CO2 Australia - Restoring box-gum grassy woodland for threatened species of the Nandewar bioregion (Wilga Park).

Fast facts.

Account ID: AU00014
Portfolio ID: CO2-PORTFOLIO-01
Certification date: 17 October 2023
Location: Warroo and Silver Spur localities within Goondiwindi Regional Council, Queensland
Purpose: Monitor and track improvement in biodiversity co-benefits
Current land use: Conservation and enhancement of native vegetation cover
Environment type: Box-gum grassy woodland of the Nandewar bioregion
Area: 109.9 ha
Method: AfN-METHOD-NV-02
Assets: Native Vegetation

Account snapshot.

About & purpose.

The purpose of this project is to restore box-gum grassy woodland for threatened species of the Nandewar bioregion. It is a 25-year, $1.96 million collaboration between the Queensland Government and CO2 Australia Ltd to deliver ~110 ha of degraded land restored to a natural functioning ecosystem; providing habitat for threatened species, landscape connectivity and climate resilience. Revegetation areas will re-establish vegetation communities consistent with White Box – Yellow Box – Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland; a critically endangered Threatened Ecological Community under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act; Cth). Vegetated areas in the vicinity of the project area are mapped as supporting regional ecosystems (RE) dominated by eucalypt woodland to open forest, with revegetation efforts re-establishing areas of Eucalyptus caleyi and E. crebra (RE 13.11.3) and E. melliodora and E. microcarpa (RE 13.11.8).

Importantly, the Environmental Account area will contribute to filling in of previously cleared areas associated with more productive lowland soils; connecting with extensive areas of upland remnant vegetation communities adjacent the project area. Ongoing quarterly biodiversity surveys undertaken on the property since 2017 by CO2 Australia ecologists have confirmed the presence of a number of threatened species listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld) and/or the EPBC Act, including squatter pigeon (Geophaps scripta scripta), painted honeyeater (Grantiella picta), hooded robin (Melanodryas cucullata), brown treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), diamond firetail (Stagonopleura guttata), southern whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis) and Crane's macrozamia (Macrozamia cranei). There are also confirmed recent records of other threatened species on the property, including the spot-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus maculatus).

The goal of the Environmental Account is to monitor and track improvement in biodiversity co-benefits associated with the restoration project through the calculation of Native Vegetation Econd®. Ongoing monitoring of the Account will be undertaken to help inform management decisions, including Econd® surveys by CO2 Australia Ltd ecologists in accordance with the accredited CO2 Australia Native Vegetation Condition Monitoring Method.  Other activities include monitoring and control of weeds, and the assessment of fire breaks and fuel loads to reduced likelihood of wildfire events impacting on the success of the planting sites and surrounding intact remnant vegetation. Further opportunities to improve biodiversity co-benefits of the project will continue to be explored for the life of the project, based on the outcomes of Econd® assessments.

Account details.

Environmental Account summary

Significant outcomes.

This Account represents the baseline environmental account for the CO2 Australia - Restoring box-gum grassy woodland for threatened species of the Nandewar bioregion (Wilga Park). The results of the baseline Native Vegetation Econd® assessment demonstrate:

- Condition scores for species richness attributes varied, with grass and forb strata approaching benchmark values whereas shrubs and trees scores were near zero.

- Condition scores for structural indicator attributes were all close to zero on account of the predominantly cleared paddocks within which the baseline Econd® were established.

- Condition scores for functional indicator attributes were variable, with near benchmark scores for native grass cover and condition scores <30 for the remaining attributes.

- The vegetation configuration indicator, represented by the measure of vegetation cover within 1 kilometre (km) of the Econd® sites, was moderately high on account of the intact nature of the surrounding landscape. It is anticipated that this is only likely to increase in the long-term as areas of environmental planting associated with project areas continue to mature and convert to native regrowth vegetation and eventually remnant (intact) vegetation status.

Disclosures & limitations.

Composition (species richness) - Potential for false negatives in species richness assessments, referring to the potential for missing species (often cryptic) that were actually present but not encountered. Implication is to underrepresent the species richness attributes contributing to the Species Richness (composition) indicator.

Control to minimise identified limitation - The Native Vegetation Method outlines the recommended survey time to maximise opportunities to identify/differentiate flowering plants. Field-based assessments were undertaken during October and December 2022. While outside of the ideal survey time, greater-than-average rainfall in the preceding two months likely to represent favourable conditions for field-based measurements.

Vegetation configuration - Potential subjectivity afforded by the manual designation of areas as remnant (intact) vegetation and native regrowth vegetation.

Control to minimise identified limitation - The mapping of vegetation configuration categories (remnant and regrowth vegetation) was undertaken combining the interrogation of Queensland Government RVMM, aerial imagery and field-based assessment to confirm the composition of vegetated areas within 1 km of each of the Econd® sites.

Annual certification compliance & material disclosures.


 No current disclosures relating to this account.


Environmental markets.

Australian Carbon Credit Units.

This project is registered with the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Regulator and has been entered on the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) Registry.

Account location.

 

About CO2 Australia.

CO2 Australia helps clients participate in, and benefit from, the carbon market. CO2 Australia has delivered several native regrowth and large scale reforestation projects. Working across diverse landscapes and locations on projects like the 20 Million Trees Programme, CO2 Australia’s approach leads to high tree survival rates, engages community and helps clients meet environmental commitments cost effectively.

CO2 Australia has offices in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT. Their services include:

  • Carbon project development under the Emissions Reduction Fund.

  • Carbon offsetting solutions for organisations wanting to address their greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Design and delivery of biodiverse, large-scale revegetation programs.

  • Development and implementation biodiversity offset programs.

  • Ecological surveying and monitoring programs.

  • Environmental approvals and environmental impact assessments.