The overall baseline condition Econd® for the Native Vegetation Asset Account is 26.1. The majority of the Asset Account (65%) is clear of native vegetation, with condition scores of 11.8, 14 and 20.2 for each of the cleared AUs, contributing significantly to the low baseline Econd®. The overall condition score would be lower if not for a native ground layer persisting throughout much of the Asset Account, with the exception of a few areas observed to have been subject to more intense grazing and eroded areas.

Considering the ICS for the remnant and regrowth/regenerating condition states alone, without the cleared AUs, the Asset Account would achieve a baseline Econd® of 45. Management of the Asset Account to protect and encourage the establishment and maturity of native tree and shrub species, particularly within the cleared AUs, will promote improvement in native tree canopy and native shrub cover, leading to leaf litter and wood debris accumulation. Increasing native tree and shrub cover will positively impact ICSs for these indicators and, consequently, improve the overall Asset Account Econd®.

The sub-asset with the greatest scope for improvement is AU_2, located along the higher-order waterways within the northern to central portion of the Asset Account. This sub-asset currently has the lowest Econd® of 16.5, and the lowest AU Econd® (AU_2c) of 11.8. The low Econd® of this sub-asset is likely an indication of an area that has been historically valuable for livestock and more intensively cleared and grazed. Management of grazing pressure will be key to improving environmental condition of the Asset Account and deliver co-benefits for the other Asset Accounts established on the property (i.e., koala and woodland birds).

Tracking of environmental condition through future monitoring as per the NV-01 Method will be instructive for QIC’s ongoing and adaptive management of the Asset Account.

Within the constraints of the soils asset and the associated soil carbon project’s grazing requirements