Shared office position brings broader benefits

Co-funding an office employee to answer landholders’ queries with the aim of establishing potential carbon projects has delivered longlasting benefits to partners, the Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) and GreenCollar.

The Burnett Mary Regional Group and GreenCollar co-funded an office position held by Laura Sutton, to provide administration support and coordination for a range of carbon projects, including one with the Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers.

The two-year partnership project between the private business and NRM group aimed to inform and support landholders in the Burnett Mary region of central Queensland in developing their knowledge of the environmental credits industry and the Federal Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF).

GreenCollar is Australia’s largest carbon project developer, working with farmers to earn credits through changes in land management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or store carbon in soil and vegetation.

BMRG was the employer of the shared position and responsible for human resources and performance management, while GreenCollar paid half the cost, with both partners assigning tasks for a 50-50 split over the week.

Both are partners in the Catchment Conservation Alliance (CCA), a $250 million agreement between GreenCollar, the Queensland government and the Queensland NRM groups to invest in carbon storage projects with a focus on whole of catchment restoration and conservation.

“Carbon market and NRM groups are often at either ends of the spectrum so this was a way to lead by example and find future ways to collaborate,” says Mark Lincoln from GreenCollar.

“We helped to inform people and went to field days with BMRG, so our work was more respected due to that relationship and landholders were able to find out more about our business and opportunities to work in common circles.”

The strength of the partnership augurs well for the future, he says, as carbon and natural capital markets change and landholders realise the benefits of becoming involved.

“Future offerings won’t just be around carbon credits, they’ll evolve into putting values on biodiversity and Accounting for Nature frameworks, which will require people on the ground to be trained up as assessors.”

Website: https://www.bmrg.org.au/

The Burnett Mary Regional Group is proud to have partnered with GreenCollar to broaden producers’ knowledge and practice of land management methods that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or store carbon.