01-Feb-2012

In 2012, farmers will be able to access the carbon market through the Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI), which provides financial incentives for farmers and land managers to reduce GHG emissions through improved agriculture and land management practices.

Ipswich City Council in partnership with SEQ Catchment and Greenfleet recently established the Bundamba Carbon Forestry Site, which is one of Queensland’s first projects eligible to earn carbon credits under the Federal Government’s new CFI. It covers an area of 25 hectares and includes 11,000 trees that are expected to sequester 350 tonnes of CO2e per hectare over 100 years.

To help clarify a lot of information around carbon farming, the Commonwealth funded Regional Landcare Facilitator (hosted by SEQ Catchments) will be running free information sessions for farmers about Carbon Farming under the Regional Landcare Facilitator (RLF) program over the coming months. Keep an eye out for these events on our events calendar. An informative factsheet on Carbon Farming will be available for download shortly on our website.

For further information please contact the Commonwealth funded Regional Landcare Facilitator (hosted by SEQ Catchments), Apanie Wood: Tel: 07 32114404
Mob: 0457 106252
E: awood@seqcatchments.com.au

Other documents which are useful to read are listed below:

• Carbon Farming in Rural Queensland, 2011. This booklet provides a good overview of the Australian Government program and the current level of information available or currently being developed for Queensland to adopt Carbon Farming practices over the coming year. Very succinct and well summarised document. According to this booklet:

‘‘Through CFI, Queensland farmers and land managers will have access to the carbon market and be able to generate revenue by reducing emissions or increasing carbon stored on their land. They will have access to direct support to adopt new and innovative practices and farm that can reduce emissions and store carbon, while improving efficiency and productivity of their businesses.’’

Click here for more information and to download the document.

• Action on the Ground The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry have released a fact sheet on Action on the Ground, a component of Carbon Farming Futures that will invest up to $99 million of grant funding in on-farm projects over six years to reduce on-farm agricultural emission of greenhouse gases and /or increase carbon sequestered in the soil. Download an Action on the Ground factsheet from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) or visit their website for how to apply.