About
The Landscape Impact Program by Regen Farmers Mutual is a co-design process that runs over 20 weeks and helps groups of farmers and a nominated Working Group to define, test and launch a landscape-scale transaction in their local area.
The program has funding support from the NSW Government Primary Industries Productivity and Abatement Program (PIPAP) High Impact Partnerships Program. The project has been supported by South-East Local Land Services and Landcare.
The Southern Tablelands Agricultural Restoration Project (STAR) project is the Landscape Impact Program for Southern NSW. It has been guided by a small farmer led Working Group and 11 farmers/landholders from across the region who have identified a potential group/aggregated carbon market transaction that mean farmers and land managers reduce carbon emissions and increase biodiversity locally whilst being rewarded financially and boosting farm business productivity and sustainability The transaction includes soil carbon and environmental plantings as well as riparian management and strategic grazing options to sequester carbon and restore biodiversity on-farm.
The STAR Landscape Impact Program Working Team that co-designed this transaction include:
Kathleen Allan - Local Farmer and part of the STAR Project
Debra Butt - Local Farmer and part of the STAR Project
Rohan Clarke - Regen Farmers Mutual
Jeremy Gibson - Local landholder, Regen Advisor and part of the STAR Project
Lance Graham - Local Farmer and part of the STAR Project
Melissa Henry - South East Local Land Services
Tom Reid - South East Local Land Services
Andrew Ward - Regen Farmers Mutual
Colette Wilsher - Local Farmer, Marketing Advisor and part of the STAR Project
Introduction
The objective of the Southern Tablelands Agricultural Restoration (STAR) project is to discover what we can do individually and collectively to improve both farm productivity and biodiversity - and to be financially rewarded for doing so.
The NSW Southern Tablelands is a highly productive agricultural landscape, predominantly merinos, prime lambs, beef cattle and some cropping.
The dominant vegetation community of the NSW Southern Tablelands is Box Gum Grassy Woodland (White Box, Yellow Box, Blakelys Red Gum), a critically endangered ecological community (CEEC), home to 98 fauna and 106 flora vulnerable or threatened species.
Many landholders are aiming to balance farm productivity, profitability and landscape resilience in a changing climate. Natural assets across the region have been significantly depleted over time, leading to erosion, salinity, reduction of soil carbon levels and a loss of connectivity and diversity of native vegetation (biodiversity).
The STAR Working Group have considered opportunities for landholders (individually and collectively) to address these issues through participation in carbon and/or biodiversity markets, to improve the natural assets of their properties and farm productivity and to potentially be financially rewarded for their environmental work/services.
Environmental stewardship and sustainability is important for farm businesses, for supply chains and for governments. Farmers and landholders are part of the solution. Through understanding your landscape and your emissions footprint you can make interventions that improve overall farm sustainability, productivity and profitability and be rewarded for it through supply chain market access and premiums or additional income from environmental markets.
The Southern Tablelands Agricultural Restoration project is managed by farmers for farmers. Our aim is to capture and store carbon to offset emissions and establish connected landscape corridors across the Southern Tablelands that will restore biodiversity and ensure the survival of endangered species.
The project is about enhancing farm productivity, sustainability, and environmental stewardship by connecting like-minded farmers with financially rewarding environmental restoration solutions through capturing and storing carbon on-farm and increasing biodiversity.
Through collective action we can amplify our impact. With the support of Regen Farmers Mutual through the Landscape Impact Program and partnering with local support services such as Local Land Services we’re actively building a resilient and productive agricultural landscape for future generations.
This information pack will guide you through the process of setting up a registered Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme project either as a self-proponent or through the Regen Farmers Mutual.
Grand Vision
Farmers are the solution. By joining the Southern Tablelands Agricultural Restoration (STAR) project, together we can Connect, Restore, Protect, Reward the Southern Tablelands and showcase to the world - restoration is the key to future productive farming and it’s possible at scale!
CONNECT
Connect with a community of like-minded farmers and landholders via the Southern Tablelands Agricultural Restoration project (STAR project)
Connect with Regen Farmers Mutual for valuable insights on your emissions, funding & support for selling carbon assets
Build connectivity in the landscape for greater impact, for improved biodiversity and species survival
RESTORE
Re-establish Box Gum Grassy Woodlands,
Restore damaged and degraded areas of erosion, salinity, and biodiversity loss through native planting projects.
Restore Gulleys, Creeks, Dams and landscape habitat to build biodiversity where species thrive.
Restore soil quality to support productive plant growth, with deep roots that sequester Carbon and hold moisture. Build resilience in the landscape
PROTECT
Protect our vulnerable woodlands, shrubs, grasses, waterways & our unique species through farm infrastructure planning, strategic grazing and effective management of pests and weeds.
REWARD
Coordinated and aggregated projects that deliver real impacts for a connected community and landscape
A resilient and biodiverse environment with thriving threatened species
Farmers as landscape managers delivering real solutions for the health of the planet by sequestering carbon on-farm
Diversifying farm income and managing business risk through additional income streams such as Carbon projects
A resilient and productive landscape means a sustainable, productive and profitable farm business- a better future for our farm, our families, our community and our planet.