Information for landholders

This page provides information and resources for landholders looking to start a carbon farming project.

Other pages on the Land Restoration Fund (LRF) website recommended for new starters include:

• Carbon farming in Australia
• Overview, vision and objectives of the LRF
• Introduction to co-benefits

Indigenous organisations and landholders should read the Indigenous Carbon Projects Guide, developed by the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network to help Indigenous groups across Australia understand the opportunities and risks of getting involved in the carbon market.

Getting started with carbon farming

1. Assess the suitability of your land for a carbon project

   The location and condition of your land will determine:

   • your potential for generating carbon credits
   • what carbon farming methods are available
   • the types of co-benefits that can be generated
   • what activities will be needed to deliver the project
   • the likely costs of a project
   • the likely return on investment.

   Use the CSIRO’s LOOC-C tool to map your potential project, understand what carbon methods and co-benefits are available on your property, and estimate the carbon yield over the project’s lifespan.

2. Consider the type of project you want to run

   Once you’ve assessed your land to understand what projects are possible, you should consider what you want to get out of a carbon farming project.

   Knowing your motivations will help you design a project that suits your land and business.

   The LRF’s Getting Started Guide (PDF, 485.9 KB) outlines some common reasons for starting a carbon farming project, along with the associated risks and benefits.

3. Decide what support you need

   As a landholder, you need to weigh up how much of the work required to set up and maintain a carbon project you are prepared to do yourself, and how much you are willing to outsource. The balance of this will determine how much money you can make from a project.

   The Getting Started Guide (PDF, 485.9 KB) sets out the different options for delivering a project, from DIY to fully outsourced.

   Landholders should seek professional advice prior to entering any commercial arrangement that may have legal or financial implications for your land or land management practices.

   Find out what it takes to put together a successful application for the LRF, with or without third party assistance, from those who have an established LRF project:

   • Landholder managed: Zeebra Plains case study
   • Assisted by a carbon project developer: Burnham Regenerative Production Project

Resources

Below is introductory information about how to start planning a project.

Understand your eligibility and carbon project potential

• ACCU Scheme Eligibility Questionnaire – This questionnaire will provide you with an overview of what's required for a project to be eligible and registered under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme.
• CSIRO Carbon Abatement Calculator (LOOC-C) – This mapping tool allows you to quickly assess options on your land for certain projects offered under the ACCU Scheme.
• Carbon Opportunity Decision Support Tool – A questionnaire to help you understand options for carbon farming, produced by AgriFutures and the Australian Farm Institute.

Build your knowledge of carbon farming

• Carbon Farming Foundation Education Hub – Articles and videos covering carbon farming essentials.
• Carbon 101, Carbon Sense and Measuring your own emissions – Meat and Livestock Australia online courses that provide foundational information about carbon farming and greenhouse gases for the agriculture sector.
• Farmer's Handbook to On-farm Carbon Management – Practical information on the feasibility of on-farm carbon sequestration activities, produced by AgriFutures and Carbon Count.
• Tax Implications of Carbon Farming – A guide on the taxation of Australian Carbon Credit Units and biodiversity projects, from BDO.

Seek advice

• Access professional advice – Find out about the LRF Approved Adviser program, which helps landholders connect with carbon industry professionals.
• Find professionals registered with the Australian Carbon Industry Code of Conduct – Working with carbon service providers who are signatories to the Code provides an added degree of transparency and accountability.
• Speak with your local NRM organisation.

Applying to run an LRF project

The LRF contracts new carbon farming projects through Investment Rounds. Three rounds have been delivered to date, with contracted projects available on the LRF Register. Find out about new Investment Rounds and other opportunities available through the LRF by subscribing to the mailing list.

The LRF’s investment priorities, application process, and eligibility criteria are updated for each new round. The below resources are from Investment Round 3, which closed in 2023, and are intended as a guide only:

• Project eligibility checklist (PDF, 255.8 KB)
  Ensure your project meets the minimum eligibility criteria for Investment Round 3 by going through the checklist before you start your application.
• Application process map (PDF, 473 KB)
  Moving from application to signed contract involves several stages. Make sure you know what happens at every step of the application and contracting process so you can plan accordingly.
• LRF Investment Application Guidelines (PDF, 846.4 KB)
  Detailed guidance on the submission process and application requirements.
• LRF Co-benefits Standard v1.4 (PDF, 2.1 MB)
  All LRF projects must deliver co-benefits alongside carbon abatement or avoidance. The Co-benefits Standard explains what co-benefits are, how they are defined and how LRF projects are expected to measure and verify their co-benefits.
• Using online tools to assess eligibility for Land Restoration Fund environmental co-benefits (PDF, 602.5 KB)
  This document specifies which free online software can be used to help identify eligibility for each environmental co-benefit class.
• Priority Investment Plan (PDF, 1.7 MB)
  The LRF Priority Investment Plan sets out the vision and objectives for the LRF and specifies the key priorities for achieving these objectives. The LRF Investment Panel invests in projects that best meet the LRF’s key priorities.
• Project Investment Agreement (PDF, 687.7 KB)
  Contract offers made through Investment Round 3 will follow standard terms and conditions set out in the Project Investment Agreement. Ensure you understand how these terms and conditions are likely to affect you from a legal standpoint before applying.
• Investment Rounds Report
  Learn about the investments the LRF has made including project metrics such as average ACCU and co-benefits prices and the percentage of projects that were offered contracts in each round.