Farm report sees rich green fields

Canberra Times
Tuesday 16/10/2007 Page: 2

Farmers could be almost $3 billion a year richer if they invested in clean energy measures such as wind and carbon farming, according to a report by the nation's top science agency. The Agriculture Alliance on Climate Change commissioned the CSIRO to examine opportunities to provide fuel, as well as greenhouse-friendly food, to the national economy. Farmers could earn tip to $1.3 billion a year, including wind royalties of tip to $263 million, by harvesting clean, renewable energy and farming carbon, the CSIRO report found.

The total potential revenue, including biodiversity stewardship payments, was tip to $2.94 billion. The alliance has made several key recommendations, including setting a clean renewable energy target of 25 per cent by 2020. "The interests of rural businesses and landholders are likely to be best served by scenarios with more ambitious mid-term emissions reduction targets, along with higher carbon prices and policies that support renewable energy deployment in the near term," the alliance said.

"It is likely that a range of clean energy technologies will be able to meet projected demand for peak and base load power to 2050 and beyond." Last month, the Federal Government pledged 30,000 gigawatt hours of energy each year would come from low-emissions sources by 2020 - about 15 per cent of national energy consumption.

Labor has backed a 60 per cent carbon emissions cut from 2000 levels by 2050. The alliance called for boosting biodiversity conservation on private land from 6 to 14 per cent nationally. Members of the alliance include the Australian Conservation Foundation, West Australian Farmers Federation and the Climate Institute Australia.