Carbon offset planting proposed at Lake Modewarre

UNUSED land owned by the Surf Coast Shire will be planted out and turned into a carbon offset as the shire looks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

The 12 hectares of land slated for the planting at 185 Waltons Road, Buckley, is the northern portion of a 20-hectare lot next to Lake Modewarre that contains the clubrooms of the Modewarre and District Angling Club. The northern portion is not used for any community purpose and is cleared flat land that is slashed annually.

According to the report presented to councillors at their meeting last week, Greenfleet has been establishing offset plantings since 1997 and is keen to work with the shire at the Buckley site.

“The benefits to council of partnering with Greenfleet to plant out the site include sequestering approximately 800 tonnes of carbon at a low cost and demonstrating council’s commitment to local climate change action, providing opportunities for community involvement, and creating a biodiverse planting that adds to the habitat around Lake Modewarre,” the report stated.

“The land would also be available for compatible recreational uses once the site is past the establishment phase.”

Under the initiative, which was approved by the council, the shire will allocate $10,000 to sign and register a formal Carbon Agreement with Greenfleet, committing the trees be retained for at least 50 years.

Cr Kate Gazzard, who successfully moved the motion, said the Carbon Agreement was an excellent initiative made by the council’s staff.

“Obviously, in a climate emergency, we want to be reducing our greenhouse gas emissions wherever we can but also offsetting is a really good way of sequestering carbon, so planting trees, which will be, per Greenfleet, on the land for 50 years for local government; or up to 100 years for other companies.”

Cr Adrian Schonfelder, who seconded the motion, said the northern boundary of the 20 hectares was the railway line, which provided a buffer to the properties to the north.

“As a child, I enjoyed fishing at Lake Modewarre, and I’m hoping that in the future, Lake Modewarre will have more natural flows of water and be beautified and have more trees planted surrounding it,” he said.

“I believe this initiative is taking the climate emergency situation seriously and the council is setting an example hopefully that will be followed by the community planting more trees, and in particular planting trees that are indigenous to the local area.”

On Cr Heather Wellington’s suggestion, Cr Gazzard and Cr Schonfelder amended their motion to enter into the Carbon Agreement subject to consultation with the CFA about the land.