration Lead, Graham Fifield, inspecting plantings at Karoola Station with James

“Carbon markets have the potential to inject much-needed capital into farms to benefit their business and improve habitat for threatened woodland birds such as the Superb Parrot and Scarlet Robin.”

The program is intended to help landholders better understand both the opportunities and complexities associated with carbon projects before committing significant time or investment. Carbon projects can involve long timeframes, regulatory requirements and major land management considerations. Early-stage assessments can help landholders understand whether a project may be suitable for their property, business goals and landscape context.

“As a signatory to the Australia Carbon Industry Code of Conduct, Greening Australia and Canopy Nature Based Solutions pride themselves on educating and co-designing projects with landholders in an open and transparent way,” said James McGregor, Greening Australia’s Executive Director – Carbon

“We’ve got a strong track record of developing projects in partnerships with NSW landholders and are starting to see the returns from these credits go back into the hands of landholders.”

“The program is about scoping up carbon projects and giving landholders advice on what that could look like – empowering landholders to make informed decisions about a project that can help their farm plan and unlock a new revenue stream.”

The initiative also aims to support the development of projects that may contribute to broader environmental and regional outcomes, including biodiversity improvement, landscape restoration and increased resilience to climate pressures.

Greening Australia has worked with landholders across Australia for 40 years on large-scale environmental restoration and landscape projects, including projects involving native vegetation establishment and long-term land stewardship.

Landholders interested in learning more about the program or exploring whether their property may be suitable for assessment are encouraged to register on the Landholder Portal or contact Greening Australia directly.

This project is supported by the NSW Government through a Low Carbon Landscapes grant, delivered under the Primary Industries Productivity and Abatement Program within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.