| Action on the Ground - Round one 2011-12 |
| Written by Kathryn Dryden |
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Supporting farmers and landholders to reduce on-farm agricultural emission of greenhouse gases and /or increase carbon sequestered in soil. Securing a Clean Energy Future The Australian Government's Clean Energy Future Plan sets out a long-term agenda to reshape the economy, cut carbon pollution, and drive innovation and investment in new clean energy sources such as solar, gas and wind. This includes:
The Land Sector Package Land managers, including those working in agriculture, forestry and conservation, have an important role to play in reducing carbon pollution. Through the Land Sector Package, the Australian Government will invest $1.7 billion over the next six years to support land managers to reduce carbon pollution and participate in the carbon market. What is Action on the Ground? The Action on the Ground program is part of the Carbon Farming Futures initiative, a component of the Land Sector Package under the government's Securing a Clean Energy Future plan. The Action on the Ground program will invest $99 million over six years – through a series of grant rounds. Aim of Action on the Ground The first round of Action on the Ground in 2011-12 will provide up to $25 million in grant funding for multi-year projects to 30 June 2015. The program will provide competitive grant funding to farmers and land holders, research, industry, government and non-government and farmer 'care'/'grower' groups to undertake projects to trial and demonstrate on-farm practices and technologies to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and/or increase and maintain soil carbon. The first round is seeking applications to address the following investment priorities: • Reducing methane emissions. Agriculture produces around 60 per cent of Australia's methane emissions, the majority coming from livestock. The program is seeking projects that will trial and demonstrate management practices and abatement technologies to reduce methane emissions from farmed animals.
The program is seeking applications for on-farm projects to trial and demonstrate innovative practices and/or abatement technologies that may lead to a reduction in agricultural greenhouse gas emission and/or sequester carbon in soil, including reduction of mesons from agricultural 'wastes'. What type of projects can get funding from Action on the Ground? Example activities that would be eligible for consideration for funding include practises and/or technologies that seek to address the above mentioned Action on the Ground priorities through on-farm projects' that trial and demonstrate:
How can land holders take part in Action on the Ground? Action on the Ground applications can be submitted from 11 January 2012 until 5pm (AEST) 8 February 2012. Application guidelines and a sample of the application form are available at: https://forms.uat.business.gov.au/smartforms/servlet/SmartForm.pdf?formCode=AOTGR1 The application form will be available from 11 January 2012 at: http://www.daff.gov.au/climatechange/carbonfarmingfutures/action-on-the-ground Where to go for more information? For more information about applying for Action on the Ground:
For more information about the Australian Government's Clean Energy Future Plan visit www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au *Abatement activities covered by CFI methodologies are not eligible for funding under Action on the Ground. For information on CFI methodologies see: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/en/government/initiatives/carbon-farming-initiative/methodology-development/methodologies-under-consideration.aspx
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