NAIDOC Week

Written by Tamsin Collins 

Published July 2021

Welcome to the WA RACI Branch June Newsletter!

Naidoc week is 4 – 11 July. The theme is ‘Heal Country, heal our nation’. Last month we saw how our indigenous peoples globally were leading the way to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030 with the 30x30 petition. And how this program was active globally including here in Australia. Well this month I would like to highlight a program driven by WA Government around Carbon Farming and land restoration program (CF-LRP). This is a key element of the WA Climate Policy released November 2020.

The $15 million CF-LRP program will pre-purchase Australian carbon credit unit from carbon farming projects that delivery priority co-benefits; and provide grants for projects that deliver carbon sequestration and priority co-benefits but do not meet the Emission Reduction Fund (ERF) criteria. One of the five focus areas of this program is to promote Aboriginal Values and to develop avenues for business development. The result an opportunity for agriculturalist and Aboriginal groups to participate in Human Induced Regeneration (HIR) Carbon Farming projects with the focus on creating carbon credits that can be sold to Governments, Businesses and Individuals needing/wanting to offset their activities as they transition to a cleaner greener sustainable way of life. This appears to be is a brilliant win win scenario.

The guide produced by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development focuses on pastoral leases outlines three main types of carbon farming projects – HIR, Savanah Burning and Environmental Planting. It depicts a graphic with the Populated southern area supporting much of the environmental planting projects, the central agricultural areas supporting the HIR project and the northern territories supporting the savanna burning projects.

Queensland appears to be a bit ahead of WA with many of the examples of success stories coming from Queensland. One day soon I hope to see at least a WA branch of the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation. Until then we are lucky to have companies such as Carbon Syn and Select Carbon based here in Perth.

Has your workplace considered offsetting as part of their transition journey?

Tamsin Collins

RACI WA President

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