CO2 Australia - Wivenhoe Land Restoration Pilot.

Native Vegetation Asset Account.

Environmental Account: AU00001
Environmental Asset: Native Vegetation
Asset Account ID: AU00001V1
Registration date: 26 October 2020
Certification date: 29 September 2021
Certification level: Independent Audit
Purpose: Monitor and track improvement in biodiversity co-benefits
Current land use: Water catchment reserve
Area: 170 ha
Method: AfN-METHOD-NV-02

Technical Report

Asset Account snapshot.

Asset summary - baseline.

Asset statement.

26 October 2020 - Registration date
29 September 2021 - Certification date - Independent Audit
19 January 2023 - Annual Certification Compliance Report (ACCR)
Survival assessments of the planted trees were undertaken during October-November 2022 to calculate the area of environmental planting within the project areas in addition to the extent of impact (if any) of inundation of project areas from the filling of the Wivenhoe Dam that occurred during record flooding events in February/March and May 2022. The results of this field-based assessment identified some areas within the project accounting area that supported reduced survival of planted trees.
18 January 2024 - Annual Certification Compliance Report (ACCR)
No significant event or material change in land use was reported or identified.

Significant outcomes.

CO2 Australia is looking to regenerate seven planting areas surrounding Lake Wivenhoe. Currently, each of the planting areas is cleared of remnant vegetation; being dominated by pasture grasses associated with historical cattle grazing. The baseline Econd reflects this historical use. CO2 Australia’s environmental plantings aim to restore these areas; over the life of the project a substantial increase in the Econd® is expected as the area is returned to pre-clearing regional ecosystem vegetation communities.

Limitations & disclosures.

Composition (species richness) - Potential for false negatives in species richness assessments, referring to the potential for missing species (often cryptic) that were actually present but not encountered. The implication is to underrepresent the species richness attributes contributing to the Species Richness (composition) indicator.

Control to minimise identified limitation - The Native Vegetation Method outlines the recommended survey time to maximise opportunities to identify/differentiate flowering plants. Field-based assessments were undertaken during March 2020, consistent with the Native Vegetation Method, with greater than-average rainfall in the preceding two months likely to represent favourable conditions for field-based measurements.

Vegetation configuration - Potential subjectivity afforded by the manual designation of areas as a remnant (intact) vegetation and native regrowth vegetation.

Control to minimise identified limitation - The mapping of vegetation configuration categories (remnant and regrowth vegetation) was undertaken by combining the interrogation of Queensland Government RVMM, aerial imagery and field-based assessment to confirm the composition of vegetated areas within 1 km of each of the Econd sites.