NSW introduces free BioSMART tool to facilitate investment in the state's bioeconomy

The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have unveiled a new digital tool aimed at bolstering investment in the burgeoning bioeconomy sector.

Funded under the NSW DPI Climate Change Research Strategy, NSW BioSMART draws upon biomass data derived from the Australian Biomass for Bioenergy Assessment spatial data, supplemented by other spatial data sources identifying lands suitable for woody biomass crop plantings.

Biomass, an organic material with multifaceted utility, holds promise as a renewable energy source.

As Dr. Fabiano Ximenes, Senior Research Scientist in Forest Science at DPI, explains, "The development of a bioeconomy sector is an important contributor to emissions reductions and to the creation of new sustainable energy sources."

“However NSW is well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities in this emerging sector - there are large volumes of underutilised biomass resources that this tool will help investors identify and harness."

“There are also significant opportunities for growing biomass crops, such as native woody crops, which include fast growing eucalypts, mallees and acacias."

“By planting native woody crops on marginal land, NSW landholders have the opportunity to contribute to climate mitigation outcomes while earning extra income from low value land and supporting the development of regional economies,” says Dr Ximenes. “These crops can also help with water quality and soil nutrition, and they are often very water efficient and fast growing."

“A better understanding of the potential spatial availability of this resource is essential for project developers, and also allows policy makers and academics to simulate a range of utilisation scenarios for NSW.”

For further information about the BioSmart tool, visit the DPI website here.