Key information
- Applications are now open for:
- the Riverina Local Land Services region
- the MidCoast Local Government Area
- Grants amount: up to $200,000 of funding per project
- Application closes: 6 December 2024 5:00 pm
Managing carbon is both a challenge and an enormous opportunity for landholders.
If you are a landholder in NSW, you may be eligible for a NSW Government grant to set up a carbon planting project. This could help you secure the health of your land, improve productivity, and unlock new income streams. Your land could be used to revegetate habitats for threatened or iconic species such as koalas.
We are partnering with the NSW Koala Strategy and NSW Local Land Services to work with landholders who share our commitment to acting on climate change.
Eligibility
We are investing $5 million in Living Carbon grants to assist eligible applicants in delivering carbon abatement through planting projects in 3 regions in NSW:
- the Riverina Local Land Services region
- the North Coast Local Land Services region
- the MidCoast Local Government Area.
Successful applicants will receive up to $200,000 of grant funding, and the landholder is expected to commit funding and/or in-kind contributions to complete the project.
A suitable project would:
- plant between 10 and 200 hectares of appropriate species on your land
- plant with the aim of revegetating habitat for threatened or iconic species endemic to your area
- deliver on and comply with all Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) Scheme and Accounting for Nature (AfN) method requirements, beyond the lifetime of your grant.
In return for funding, successful applicants must commit to sharing information and helping build capacity within the sector. This will help other landholders understand the potential benefits, risks and costs of carbon projects.
Pre-application requirements
Project registration
To be eligible, you must register your carbon project under the national Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme with the Clean Energy Regulator before applying for a grant.
Only one method under the ACCU Scheme is currently eligible for this grant: the environmental planting pilot method. Other methods may be added in the future.
Please ensure you have completed your project’s registration with the Clean Energy Regulator and can implement the project under this method before you apply for a grant.
Endorsed planting plan
As part of your grant application, you must complete and submit a planting plan endorsed by an approved on-ground support partner. We have provided:
- a planting plan guide for each region
- a planting plan template
- and a blank workbook (optional tool) for you to complete this task.
The planting plan guide provides information, instructions, and additional resources to assist you with completing your planting plan.
Please ensure you refer to the planting plan guide specific to your region when you develop your planting plan.
Take a look at this sample plan and workbook to see how they have been completed.
On-ground support partners
On-ground support partners are available in each eligible region to assist landholders with their applications. The partners will be involved during project implementation to ensure planting work is undertaken in-line with endorsed planting plans.
The on-ground support partners also assist with preparing the planting plans and endorse them before applicants can submit them as part of their grant applications.
If you are an applicant from the Riverina or North Coast regions, the endorsing partner must be from your regional Local Land Service office. If you are an applicant from the MidCoast Local Government Area, the endorsing partner must be from the MidCoast Council.
If you have any questions or want to start creating a planting plan, please contact the on-ground support partner in your region.
Find and contact your on-ground support partners in your region.
Living Carbon draft funding deed
If you are successful in your application for a Living Carbon grant, we will enter into a funding deed with you.
It is important to review the draft funding deed provided prior to applying to ensure you accept it in its entirety. We will not accept any departures of funding deed clauses.
Note: This copy is only a draft and may be updated. You will need to review the wording of the funding deed you are issued before you sign it.
Application process
All applicants must submit their application through our grant website: SmartyGrants.
Before you consider applying, please read our:
The application process will consist of eligibility and merit criteria.
The application assessment is non-competitive, and applications will be assessed as soon as they have been submitted in SmartyGrants.
How to apply
Applications are open for the Riverina Local Land Services region and MidCoast Local Government Area and close at 5:00pm AEDT on 6 December 2024, or when funding runs out, whichever happens first.
Apply now - MidCoast Local Government Area
Applications for the North Coast Local Land Services region will open in the coming weeks.
View our pre-recorded information session
You can learn more about this grant by viewing our pre-recorded information session.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this grant, or to discuss your project or application, please email us at [email protected].