Local Biodiversity Strategy: - Shire of Kalamunda

11.9.5 Carbon Trading
There are other programs which may, in the future, help to reduce the threats to
biodiversity. Emissions trading using carbon credits as the basis for trading is aimed
at reducing the level of emissions from human activities to slow or reduce the rate of
climate change.
Emissions trading in Australia is currently in transition between a voluntary scheme
which has run for a number of years and mandatory, regulated trading in 2010.
One voluntary program is Landcare Australia’s CarbonSMART program. Through this
program farmers and landholders can earn money by planting and maintaining
vegetation for biodiversity. Individuals and businesses can then buy carbon credits
from these landholders. This program is currently run in NSW however Landcare are
looking to expand nationally once a national carbon trading system is initiated.
Planting cleared land with species local to the area will benefit natural areas by
reducing the threats from weeds and helping to buffer existing natural areas.
One current constraint on using biodiversity based revegetation for carbon credit
generation is the lack of knowledge about the carbon uptake of local endemic
species. Greening Australia and Carbon Neutral are initiating research in the South
West of WA, which may have benefits in helping identify carbon uptake rates
relevant to the Shire of Kalamunda.
11.10 Environmental Levy
Section 6.38 of the Local Government Act 1995 allows Councils to impose a service
charge on a landowner or occupier to meet the cost of providing a prescribed service
for the land. An opportunity exists for Council to consider introducing such a levy to
raise funds for environmental programs such as biodiversity conservation, acquisition
of assets and general management and improvement expenditures.
An example of a successful levy is the Bushland Preservation Levy introduced by the
City of Brisbane. The levy is $30 a year from each rateable property. The Council has
used funds from this levy to purchase and restore over 1600ha of natural bushland.
Other Councils have used different approaches to calculate the amount and focus of
such levies. The common factors where levies have been used successfully are:
• Community consultation to determine whether such a mechanism would have
community support;
• Community involvement in developing the priorities, scope and amount for
any levy;
• Clear and visible public reporting on funds raised, expenditure and outcomes
achieved;
• Feasibility study identifying the mechanism suitable for the purpose and the
Council’s rates base; and
• Regular review.
The introduction of an environmental levy to fund biodiversity conservation initiatives
should be investigated by the Shire. Community consultation will be required in order
Local Biodiversity Strategy Page 87