The objective of the Southern Tablelands Agricultural Restoration (STAR) project is to discover what we can do individually and collectively to improve both farm productivity and biodiversity – and to be financially rewarded for doing so.
The NSW Southern Tablelands is a highly productive agricultural landscape, predominantly merinos, prime lambs, beef cattle and some cropping.
The dominant vegetation community of the NSW Southern Tablelands is Box Gum Grassy Woodland (White Box, Yellow Box, Blakelys Red Gum), a critically endangered ecological community (CEEC), home to 98 fauna and 106 flora vulnerable or threatened species.
Many landholders are aiming to balance farm productivity, profitability and landscape resilience in a changing climate. Natural assets across the region have been significantly depleted over time, leading to erosion, salinity, reduction of soil carbon levels and a loss of connectivity and diversity of native vegetation (biodiversity).
The STAR Working Group have considered opportunities for landholders (individually and collectively) to address these issues through participation in carbon and/or biodiversity markets, to improve the natural assets of their properties and farm productivity and to potentially be financially rewarded for their environmental work/services.
Environmental stewardship and sustainability is important for farm businesses, for supply chains and for governments. Farmers and landholders are part of the solution. Through understanding your landscape and your emissions footprint you can make interventions that improve overall farm sustainability, productivity and profitability and be rewarded for it through supply chain market access and premiums or additional income from environmental markets.
The Southern Tablelands Agricultural Restoration project is managed by farmers for farmers. Our aim is to capture and store carbon to offset emissions and establish connected landscape corridors across the Southern Tablelands that will restore biodiversity and ensure the survival of endangered species.
The project is about enhancing farm productivity, sustainability, and environmental stewardship by connecting like-minded farmers with financially rewarding environmental restoration solutions through capturing and storing carbon on-farm and increasing biodiversity.
Through collective action we can amplify our impact. With the support of Regen Farmers Mutual through the Landscape Impact Program and partnering with local support services such as Local Land Services we’re actively building a resilient and productive agricultural landscape for future generations.