Everlasting Swamp Blue Carbon Demonstration Project
CLIENT:
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
INDUSTRY:
Renewables — including Battery Energy Storage, Water and Hydro
Project Details
Everlasting Swamp National Park (NP) and State Conservation Area (SCA) cover 2,231 hectares in northern New South Wales and are part of the traditional lands of the Yaegl and Bandjalang people.
Historically modified for agriculture; drainage infrastructure has altered the wetland’s natural water flow, impacting vegetation and ecosystem health. Since 2014, the NSW Government has acquired over 80% of the wetland for conservation.
To restore natural tidal flows and rehabilitate wetland ecosystems, the site has been selected for a blue carbon demonstration project under the NSW Blue Carbon Strategy 2022-2027. Blue carbon projects restore coastal wetlands—such as mangroves and saltmarsh—to sequester carbon and generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) under the Commonwealth ACCU Scheme.
The project has highlighted the necessity for effective stakeholder management and community engagement activities to build on existing engagement from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
Element Engagement
Element’s engagement included:
Element was engaged to lead the strategy and execution of expanding existing engagement to inform the breadth of stakeholders on the proposed benefits of the restoration project, and potential blue carbon exploration.
The aim is to achieve support – in principle – to the engagement of the land within areas of the Everlasting Swamp for habitat restoration and to be considered for the sequestration of carbon via increased volume / presence of estuarine vegetation such as mangrove, saltmarsh, mudflats, and potentially seagrass.
Project Achievements
Element continues to work with the project team as the project continues. This includes having executed two face-to-face community events onsite, doorknocking in the local area, managing surveys and project documentation.
