Falbala Returns to Eastern Maar: A Milestone in Land Justice and Carbon Farming

Carbon Neutral is proud to be working with Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC) on a landmark project at Falbala, a 252-hectare property at Beech Forest in the Otways.

On 3 August 2026, Traditional Owners gathered on Gadubanud Country to mark the formal return of the land from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) to EMAC; a moment more than four years in the making.

For the ILSC, this outcome is the clearest expression of their purpose: returning Country to Traditional Owners so it can be cared for and managed as they see fit. 

An independent land use study found the property’s steep terrain and wet climate weren’t suited to conventional farming, pointing instead towards ecological restoration and carbon farming as the more sustainable path forward.

That finding shaped EMAC’s approach: Falbala will become a site for cultural renewal, biodiversity recovery and carbon enterprise, guided by the organisation’s own Country Plan.

Work starts with an assessment of the land’s soil, water and wildlife, before revegetation ramps up. 20,000 native plants go in this year, with 100,000 more to follow in 2027.