As established farmers in the Western Division on NSW, Terry and Denise Dunne say that carbon farming has been a fantastic boost for the region, only wishing that it had come in earlier.

By committing to maintain and protect close to 6,000ha of native forest that was earmarked for clearing, the Dunne’s have been able to undertake improvements on the station that would not have been possible for at least a generation.

They were able to get through the historic drought without grants and brought their stock through in a healthy state.

Much of the carbon money has also flowed through to the local economy, with the Dunne’s hiring a raft of local contractors over the years, creating jobs that wouldn’t have existed without the project.

Besides the financial and environmental benefits, one of the lasting impacts of the Dunne’s project has been to set things up for the next generation.

“The station is in the best state it’s ever been,” they said. “Everything is good to go, so anyone coming on now doesn’t have to worry about legacy issues”.