On The Land
5 July, 2025
Millions awarded to restore land
LAND restoration projects on the Tablelands have attracted millions of dollars in funding from the State Government.
In total, eight new projects received more than $18 million from the Land Restoration Fund, all generating Australian Carbon Credit Units in addition to delivering environmental outcomes, including improved water quality for the Great Barrier Reef and the protection of threatened species and ecosystems.
Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said the projects would prevent more than 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.
“The Land Restoration Fund is one of a suite of government programs providing financial rewards to farmers and landholders who sustainably manage their natural assets,” he said.
“Land Restoration Fund projects also support training opportunities and jobs for local communities, such as plant operators, project managers, scientists and ecologists, and roles on Country for Indigenous Rangers.
“With the projects running over many years – ranging from five to 16 years – they are set to have a long-term positive impact on communities.”
The three projects funded on the Tablelands are all over the next 16 years:
$1.9 million for the rainforest restoration to join World-Heritage listed Maalan and Wooroonooran National Parks, which is a collaboration between the Queensland Government and South Endeavour Trust.
The project will replant 35 hectares of endangered high-altitude rainforest on the Atherton Tablelands to create a wildlife corridor between the Maalan and Wooroonooran National Parks, benefiting threatened and near threatened species, restoring riparian vegetation within the Great Barrier Reef catchment, and providing jobs for First Nations people.
$1.224 million for the restoration of high-altitude cloud forest for threatened species and connectivity. The Atherton Tablelands project is a collaboration between the Queensland Government and the Wintergreen Capital Trust.
It aims to restore full rainforest cover in the Upper Barron by closing two gaps in a large contiguous area of high-altitude rainforest. The project will benefit threatened and near-threatened species, restore riparian vegetation within the Great Barrier Reef catchment, and provide jobs for First Nations people.
$1.4 million for the rainforest restoration to part complete a corridor between Tumoulin and Maalan National Parks project which is a collaboration between the Queensland Government and Emerald Forest Land Pty Limited as trustee for the Emerald Forest Land Trust.
The project aims to contribute to the restoration of a priority wildlife corridor between Tumoulin and Maalan National Parks on the Southern Atherton Tablelands. This will involve the planting of 75,000 trees over 22 hectares of historically cleared rainforest.
The project will benefit a range of threatened species including cassowary, Spotted-tail Quoll, Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, and a number of threatened rainforest frog species.
