April 10th, 2022Thriving wildlife

The state government is transforming parcels of private land – that combined cover an area five times the size of the City of Melbourne – into new habitats helping Victorian wildlife thrive and capturing carbon.
Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio today called for expressions of interest to partner in the landmark BushBank program, restoring 20,000 hectares of private land and creating more than 100 jobs across Victoria.
The almost $31 million investment will revegetate and restore our precious biodiversity with millions of trees and shrubs, delivering unique habitats for Victorian wildlife and storing more than 4.5 million tonnes of carbon thanks to the program – integral to Victoria reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
This will generate new opportunities for regional communities and income streams for landowners, driving investment from emerging carbon markets, supporting biodiversity and creating jobs.
BushBank will also include an initial $7 million in grants available to Traditional Owner Corporations to lead restoration on Country.
The program supports Aboriginal self-determination with opportunities for Traditional Owners to identify priority values and locations for restoration, pursue training and capacity building opportunities, investigate new emissions reduction methodologies for cultural practices, and seek out natural-resource related economic opportunities.