Victorian Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) have been leading the way in planning for the impacts of climate change on the natural environment since 2012.
Since launching the regional climate change adaptation plans in 2015-16, the ten CMAs have been working together on Statewide climate change priorities and implemented several projects.
Snapshots can be found here:
Victorian CMAs climate change adaptation priorities; and
Victorian CMAs climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives
Victorian (CMAs) have gained valuable experience in carbon sequestration analysis methodology and prediction of complementary co-benefits in partnership with water corporations in recent years.
There have been a series of projects continuing to investigate, trial and develop methods including:
Final Report
Gellibrand River case study
Project Summary
YouTube recording of a presentation by Jacobs
As an extension to the Catchment Carbon Offsets trial, in 2019, the then Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA), in partnership with water corporations, engaged a consultant to provide:
Building on the PPWCMA work, nine Victorian CMAs in partnership with the former Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and water corporations completed a Statewide carbon sequestration analysis project to examine potential carbon yields, implementation costs and identification of complementary environmental and socio-economic benefits (co-benefits). This included an analysis of the Environmental Plantings and Plantation Forestry Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) methods on private land.
Complementary to the Statewide project, Melbourne Water are delivering a ‘real world’ pilot project as a proof-of-concept of the Growing Carbon project. The pilot is testing the governance processes, implementation arrangements and costings including landholder negotiation, site selection, site preparation, revegetation, maintenance, cost sharing arrangements and carbon accreditation processes. See the Melbourne Water website for further information on the Growing Carbon project.
The learnings and processes from the pilot, coupled with the results of the Statewide carbon sequestration analysis project, could potentially be scaled up to a Statewide program in the future.
In 2023 a project was finalised which developed a step-by-step process for Victorian water sector organisations, and team members in key functions, to design and plan carbon projects that are also capable of attracting co-investment, first and foremost, on the basis of their co-benefit (CoB) value.
The final reports from this project can be found here:
Carbon and Co-benefits Co-Investment Guide
Winton Wetlands Co-benefit Due Diligence Report Piloting the Carbon and Co-benefits Co-Investment Guide.
This project was funded by the Victorian Government through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
This page was updated on 2 Oct 2023.
