Western Australian company Nativ Carbon – which has just undertaken one of the biggest ever environmental reforestation projects to date for ACCUs in Western Australia – has welcomed the findings of an Australian Government’s review on Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) announced today.
Matthew Oswald (left) and David Lullfitz (right). Image Credit: Nativ Carbon
The independent review into ACCUs, by Professor Ian Chubb, rejected suggestions current laws were flawed and needed to be scrapped but has recommended ACCU laws be made more transparent and key aspects improved.
The ACCU system works by giving a carbon credit, officially called an Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU), for every tonne of greenhouse gases avoided or stored by registered projects. Nativ Carbon installs biodiverse projects in order to generate ACCUs, on behalf of industry. These credits go toward meeting emission reduction targets.
Nativ Carbon Director David Lullfitz said: “Nativ Carbon is part of the growing restoration economy attempting to reverse environmental harm. We plant and install large-scale, biodiverse reforestation projects in Western Australian for industry. We employ large numbers of regional and Aboriginal people and we have expanded our facilities so we can install more large-scale projects in order to generate ACCUs for clients, which include a commitment to a high level of biodiversity and integrity, in 2023 and 2024. The findings of this review have given us greater confidence that this important work can continue to grow. We are very relieved to read the official report by Ian Chubb and welcome the recommendations for the continuous improvement of the scheme which the government has made.”
The review recommended no new land clearing permits be granted after April 2025.
The carbon credit market is estimated to be worth $4.5bn. About 30 per cent of ASX 200 companies are believed to use carbon credits to reduce emissions.
Nativ Carbon Directors, David Lullfitz and Matthew Oswald, are passionate about preserving the environment and grow and install millions of native plants in Western Australia. “The south-west of Western Australia is classed globally as a biodiversity hotspot. It’s plants and animals are rare and precious, and, for too long, too much land has been cleared without understanding the harmful consequences to biodiversity and endangered species,” said Mr Lullfitz. “We are very proud that we install millions of WA plants, our work brings back the native plants and animals as well as providing ACCUs.”
Australian Government laws – governing Australian Carbon Credit Units – are fostering a range of new restoration and environmental industries which creates significant regional employment opportunities. Released today, The Independent Review of Australian Carbon Credits’ Final Report said: “The purpose of this review is to ensure that the carbon crediting framework has integrity and that it warrants a strong and credible reputation.”
Nativ Carbon director David Lullfitz says industry commitment to decarbonisation along with current laws governing ACCUs have incentivised companies to undertake one of the large reforestation projects, such as the one completed in 2022, is one of the largest in Australia. Its project, recently completed by Nativ Carbon near Moora, is a historically significant reforestation of marginal farmland. “This project also resulted in largescale regional employment as well as significant indigenous employment and it is one of the largest successful environmental projects ever delivered in Western Australia,” he said.
Nativ Carbon delivers vegetation farming for carbon offsets to the mining and oil and gas sectors. In 2021-22, Nativ Carbon grew more than 1.2 million native plants, while in 2022-23 it expects to grow more than 2.5 million native plants.
The Moora project included the use of more than 40 biodiverse species. More than 1.2 million seedlings were planted. “The goal of the project was to achieve ACCU objectives as well as create a diverse habitat for native fauna,” says Mr Lullfitz. “We are working with industry to reforest vast tracts of degraded, cleared land and that not only puts back the trees, and shrubs, it stimulates regional and indigenous employment. Fauna is returning to land that was cleared historically. It is an exciting time for the environment – particularly large tracts in the Western Australian Wheatbelt where we have replanted the native forest. Our planting has featured many thousands of Banksias which support many birds including the endangered Carnaby Cockatoos.”
Matthew Oswald, Director of Nativ Carbon and head of Gambara, said: “This recent development employed a substantial number of Aboriginal people. Aboriginal employees assisted with seed collecting, fence removal, weed control and plant installation, with the support of Gambara. In the installation phase, three new team members – from the local Aboriginal Yued group – joined the project. Nativ Carbon aims to consistently provide regional and indigenous employment opportunities, where possible, and we are pleased to have achieved that goal in this project. As Nativ Carbon continues to grow, we hope to establish more secure and year-round employment for many more indigenous and regionally-based people. In our strategic planning, we have identified that as an important priority and will continue to make substantial and genuine efforts to recruit and train employees, from the rural areas, in which the large-scale reforestation projects occur.”
Our statistics for our first project were 51% indigenous employment for the planting crew. Twenty-one people were employed in the planting crew in total. A further 24% of those 21 employees, were recruited from the local Moora area.
Recommendation 14 of the Chubb Review says the Australian Government should continue to support the capacity and capability of rural and remote communities, including First Nations Australians, to participate in and benefit from the ACCU scheme.
Overall, about 30 people (some of those Wheatbelt-based) worked on plant installation and surface preparation. In addition, it was estimated 20 staff were employed, to tend to growing plants, at Bullsbrookbased Plantrite nursery over a six- month period. Plantrite is contracted by Nativ Carbon to produce the plants.
In August, 2022, Mr Lullfitz welcomed an announcement by the Federal Government on the creation of a biodiversity certificates scheme. “We believe that will incentivise the planting of a larger range of plant species which will foster biodiversity, and increase habitat for Australian fauna,” he said. Nature Positive Plan: better for the environment, better for business, was also released last month by the Australian Government, another initiative Nativ Carbon supports.