Clean Energy Future

Image courtesy of the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

More than 300 projects from around the country are set to benefit from the Australian Government’s first round of Biodiversity Fund grants.

The Biodiversity Fund is a key component of the Government’s strategy to enhance biodiverse carbon stores and secure a clean energy future for Australia.

Announcing the grants, Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke and Minister for Climate Change, Greg Combet said the 317 projects would help to revegetate, rehabilitate and restore around 18 million hectares of the Australian landscape over the next six years.

Together these projects can advance the reversal of biodiversity decline and establish significant areas of carbon storage. They are an important first step in connecting our landscapes and making them more resilient to climate change.

The Biodiversity Fund will provide much needed long-term commitment to biodiversity conservation and restoration, with almost half the projects announced today running over a six-year period.

Mr Combet said just over a third of the Biodiversity Fund projects indicated that they may go on to participate in the Carbon Farming Initiative.

“The Biodiversity Fund is an important part of the Government’s Clean Energy Future plan and is supported by revenue from the carbon price. It focuses directly on taking action on-ground to maintain the productive capacity of our landscape and natural ecosystem,” Mr Combet said.

More information about the Biodiversity Fund and a list of successful projects is available on the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities’ website.