A NEW initiative of the NSW Government will protect and regenerate threatened native woodlands while offering landholders the opportunity to generate carbon credits and earn payments for their conservation efforts.
The Restoring Murray Woodlands Biodiversity and Carbon Tender will open to expressions of interest (EOI) from landholders wishing to establish an environmental plantings carbon project while protecting and improving remnant threatened woodlands.
NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust Chief Executive Officer Dr Erin Giuliani said the tender offered successful landholders support to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) and receive annual payments to manage eligible remnant woodlands.
“The initiative is the first of its kind in NSW, bringing together a conservation tender and carbon project to drive habitat restoration and enhance threatened ecological communities,” Dr Giuliani said.
The Clean Energy Regulator has joined the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust to provide new opportunities to landholders under this tender.
“In collaboration with these organisation, Murray Local Land Services’ Seed Services, and local landholders, we will protect and restore three highly threatened ecological communities of Box Gum Grassy Woodlands, Inland Grey Box Woodlands and Sandhill Pine Woodlands in our state’s south,” Dr Giuliani said.
Dr Giuliani said private land conservation, along with high integrity restoration plantings to produce carbon credits, was key to increasing the extent, quality, and connectivity of the remaining remnants of threatened woodlands.
Under the tender, landholders will be invited to bid for annual management payments to establish a conservation area and carbon planting project generating ACCUs.
“This exciting new pilot for the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust will target habitat for threatened flora and fauna species within the tender area, including Squirrel Gliders, Sand-hill Spider Orchids, Superb Parrots, Bush Stone-curlews, Pink-tailed Worm-lizards and many declining woodland birds.”
The Restoring Murray Woodlands Biodiversity and Carbon Tender area is within the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri, Wamba Wamba, Baraba Baraba and Yorta Yorta people and is bounded by the Murray River and the towns of Albury, Holbrook, Henty, Jerilderie, Deniliquin, Moulamein and Barham.
Expressions of interest open on 30 January and close on 24 February.
Information sessions will be held at Culcairn, Berrigan, Deniliquin and Corowa from 6 February. There will also be online sessions on 16 and 21 February.
For a landholder guide, tender map and to register for local information sessions visit www.bct.nsw.gov.au/current-conservation-tenders or phone 1300 992 688.
MEDIA: Kate Moore | 0407 150 771 or [email protected]