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Stage Two Of $2.3 Million Revegetation Greenhouse Program Announced

Victorian farmers are being invited to take part in a Bracks Government program that will pay them to plant trees on their property.

By Department of Sustainability and Environment - 18th January 2005 - Back to News

Announcing stage two of the $2.3 million CarbonTender program near Warragul, the Member for Narracan, Ian Maxfield, said that planting ‘carbon sinks’ with native trees would help prepare Victoria for climate change.

"Stage one of this program is expected to soak up around 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air, and stage two will deliver even greater abatement," he said.

The CSIRO is forecasting Victoria’s temperatures to rise by up to 5° Celsius by 2070 – increasing the risk of bushfires, drought and loss of plants and animals.

Environment Minister John Thwaites said stage two of CarbonTender would allocate the final $1.4 million of total funding of $2.3 million to the most cost effective carbon sinks planted across the state.

"Through CarbonTender, landholders are not only paid by the State Government to establish carbon sinks, but they stand to benefit from opportunities to sell their share of ‘carbon credits’ to emitters," said Mr Thwaites.

"Around the world, many organisations are looking for ways to offset their emissions, in order to avoid penalties. Buying carbon credits is becoming an increasingly popular way to do it."

Landholders and DSE will share the carbon credits provided by the sinks on their properties.

Mr Maxfield said the program, which was an Australian first, had already been very successful and in stage two it would be extended from selected pilot areas to all of Gippsland, south west Victoria, north east Victoria and central Victoria.

Carbon sinks are areas of trees planted to absorb carbon dioxide, one of the most damaging greenhouse gases, emitted by electricity generation and motor vehicles.

CarbonTender is part of the Bracks Government’s Victorian Greenhouse Strategy, aimed at cutting greenhouse pollution by up to 8.3 million tonnes per year by 2010 – the equivalent of taking three-quarters of Victorian cars off the road.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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