Queensland recognised as nations leading carbon farming state

Each state was ranked based on how they were developing their land-based emissions offset markets, with Queensland earning a high score of 80 per cent.

Fifth generation primary producers Dan and Emma-Jane Burnham are among the Queensland producers developing balanced and sustainable ecosystems.

Dan's parents bought Stonehaven in 2004, then Dan and his wife bought the adjoining property, Glenroy, in 2008. Both properties are run together under the Burnham Grazing business and can graze up to 1000 cattle across the 2430 hectares.

The Burnhams are diversifying their grazing business through their avoided-clearing project, funded by the Land Restoration Fund's (LRF) first investment round.

"Before my parents bought Stonehaven, the first three years we were continuously grazing and we started noticing a lot of country that was getting overgrazed," Mr Burnham said.

"We set it up as into a more regenerative style and grazing and we really had family support to change that grazing management and we noticed our country responding better to that.

"For diversifying our business with carbon farming in the dry time, it allows us to knock our stocking rate down and low rainfall periods, we can lighten off our beef cattle and still have income coming from our land."

Ms Burnham said they had seen significant changes on Stonehaven since investing in the capturing and storage of carbon dioxide.

"It is something we are really proud of and hope to pass on to the next generation," she said.

"We are managing trees and vegetation, building healthy soils and increasing biodiversity on our country by managing the recovery time of our paddocks by allowing them to rest."

"Our grass-fed, grass-finished beef cattle and our carbon biosequestration go hand in hand; both are a part of our core business, which is regenerative grazing," Mr Burnham added.

The Burnhams regenerative production project will retain and regenerate 190 ha of native vegetation.

GreenCollar's chief operating officer Nerida Bradley said LRF was a leading example of rewarding farmers for the benefits generated from carbon farming projects.

"The projects we are developing under the LRF scheme are some of the first to tangibly demonstrate the value of biodiversity improvements alongside carbon abatement and sequestration," she said.

State Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said Queensland's leading position in the inaugural Carbon Farming Scorecard spoke to the Palaszczuk Government's strong policy initiatives and ongoing partnerships with key stakeholders.

"The Palaszczuk government is delivering a record $1.4 billion budget to protect the environment, create thousands more jobs and deliver an economic recovery plan through emerging industries like carbon farming," Ms Scanlon said.

"The Carbon Market Institute ranked each state based on how they are developing their land-based emissions offset markets, with Queensland earning a high score of 80 per cent."

Ms Scanlon said one example was the planting of 153,000 trees along Wivenhoe Dam through the LRF, revegetating 170 hectares of land and supporting 26 jobs.

"The LRF was the first scheme in Australia to value and pay for the strong co-benefits associated with carbon farming projects," she said.

"This means Queensland landholders aren't just paid for the carbon they store but will also benefit from longer-term outcomes like healthier waterways, increased habitat for threatened species, and more resilient landscapes.

"Farmers, First Nations peoples and other landholders are critical to the state's successful carbon farming industry, and the LRF works to empower more Queenslanders to get involved in carbon farming and other environmental markets.

"The Palaszczuk government has invested in programs that provide a practical resource to help farmers in Queensland take the first step towards developing a carbon project, including the LRF's carbon farming rebate scheme which offered landholders up to $10,000 to receive carbon farming advice from approved professionals."