Rejuvenation Trees
HEALING COUNTRY TOGETHER
About the Rejuvenation Fund
The Rejuvenation Fund is a new model that facilitates First Nations-led land ownership and stewardship, so that Traditional Custodians can heal Country together and create sustainable livelihoods.
Native Title vs Land Ownership
There are currently very limited options in Australia for First Nations groups to purchase, fund and manage freehold land in Australia.
Whilst native title recognises pre-existing land rights specific to traditional laws and customs, they can be limited or terminated.
Whereas land ownership is a legal right and provides security of the asset, continued access to country and real pathways for income generation and self-determination.
As such, land ownership is central to genuine First Nations self-determination. This is the premise through which the Rejuvenation Fund was born.
Rejuvenation Fund
The Rejuvenation Fund (The Fund) is the mechanism through which money is loaned to First Nations groups, enabling land to be purchased within the short timeframe required for sale.
The Fund is comprised of impact investors and philanthropists who prioritise supporting programs with significant environmental and social outcomes. The Fund supports projects with a higher risk profile or lower return, that may not qualify for a traditional bank loan.
The current focus is to increase the value of The Fund. This will allow transactions to be expedited once First Nations groups identify viable land or businesses for sale, and the due diligence phase is complete.
Rejuvenation Projects
Rejuvenation Projects can come in many forms with differing impacts and outcomes, as instigated by First Nations Communities.
Environmental outcomes:
Tree planting
Seed saving
Mobile healthcare
Ranger programs
Carbon sequestration
Land regeneration
Ecosystem recovery
Social outcomes:
Secure housing on Country
Ranger employment
Rejuvenation Trees, our first project example
Rejuvenation Trees are sold to values-aligned partners to be planted on country.
Profits from Rejuvenation Trees repay the loan and support other priority programs for the community.
In time, Rejuvenation Trees generate further income when sold as carbon credits (10+ years).
How Rejuvenation Trees supports the program
Loans made by the Rejuvenation Fund are repaid to investors within the agreed timeline, which is often sooner than income from carbon planting programs can be realised.
To shoulder this gap and provide a pathway for landscape restoration, on-Country employment and other social determinants, Rejuvenation Projects are established and Rejuvenation Trees are sold.
