26-Jul-2011

The federal government released the details of the new Clean Energy Plan this month.

Land use is one of the four key platforms identified within the Clean Energy Plan, along with carbon pricing, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Landholders within SEQ should be aware that the government has decided not to include the agricultural, forestry and related land sectors within the carbon price framework. Further, there are opportunities for farmers and land managers to secure financial support or assistance in their efforts to reduce carbon pollution.

An array of new funding programs will come onto the market in the coming months focused on the land-use sectors. They include:

• A Biodiversity Fund ($946.2m) to help build connectivity, and resilience in the landscape by promoting biodiverse carbon plantings and revegetation, management of existing biodiverse carbon stores and managing pests in a connected landscape
• The establishment of a permanent, expert Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Advisory Board ($4.4m) to provide advice to ministers and parliament on the implementation of the land sector measures
• A Regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) Planning for Climate Change ($43.9m) measure to support regional planning for climate change
• An Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund ($22.3m) to support Indigenous participation in the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI).

Rural communities can also benefit from carbon farming through:

• A Carbon Farming Initiative non-Kyoto Carbon Fund ($250m) to purchase Carbon Farming Initiative credits
• Carbon Farming Futures ($429m) to help farmers and other landholders to benefit from carbon, and
• A Carbon Farming Skills (4.2m) package to support green jobs and ensure that landholders have access to credible, high quality advice and carbon services

SEQ Catchments will be reviewing these programs more fully when the detail comes to hand and will keep our stakeholders advised of opportunities when they arise. In the meantime you can read detail on the government’s website.

A full copy of the Clean Energy Plan can be found on the government’s website:
http://www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/clean-energy-future/our-plan/

Particular reference to landholders can be found here on the website:
http://www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/clean-energy-future/securing-a-clean-energy-future/#content010