The sister cities of Blacktown City Council and Liverpool Plains Shire Council have produced a toolkit that deals with establishing carbon forests in urban and rural environments.

 

The tookit is the result of the Regenesis project between the two councils, made possible through a $2 million grant from the NSW Environment Trust.

 

The 3-year project included planting 220,000 native plants across 100 hectares of land in 33 bio-diverse carbon forests.

 

"Regenesis is a project we are extremely proud of. It has produced many benefits to the environment and is a first of its kind for New South Wales", said Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Alan Pendleton.

 

The project commenced in 2007 and has become a model for planning and planting locally native reforestation projects that create additional revenue for landholders to establish and maintain native vegetation. The revenue is created through the sale of carbon offset certificates that are generated as the vegetation grows.

 

The Toolkit is a guide to establishing locally native mixed species carbon forests in urban and rural environments. It is aimed at urban and rural Councils, State Government land managers, Catchment Management Authorities, land care groups and private landowners - in essence, any land owner who is looking to establish native revegetation areas and generate an income from them.

 

"The Regensis project has seen locally native trees, shrubs and grasses planted to enhance biodiversity, sequester carbon and enable the trading of carbon offset certificates. And the results have been overwhelming; the project is now a model for other councils and agencies to adopt", said Mayor Pendleton.

 

"The toolkit has been produced to ensure the ongoing delivery of the project happens and is a guide for other organisations and individuals interested in undertaking similar projects", Mayor Pendleton said.

 

Click here for an electronic Copy of the Regenesis Toolkit:  Regenesis Toolkit.pdf