Funding to help deliver more trees and ongoing environmental benefits

Published on 31 August 2026

Nearly 18,000 new trees will be planted across Moyne Shire after Council endorsed more than $55,000 in funding through its 2026-27 Council Community Carbon Offset Program (C3OP).

Two community organisations will share $2,990 through the public land component, while 17 private landholders will receive a combined $52,662 to establish indigenous vegetation plantings on their properties.

The successful projects include revegetation works on both public and private land across communities including Panmure, Wangoom, Woolsthorpe, Nirranda, Mortlake, Koroit and Port Fairy.

Mayor Cr Jordan Lockett said the program continued to deliver environmental benefits while empowering local communities to take practical climate action.

“The projects supported this year are expected to capture the equivalent of approximately 3,587 tonnes of carbon dioxide over their lifespan, roughly the same as taking 780 cars off the road for a year,” he said.

“This is a really simple but effective way Council can work with the community to create positive and lasting benefits for our environment. “Beyond the environmental benefits, revegetation projects can improve farm resilience by providing shelter for stock, reducing erosion, improving soil health and boosting farm productivity.”

Cr Lockett said Since the program began in 2010, more than 138,000 trees have been planted across public and private land throughout Moyne Shire, helping to improve biodiversity and create wildlife habitat.

“This program has delivered significant benefits that will last for generations, and I'm proud that Council continues to work alongside the community to deliver these projects,” he said.

“Nelson Henderson said ‘The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit’. This program is the perfect reflection of that."

The Council Community Carbon Offset Program was established in 2010 to offset emissions from Council's light vehicle fleet through community tree planting projects. In 2021, it was expanded to include private land projects in response to Council's Climate Emergency Declaration. Council's Environmental Sustainability Strategy identifies the C3OP as a key action to offset vehicle emissions and support biodiversity outcomes across the municipality.