NESP TWQ Round 4 - Project 4.10 – Evaluating the costs and benefits of agricultural land conversion to wetlands
Government (e.g. Major Integrated Projects, MIPs) and private investors (e.g. Kilter Rural Group, WWF, and Greening Australia) are increasingly interested in nitrogen reduction projects, particularly via conversion of land to wetlands. Investing in such projects requires understanding the environmental benefits to be accrued and cost-effectiveness. The best way to provide these data is to evaluate already constructed land-wetland conversion sites that resemble what future projects might look like. This project will collect data from previously completed land-wetland conversion sites, on construction and ongoing maintenance costs, and the water quality and biodiversity benefits. In doing so it will provide explicit data for government and private investors to make informed decisions on future investments of this kind.