KOALA FRIENDLY CARBON INITIATIVE: A WIN-WIN FOR PRIVATE LANDHOLDERS AND WILDLIFE

CYCLONE UPDATE: Sadly, Steve and Lyn's property was heavily impacted by Cyclone Alfred in March 2025 and it's estimated that many plantings were lost. WWF-Australia is working with Steve and Lyn to replant the trees that were impacted. With worsening climate change comes more severe weather events, which is just another reason why programs like the Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative are more important than ever. The replanted trees on Steve and Lyn's property, once established, will help to sequester carbon, as well as stabilise the soil and lessen the effects of future flooding and rainfall events."

WWF-Australia, Climate Friendly and private landholders are working together to restore critical koala habitat and reduce carbon emissions as part of a world-first initiative.

In Swan Bay, near Evans Head in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Lyn Thomson and Steve Posselt pause to admire their land. It’s a stunning morning as the sun glistens through the rain clouds over the green floodplain and newly planted koala feed trees. 

When the couple first bought the property, it was mostly cleared of trees and contained only an industrial shed with a dirt floor. But, in just a few short years, they’ve turned it into a home and started transforming the land into habitat for koalas. 

Steve and Lyn are creating this habitat as part of WWF-Australia’s Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative, a program that aims to use the planting of native trees to safely store carbon dioxide and provide more food and shelter for koalas in areas where koala trees have been removed. 

It’s a win for not only koalas and the wider environment but also for landholders like Steve and Lyn, who are able to earn income from the sale of carbon credits (symbolic products that groups or organisations purchase to offset their production of carbon emissions by funding projects that work to reduce emissions elsewhere).

This is just the beginning of an exciting initiative that could see more than 10,000 hectares of koala habitat revegetated across Australia, helping to protect this iconic and endangered species.  

Transforming sugar cane property at Swan Bay

Lyn and Steve bought the 110-acre former sugar cane property back in 2021. 

But it wasn’t long before they witnessed first-hand the impacts of climate change. The Northern Rivers region was devastated by catastrophic flooding. 

Although part of their land was inundated, they were spared from the worst of the impacts. But many friends and neighbours weren’t so fortunate.

This was part of the catalyst for wanting to do something positive with their land.

Lyn and Steve wanted to bring the property back to its original condition by creating a functioning ecosystem and animal habitat.

“Since we've moved here, I think especially for both of us, it's been a huge focus that what we can do here is to help the world,” says Lyn. “Not just to make life comfortable for us, but for the koalas and the other animals.” 

The couple heard about the Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative on the radio. It immediately sparked their interest. 

“I thought, wow, wouldn't it be amazing that in our lifetime we'd be able to get that many trees on the property and maybe create a habitat – a really amazing habitat for the koalas and all the other animals and the birds.”

So, they signed up to participate in Pilot 2 of the Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative.

A first-of-its-kind carbon credit project to restore koala habitat

The Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative is a groundbreaking carbon program that helps restore koala habitat by working with landholders to plant trees. It’s a collaboration between WWF-Australia and Climate Friendly, proudly supported by the NSW Government and corporate donors including HP Inc. 

WWF-Australia delivers the planting of climate-resilient trees that mimic the original habitat on private property, and landholders receive income from carbon credits. More than 250,000 trees have already been planted as part of the program.

So, what sets it apart from other tree planting and carbon farming programs? 

Tanya Pritchard, Senior Manager of Koala Recovery and Landscape Restoration at WWF-Australia, says it includes the creation of a high-integrity carbon credit. This means the program and credits are backed by rigorous conservation science that goes above and beyond standard environmental planting carbon project requirements. 

“The Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative is probably one of the highest integrity carbon projects that the world has seen, and this is because we are using really high-integrity planting design to ensure that it's climate resilient and matches the land type,” says Tanya.

High-integrity planting design refers to how WWF-Australia chooses plants that are native and suited to the conditions of the region, meaning every tree that is planted serves a vital purpose within the landscape.

“We're doing this through restoring landscapes to the absolute highest integrity. This means ensuring that we monitor the impact of these projects.”

The carbon credit is certified by Accounting for Nature, an environmental accounting framework, and assured by WWF-Australia. WWF-Australia’s biodiversity staff also visit the sites to monitor and measure the biodiversity benefits. 

Working together with private landholders

Ben Herington, WWF-Australia’s Restoration Project Specialist, is one of the staff working on the project. 

“It's essential to us as a team that the project we implement on the ground is aligned with everything that a private landholder would like to see happen on their property,” explains Ben. 

“We work very closely with them throughout the whole planning process, right from the initial conversations all the way through to putting the trees in the ground and then maintaining the trees on their property.” 

Aside from improving biodiversity and habitat, there are also other environmental benefits of tree planting, for example, improving soil retention during flood events. 

When combined with the economic benefits, it just makes sense for landholders.

“It's not just environmental outcomes. We're also seeing financial outcomes with a revenue stream going back to the landholder.” 

“Hopefully, the community will benefit, as well as the landholders. We should see some climate resilience built into some of these landscapes, especially these agricultural landscapes.”

Creating an ecosystem at Banyula Farm 

Further north, Banyula Farm, near Clunes in the Northern Rivers region, has been part of the program for over two years.  

As one of five properties involved in Pilot 1, the trees planted on the farm have now grown up to six metres high and support a variety of native bird and insect species. 

Matt Bleakley, Director of Banyula Farm, says they’ve worked closely with WWF-Australia and have been impressed with the positive results. 

“From the very outset, we spent a lot of time with the WWF crew understanding what would be the most appropriate land, and then what would be the most appropriate plantings on those different lands,” says Matt. 

“It's very much an operating farm, but the idea is to build an ecosystem where the environment is just as well cared for as every other part of the business.” 

“Some of the changes have been incredible. There are nearly 30 varieties of trees that were planted.” 

Restoring habitat for koalas to thrive into the future

The reality is that koalas are on a rapid path towards extinction by 2050 if Australia doesn’t act urgently. That’s why the Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative is so vital. 

“Across the east coast of Australia, over 50% of koala habitat is actually on private land,” says Tanya. “So, it's essential that we work with private landholders to restore these landscapes.”

“It's really important that we both halt clearing and urgently restore those areas where we know koalas will come back and thrive.” 

Private landholders like Lyn and Steve at Swan Bay share this vision and take great pride in their efforts to help grow a future where koalas can not only survive but thrive.

“We sit out on our deck in the morning and look out there, and we keep saying we just can't wait. We look out here and see trees and birds, and one day, koalas in the trees.” 

“It just makes your heart feel amazing to think that we could bring this property back to something like that. It would just be magic.”

Want to generate carbon credits on your property while helping restore vital koala habitat? Together, we can restore 10,000 hectares of koala habitat in eastern Australia over the next 10 years.