Landowners are urged to understand their carbon impact through an initiative by the Tasmanian Government, investing in the state’s forestry sector via a new digital portal.
Felix Ellis, the Minister for Resources, highlighted that the Farm Forestry Carbon Tool and Workforce Development Portal is crucial for fostering forestry expansion. The Tasmanian Government has allocated $300,000 to support the creation of various tools under the Forest Industry Workforce Development and Implementation Plan, to maintain a skilled forest and wood processing workforce in the future.
The Carbon Farm Forestry Tool, a collaborative effort between the Tasmania Forestry Hub and Private Forests Tasmania, enables farmers to assess their carbon impact and explore tree offset opportunities. Minister Ellis expressed the tool’s intention to “encourage landowners to plant more trees on their properties” and “support farmers as they start conversations and planning about carbon neutrality on their farms.”
Developed by Tasmanian tech firm Indicium Dynamics, this tool is a world first and can be accessed on the Private Forestry Tasmania website.
The tool, available for beta testing since January is the latest in big data initiatives as forestry progressively turns to big data for carbon capture monitoring. Recently, Wood Central reported the launch of Collective Crunch, a new AI tool that tracks carbon and biodiversity near-real-time.
How It Works
The Carbon Farm Forestry Tool uses algorithms and data sources to deliver accurate carbon impact estimations for landowners. Users enter essential information like land size, tree species, planting density, and the age of existing trees. The tool processes this data and local environmental factors, such as climate, soil type, and topography, to generate a detailed carbon sequestration analysis. This analysis estimates the carbon stored in the user’s trees and the potential carbon sequestration through future tree planting efforts. By providing personalized insights into carbon offset opportunities, the tool empowers landowners to make informed decisions about adopting sustainable forestry practices and striving for carbon neutrality on their farms.
Additionally, the Workforce Development Portal allows forest industry employers to easily access employment, training, and apprenticeship information, promoting career development. The portal is also open to the public, providing insights into training requirements, career pathways, and the state’s forest industry.
Over the next two years, the Tasmanian Training and Skills Development Service will implement and support the project. The service receives funding from the Australian and Tasmanian Governments to assist in rebuilding and upskilling the state’s forest and timber industry.
