The Victorian Government has today announced a $31 million initiative to revegetate areas of private land around the state into habitats for endangered native animals. Collectively, the land regenerated will cover over five times the area of Melbourne! 

 

Known as Bushbank, the program plans to create new habitats for native wildlife across 20,000 hectares of Victoria and to plant millions of trees and shrubs to capture 4.5 million tonnes of carbon – sheesh! 

It’s all part of the larger plan to bring Victoria’s emissions to net zero by 2050. 

The program is expected to create over 100 jobs across Victoria, with expressions of interest opening today for organisations keen to help with the revegetation mission. 

An additional $7 million in grants is also available for Traditional Owner Corporations to lead land restoration on Country. 

‘Aboriginal Victorians know what is best for community and Country. Through supporting the traditional management of our natural environments, we support better outcomes for everyone,’ said Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Gabrielle Williams. 

Through the Bushbank program, Traditional Owners will have the opportunity to identify priority locations for restoration, seek out nature-based economic opportunities, pursue training, and investigate new emissions-reduction methods for cultural practices. 

‘The partnerships are providing landowners and Traditional Owners with new income streams to emerging carbon markets, as well as regenerating land to safeguard Victoria’s rich biodiversity,’ said Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio. 

On top of revegetation of land, we’d love to see Victoria’s old growth forests saved from logging too – retaining what we already have, not just replanting what we knock down, is a crucial piece of the climate action puzzle!

Read more: 5 Reasons to Care About the Errinundra Plateau in East Gippsland

 

Feature photo thanks to @brookearoundtown