Tablelands Regional Integrated Agriculture Carbon Project

The Tablelands Regional Integrated Agriculture Carbon Project is a 16-year, $7.43 million collaboration between the Queensland Government and CO2 Australia Limited to deliver improvement in the biodiversity levels, connectivity between remnant native vegetation, and water quality entering the local waterways and reaching the Great Barrier Reef, with added socio-economic benefits of employment and income generation for the region.

The project is established on land that was predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to the project’s commencement. Tree species used in the project are native to the local area, and are established in a permanent planting.

Under the Land Restoration Fund, projects are required to deliver co-benefits in order to obtain funding. Co-benefits listed alongside the project’s carbon sequestration capacity include:

• Protection of threatened ecosystems
• Protection of threatened wildlife
• Reintroduction of native vegetation
• Employment opportunities for the local community
• Improving regional community resilience, and connectivity

The project has an area of 71 hectares under cover, with an average stocking rate of 1,200-2,000 stems per hectare. Within the area there are 5 regional ecosystems, which are home to numerous endemic species including Lmuhotlz’s tree kangaroo, the northern bettong, the red goshawk and the cassowary. There are plantings planned for 2023, 2024 and 2025.