Carbon and Ecological Restoration

The Australian Government’s Land Sector Package: Opportunity and Risk

The Australian Government’s Land Sector Package represents a significant investment opportunity, with approximately $1.7 billion dedicated to ecosystem development. At its core is the $946 million Biodiversity Fund, designed to support landholders in establishing, restoring, protecting, and managing biodiverse carbon stores.

This initiative creates unprecedented opportunities, as the carbon cycle becomes the first ecosystem service with a market-based mechanism to fund the restoration of cleared lands. However, significant risks accompany these opportunities. While ecosystems comprise complex networks of interdependent species, carbon credit business models often favor simple monoculture systems that maximise profit but minimise biodiversity. Since carbon plantings represent permanent land use changes, the initial implementation will determine long-term ecological outcomes.

The Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA) positions itself as an impartial body capable of providing unbiased guidance to ensure these land use changes positively contribute to the conservation, protection, and restoration of Australia’s native landscapes.