Hon. Moermond questions the Minister for Agriculture and Food about the role of industrial hemp in the Cook government's carbon sequestration strategy and funding priorities, given its high CO2 absorption rate. The Minister responds that hemp is not an eligible activity under the ACCU scheme.

AnsweredQoN 171Legislative Council
Asked
14 March 2024
Portfolio
Agriculture and Food

QuestionView source ↗

INDUSTRIAL HEMP
171. Hon SOPHIA MOERMOND to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I refer to the announcement of a third
round of funding by the Cook government of $2.77 million for the carbon farming and land restoration program aimed at
futureproofing Western Australia's vital agriculture industry through carbon farming. Considering that industrial hemp has been scientifically proven
to absorb more CO 2 per hectare than any forest or commercial crop
and is therefore the ideal carbon sink, I ask the following.
(1) What role does the Cook
government see hemp playing in its carbon sequestration strategy?
(2) To what
extent will projects involving hemp farming be considered and prioritised in
this funding round?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
carbon farming and land restoration program supports carbon farming projects
that use at least one eligible carbon farming method under the Australian
government's Australian Carbon Credit Unit scheme. Hemp is not an
eligible sequestration activity under the ACCU scheme.

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