An insight into South Pole’s EcoAustralia program and how it permanently protects Australian biodiversity

Mere kilometres from Victoria’s famous Great Ocean Road is South Pole’s first biodiversity project, the Lavers Hill Conservation Project. The site is a modest pocket of incredibly dense old-growth rainforest – 36 hectares of pristine, undisturbed and ancient vegetation hidden away within the Otway Ranges. 

So undisturbed is this piece of land, that not a single exotic flora or pest species has been discovered in the three years of this project’s operation.

Dense vegetation above Chapple Creek running through the Lavers Hill project site (Photo: Cassinia Environmental, 2018)

Thanks to South Pole’s EcoAustralia program with project partners Cassinia Environmental, Lavers Hill is now protected in perpetuity, with a Trust for Nature conservation covenant on title that legally binds current and future landholders to manage the site for biodiversity conservation both now and into the future – and that’s great news for one very special, slimy little guy...

Recently, we spotted an Otway Black Snail (victaphanta compacta) on the Lavers Hill project site. These extremely rare snails are pretty unique – they are the only carnivorous snail species found in the Otway Ranges, feasting on other snails, slugs, earthworms and soft-bodied insect larvae for food. 

Otway Black Snails live from two to eight years and are endemic to the area, which means that the only place you’ll spot these little fellas is in the wet and cool rainforests of the Otway Ranges between Lavers Hill, Lorne and Gellibrand – a tiny area representing less than 0.5% of Victoria.

Timber harvesting, low rainfall years, fires and development are all threats to this rare and vulnerable gastropod – highlighting the importance of protecting areas of strategic habitat like the Lavers Hill project site.

An endangered Otway Black Snail sighted at South Pole’s Lavers Hill Conservation Project site. Photo credit: Cassinia Environmental, 2019.

How does EcoAustralia work, exactly? 

I’m glad you asked. Pioneered exclusively by South Pole and Cassinia Environmental, EcoAustralia credits are a unique, award-winning climate solution blending state government accredited biodiversity protection with carbon credits from international Gold Standard renewable energy projects – which also have local community benefits in their own right! 

EcoAustralia is a way for organisations to address their carbon footprint and make a tangible contribution to protecting and enhancing Australia’s biodiversity, while at the same time helping drive sustainable development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in emerging economies. And at about half the price of Australian carbon, EcoAustralia is a win-win carbon compensation solution for business and biodiversity! Read more on our EcoAustralia FAQs page.

It’s no surprise that the EcoAustralia Credits for the Lavers Hill Conservation Project sold out in under a year, but the contribution made by project supporters – which include a diverse mix of Victorian Government departments, universities, NGOs and corporates – is ongoing.

Thanks to the on-title conservation covenants for protection in perpetuity, Lavers Hill and our other EcoAustralia biodiversity project sites are improved, maintained and protected from commercial development forever. Trust For Nature also works actively with landholders to ensure they are well-equipped with the funds and services they need to protect their land.

If Lavers Hill is sold out, how can my business take part in EcoAustralia? 

We have two more biodiversity projects that we know you will love! Both the Mount Sandy Conservation and Myamyn Lowland Forest Conservation projects are available now with EcoAustralia and have their own stories to tell and unique places to protect…

If you want to join our EcoAustralia story, you can reach out to me (Rhyannon) directly over LinkedIn – or email the team at contact.australia@southpole.com to enquire about making a combined carbon and biodiversity purchase for your business or organisation today.

Reduce global emissions, restore biodiversity-rich land, and protect Australia’s wild places forever with EcoAustralia.