The McGowan Government has opened Expressions of Interest under its $15 million Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program to help farmers enter the carbon market and drive farm profitability.
Under the scheme, farmers will receive upfront payments to develop revegetation programs or to move to farming systems that build soil carbon.
The McGowan Government will support projects eligible for Commonwealth Emissions Reductions Fund registration, with upfront grant funding provided in return for an agreed number of Australian Carbon Credit Units.
The first stream will be available to farmers across the South West Agricultural Land Division for revegetation or soil carbon projects.
A second funding stream will be dedicated to soil carbon projects in low-rainfall areas in the South West Agricultural Land Division, helping to de-risk developing soil carbon in these areas by providing special incentives in this most vulnerable area.
A separate funding stream will provide grants to universities and others for innovative carbon sequestration projects, which generate information and data that can be used to increase soil carbon levels, reduce agriculture's carbon footprint and develop future carbon farming opportunities for Western Australia.
These projects will also generate flow-on benefits to the community by encouraging regional investment, biodiversity and conservation, salinity mitigation, improved soil health, enhanced agricultural productivity and Aboriginal economic and cultural opportunities.
For more information about the Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program and how to apply visit http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/CF-LRP. Expressions of Interest for Round One close 12pm (AWST) Friday, August 20, 2021.
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
"WA farmers can be leaders in carbon sequestration, putting agriculture at the forefront of solving the problem of global climate change.
"Carbon farming offers growers a long-term, diversified income stream, while driving farm sustainability, productivity and profitability and moving towards carbon neutrality to meet market expectations.
"This transformational program will give our farmers the opportunity to embrace carbon farming, helping to offset global greenhouse gas emissions while delivering real agronomic benefit.
"The Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program has been specifically designed to help farmers overcome financial barriers to entering the carbon market and to increase carbon in the landscape.
"The WA Government is committed to supporting our primary industries to reduce the carbon footprint of their operations and remain internationally competitive in an increasingly discerning global marketplace.
"We encourage farmers to seize this opportunity to embrace this next chapter in the evolution of global agricultural production."
