Region to lead nature positive future

THE Corangamite Catchment Management Authority has co-hosted the nature and climate positive forum with the G21 Geelong Region Alliance.

More than 70 representatives from local councils, government agencies, Traditional Owner corporations, Landcare groups, research and environmental bodies, and community groups came together to discuss positive opportunities for the Corangamite region.

The priority actions identified by participants included developing a regional nature positive prospectus to attract investment in nature, to continue to build regional partnerships, and to invest in regional data sharing and mapping of the area’s natural assets.

Nature positive is defined by the Federal Government as repairing and regenerating nature rather than seeing it decline.

CCMA CEO Amber Clarke said the region is well placed to lead a nature positive future.

“We can achieve this through catchment-scale demonstration projects that trial natural capital approaches and develop new environmental market opportunities for landholders, agencies and businesses,” she said.

Key speakers at the forum, which was held last month, were Carl Obst, director at IDEEA Group, who spoke about natural capital accounting, and Professor Peter Macreadie from RMIT who spoke about local opportunities in natural capital, blue and teal carbon, and environmental accounting.

“We’ve identified and mapped blue carbon and teal carbon opportunities in the Corangamite region, through coastal and freshwater wetland restoration respectively,” said Mr Macreadie.

“We’ve found around 10,000 hectares of coastline that is suitable for blue carbon projects, and over 13,000 farm dams that could be suitable for teal carbon projects.”