The NSW Government is investing $8.2 million in five new regional projects under the High Impact Partnerships program, helping farmers and land managers cut emissions while improving productivity, restoring landscapes and strengthening regional communities.

The High Impact Partnerships initiative is already making a difference, with projects from a previous round of funding well underway. For example, landholders in the WWF project are restoring 615 hectares of forest across 5 sites in NSW.

These projects are expected to deliver almost 450,000 tonnes of carbon abatement, and all include restoration of habitat for koalas and other threatened native species. In many cases, farmers at these sites will continue to graze their sheep and cattle amongst the new trees, maintaining agricultural production while storing carbon and improving biodiversity.

The successful recipients of Round 2 of the High Impact Partnerships program are:

  • World Wide Fund for Nature Australia – Delivering nature-based carbon projects that restore and reconnect critical habitats, including koala corridors, while supporting biodiversity outcomes and climate action through large-scale reforestation.
  • Landcare Australia – Supporting landholders to deliver on-ground restoration and environmental planting projects that improve biodiversity and farm resilience.
  • Soil C Quest 2031 Limited – Delivering soil carbon research and demonstration projects to help farmers improve soil health and productivity.
  • Greening Australia Limited – Leading large-scale reforestation and landscape restoration to rebuild habitat and store carbon.
  • Wilmot Cattle Company – Integrating grazing and carbon projects to improve farm productivity, soils and landscape outcomes.

These projects will attract $11.4 million in industry co-investment, bringing the total value to almost $20 million, otherwise impossible without the program.

Some of these latest initiatives will also be used as demonstration models, helping other landholders see how environmental plantings and productive farming systems can be integrated. For example, Wilmot Cattle Company will deliver 15 soil and vegetation carbon projects across approximately 22,000 hectares of grazing land, while also demonstrating how carbon initiatives can improve grazing productivity and support broader industry uptake.

Round 1 supported projects across more than 24,500 hectares of NSW, registering 29 Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) projects and is forecast to store around 1.78 million tonnes of carbon over their lifetime, delivering co-benefits for soil health, biodiversity and productivity.

 

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Executive Director of Business and Industry Decarbonisation, Jenny Merkley said:

"These projects are focused on practical outcomes that landholders can see and measure on their own properties.

"They show that emissions reduction and environmental restoration can go hand in hand with improving productivity and strengthening regional communities.

“These initiatives are helping to scale up reforestation and environmental plantings, delivering lasting benefits for biodiversity, soil health and farm resilience.”