Media Release: RegenWA launches new phase of Natural Capital Accounting, turning insight into impact

Media Release

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RegenWA has recently launched ‘Advancing Natural Capital Accounting,’ a two-year project designed to deliver measurable shifts in how the WA agricultural industry engages with natural capital. This project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.

Building upon Perth NRM’s foundational Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) project (2020-2024), this second iteration will move beyond the initial baselining of 20 farms to deliver crucial follow-up assessments at five farms, elevating NCA from insightful to impactful in the process.

To augment baseline and follow-up NCA metrics (rapid soil health, chemical composition, ecological surveys, and yield data), additional assessments will be conducted:

• Environmental DNA (eDNA) fauna surveys
• Biological soil functionality tests
• Water quality surveys
• Fire suppression and acceleration assessments (supported by funding through Perth NRM’s Advancing Natural Capital Accounting project, delivered in collaboration with NRM Regions Australia with the support of the Minderoo Foundation.)

Using real-time data and individual farm contexts, two practical planning frameworks (LEAFlets) will be delivered. These will provide farmers with actionable roadmaps and funding pathways to improve their natural capital, while directly integrating these new farm plans with their existing budgets. NCA reports and LEAFlets will be made publicly available, and opportunities for industry engagement via events and online resources will be extensive.

By integrating critical new metrics and methods, this project will more accurately capture ecological processes on farms and their relationships to production, instilling confidence across supply chains and financial sectors that valuing natural capital mitigates risk and improves resilience.

Ultimately, the project aims to cultivate an industry-wide willingness to adopt and incentivise nature-based solutions.

Key project partners include Integrated Futures, Curtin University eDNA Frontiers, GreenMate Agriculture, Richard Brake Consulting, and Contour Environmental and Agricultural Consulting.

The RegenWA team regularly speaks on our project initiatives and the fundamentals of natural capital. For media enquiries or to invite us to present at your next event, please contact carrie.taylor@perthnrm.com.

Project updates and event announcement can be found via RegenWA’s website, newsletter, and social media.