The Grazing Land Management (GLM) method, developed via a partnership between Verterra Ecological Engineering, AgriProve and GreenCollar for use under the Reef Credit Scheme, has been approved and released by Eco-Markets Australia.
“Improvements to grazing land management offer a range of productivity, environmental, and agribusiness benefits, which bring together the complementary goals of improved pasture for graziers and improved water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef,” said Verterra Ecological Engineering Managing Director, Glenn Dale. “The method represents a significant step in the development of ecosystem service markets in general, and the Reef Credit market in particular, by providing an auditable and verifiable means for landholders to improve their productivity while recognising and financially rewarding landholders for good land stewardship.”
The GLM method quantifies and values the reduction in sediment losses resulting from improved grazing land practices that are above the regulated minimums, aiming to incentivise graziers to achieve a high level of ground cover, before high intensity rainfall periods, to reduce sediment run-off onto the Reef.
Verterra Ecological Engineering, AgriProve and GreenCollar partnered to deliver this method to enable generation of revenue for graziers, that make changes to land management, which result in reduced flow of fine sediment through to the Great Barrier Reef, protecting one of the natural wonders of the world.
"By working together to create the GLM method, we hope to deliver future opportunities for more land managers to undertake projects and generate revenue from Reef Credits." GreenCollar CEO, James Schultz said. “GLM is another outcome-based method that will enable pollutant reductions to be achieved at scale and will complement the other Reef Credit methodologies to create a market-based solution to help address water quality in Reef catchment areas.”
"Importantly, the GLM method has been designed to complement and work alongside soil carbon projects, we hope to see application of the method result in maximised soil health benefits, boosting grazing productivity and sequestering carbon through whole of property management planning." AgriProve, Founder and Managing Director Matthew Warnken said.
“Eco-Markets Australia’s independent administration of the Reef Credit Scheme ensures that every methodology, including the GLM method experiences a thorough evaluation before being approved to generate Reef Credits,” says Eco-Markets Australia CEO Maree Adshead. “Our comprehensive evaluative process ensures that Reef Credits reflect measurable, verifiable reductions in fine sediment or dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) entering the Great Barrier Reef. This approach reinforces our commitment to ensuring transparency and trust in the market.”
Verterra Ecological Engineering has pioneered the method’s quantification approach and incorporated it within DROVER, an integrated property management and reporting toolkit.
“DROVER provides project proponents and owners with key insights into property condition. Additionally, quantifying the difference between historic and present-day sediment losses to the Reef through regular monitoring of ground cover change via remote sensing technology,” said Andrew Yates of Verterra Ecological Engineering. “DROVER aims to act as a decision support tool to enhance the grazing land management practices of landholders.”
Projects on any grazing land within the Great Barrier Reef catchments may be eligible to benefit. Further information about eligibility under the GLM Method for Reef Credits is available here.
Media contact: Daniel Wortmann M: +61 448 187 650 E: [email protected]