9 December 2024
As a region that values our natural environment, there is a lot that our Southern Downs residents can do at home to proactively adopt measures to capture carbon and secure a sustainable and thriving future for our region.
Southern Downs Regional Council’s SDRC Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2031 provides a blueprint to guide our actions for improving the environmental sustainability for our region. One of the actions is to promote practices which increase the amount of carbon stored in soil and vegetation and reduce the environmental footprint of farming systems.
As the portfolio lead on climate and sustainability, Southern Downs Councillor Sarah Deane said we can all play a role in safeguarding the region’s healthy land and waterways.
“It’s important that we all consider effective and natural practices that enhance land sustainability in our daily lives,” Councillor Deane said.
“Simple acts around the house such as composting organic waste or using a mulching mower can contribute to increasing the amount of carbon stored in our soil.
“As a region prone to drought and heavily reliant on agriculture, returning organic matter to soil wherever possible improves soil health and encourages water retention, particularly during dry spells.”
The following simple actions at home can all contribute to capturing carbon:
• Plant trees: Add trees to your yard, school, neighbourhood or farm.
• Maintain biomass cover: Plant crops into the stubble of previous crops to keep carbon in the soil.
• Encourage dung beetles: Use fewer sprays on stock and pastures to help manure return to the soil.
• Join land care groups: Help propagate local tree species with groups like Condamine Headwaters Landcare and Granite Borders Landcare.
• Attend workshops: Participate in regenerative and carbon farming workshops or study grazing land management practices.
• Compost organic waste: Set up a compost system instead of burning waste or use paper and cardboard as weed suppression.
• Use a mulching mower: If you can’t compost lawn waste, a mulching mower can help return organic matter to the soil.
For more information on the good, the bad and the necessary of carbon, read Council’s factsheet.
Last edited date 09 Dec 2024