Media release
26 July 2011
An Australian company is among the first
to grasp the economic opportunity of a clean
energy future, with a multimillion dollar
project to establish a sustainable basis
for carbon farming and long-term biodiversity
conservation.
Environment Minister
Tony Burke today joined members of R.M.Williams
Agricultural Holdings at Henbury Station
in the Northern Territory to announce the
pioneering landmark project.
“This iconic Australian
business wants to establish a new model
for nature conservation and climate protection,
where carbon credits fund ongoing biodiversity
management,” Mr Burke said.
“With Gillard Government
support through Caring for our Country,
the company has purchased Henbury Station,
a $13 million pastoral property in a diverse
and under protected Australian arid environment.
“Henbury is home to
a host of rare and threatened native plants
and animals. It forms a vital building block
in the Territory Eco-Link conservation corridor
from South Australia to the Arafura Sea.
The corridor links adjacent reserves and
boosts the resilience of the landscape,
so that native species have room to adapt
to a changing climate.
“It’s a great win for
biodiversity, as Henbury will now be protected
forever as part of Australia’s National
Reserve System, our most secure way of protecting
native habitat.”
Parliamentary Secretary
for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Mark Dreyfus welcomed the project to rehabilitate
Henbury Station, which is expected to be
supported by the sale of credits created
under the Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative.
“The Carbon Farming
Initiative will unlock new economic opportunities,
just like this one at Henbury, for farmers
and other landholders who take action to
reduce greenhouse gases,” Mr Dreyfus said.
“This is a key part
of the Gillard Government’s climate change
agenda, and is set to open up new income
streams for farmers and landholders across
regional Australia.
“Landholders and investors
around the country will be watching this
exciting pilot project for its innovative
approach to conservation and biodiversity.
They’ll be looking to see how R.M.Williams
Agricultural Holdings goes about the business
of generating biodiverse carbon credits
to support the regeneration of Henbury Station.”
Managing Director of
R.M.Williams Agricultural Holdings David
Pearse described the project as ‘learning
by doing’.
“We’re in the business
of sustainable agriculture and we see an
exciting opportunity in carbon sequestration,”
Mr Pearse said.
“By actively managing
fire, water, weeds and feral animals on
this former pastoral property we’ll encourage
natural revegetation, removing carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere and storing carbon in
the soil and native plants. We’ll be creating
sustainable habitat and enhancing biodiversity.
“Over the next year
we’ll be working with respected biodiversity
and carbon advisers to establish a rigorous
scientific methodology for carbon projects
like Henbury.
“The development of
the project will help to provide a new model
for other farmers to improve their soil
and native vegetation, and earn new income.
It will also help to create a new model
for private sector investment in biodiversity
conservation across the landscape.”
Member for Lingiari
Warren Snowdon said it was terrific that
a cattle station in the Northern Territory
was central to an innovative carbon farming
project.
“Henbury station is
home to some very important water courses
and watering holes as well as a number of
threatened plant and animal species. It’s
a terrific conservation outcome and a great
first step for the Australian Government’s
Carbon Farming Initiative,” Mr Snowdon said.
For Henbury images, map, carbon and biodiversity
fact sheets see www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs
