Lachlan Cook has been able to extend his nature restoration project and gain support by registering carbon credits from his BushBank project.
Nearby the Tallangallook-Dry Creek Historic Area and Lake Eildon, Lachlan Cook found his perfect property for a biodiverse carbon planting project. Lachlan had found a 37 hectare site, mainly cleared with a few remnant trees, littered with blackberry and sweet briar weeds, and signs of over-grazing and erosion on the steep hillsides. Despite these issues, the site contained the elements needed for a successful revegetation project.
With a background in carbon farming and community forestry across the Pacific and in Africa, Lachlan is well aware of the benefits to the environment, the community, and to the individual person that comes from growing trees for carbon. Through the Victorian Government’s BushBank Program, Lachlan has received funding and support from the Program’s Lead Delivery Partner, Cassinia Environmental, to revegetate his property for carbon and biodiversity.
Lachlan’s project has been in planning for a couple of years. Lachlan was searching for a site suitable for a carbon project, taking into account the potential environmental benefits, landscape connectivity, rainfall and distance from Melbourne. Lachlan discovered the BushBank Program complemented his project perfectly. By joining the Program he was able to boost the biodiversity benefits of his plantings and receive financial support. It also ensured the project would be protected in perpetuity under a Trust For Nature Covenant.
In Australia, landowners completing revegetation projects can apply for Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by registering the project with the Clean Energy Regulator. Credits are held by the landowner and can be sold, generating an income from the revegetation project. Carbon credits require a process of registration and monitoring, which a landowner can manage themselves or can be supported by BushBank program partners, Carbon Farming Foundation or South Pole.
Lachlan’s reasons for undertaking a carbon project are manifold. Increasingly concerned with climate change, Lachlan wanted to act. His goal is to restore his property with common grassy forest species like Yellow Box, White Box and Messmate that will quickly re-establish this important habitat, reflecting the pre-European vegetation that once existed there. Perfect for species like the local Yellow-tailed Black cockatoos.
Furthermore, having done this work for others before, Lachlan knew that “if you select and manage the land right, it is a good investment”. Lachlan enjoys the work and is well aware of the mental and physical health benefits of personally undertaking the planting. There is profound joy in growing trees.
Bringing this project to life has been a collective effort. Lachlan collaborated with Arborline, a tree nursery in Hamilton, to source his plants. Conversations and input from close friends gave him the confidence to start the project. Lachlan also plans to manage his property’s restoration by working with the Taungurung people, who are the Traditional Owners of a large part of central Victoria, to undertake cultural fire management.
Lachlan’s property is a testament to the way carbon and biodiversity planting can be a sound financial investment. His project improves the environment, opens pathways for collaboration, and brings great benefits to himself and his family. Partnering with the private land stream of the BushBank Program has allowed him to undertake this endeavour with confidence, co-funding, and support. “It is something I am proud of and for my daughter to be proud of in the future”, Lachlan says.
The BushBank Program’s Private Land Stream plays a critical role in Victoria’s conservation efforts on properties like Lachlan’s. The program continues to seek private landowners interested in restoring their land and fighting climate change. For more information or to express interest, visit www.cassinia.com/bushbank.
