Oscar nominees are set to receive 1 sq metre of land in outback Australia in their gift bags this year, but green organisations have questioned the environmental mission of the company whose property they say is in the heart of a coal seam gas field.
Pieces of Australia is one of a number of brands to pay $4,000 to secure a spot in the hamper that is unaffiliated with the Academy but sent by the company Distinctive Assets to the acting and directing nominees.
The goodie bag will include Pieces of Australia’s “Aussie Mate Conservation Packs”, which offer a dedicated 1 sq metre of land on its “Envirocean Estate” in the Western Downs region of Queensland.
It describes it as a “flagship piece of Australian native land that we are proud to own and preserve”.
The land parcels all come with a “certificate of land licence”, but the terms and conditions go on to state that “you have purchased a symbolic souvenir … of the land” and people who own a “pack” may not “take possession of the parcel; use the parcel; enter upon the parcel and/or the land without the licensor’s express written consent”.
The Aussie Mate pack is the most basic package the company offers, starting at $79.95 for 1 sq metre, with other pack categories offering up to 10 sq metres for $199.95 in the “Ultimate Bush Rangers Pack”.
On Pieces of Australia’s website, the coordinates listed lead to a property at 253 Happiness Road, Tara, which was last sold in October 2021 for $35,000.
The Australian Conservation Foundation’s lead investigator, Annica Schoo, said the location described “is in the heart of the Condabri coal seam gas field”.
“The company states that it preserves land from development and is pursuing carbon sequestration opportunities through the [emissions reduction fund]. The available evidence suggests the land in question is being exploited for coal seam gas,” Schoo said.
Realestate.com.au listed the lot size at 121,774 sq metres, meaning the profits generated could be close to $2.5m if every sq km was sold.
The company Envirocean Pty Ltd, which controls the trading name Pieces of Australia, was registered in May 2022 to 29-year-old business developer Niels Chaneliere at an address in Bondi Beach.
Chaneliere said the land was ecological healthy Australian sub-tropical forest. The local council had provided him with a list of native species in the area, including koala, kangaroos, wallabies, birds, echidnas and red belly black snakes, he said.
On its website, Pieces of Australia acknowledges the Aboriginal people of the Baruŋgam nation as the traditional custodians and owners of the land.
Chaneliere said he has yet to make contact with the traditional owners but has reached out to the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network (ICIN), who is yet to reply.
In a statement issued on Friday, ICIN said it was not aware of any approach from Chaneliere or Pieces of Australia. It also stated it had “no connection whatsoever to Pascha Pty Ltd, Envirocean, Distinctive Assets or the brands referred to in connection to the Oscars ‘goodie bag’ – including Pieces of Australia or the Aussie Mate Conservation Pack.”
Lash Fary, the founder of Distinctive Assets, said when the Oscars goodie bags last year gave plots of Scottish land from highland titles, which made each recipient a lord or lady, “it was a big hit and very well received, especially by the media”.
“Based on the massive press exposure, we were approached by Pieces of Australia about their unique ‘Aussie Mate’ program,” Fary said.
“We thought it was a unique and fun gift and also loved the company’s intention of making a positive environmental impact, so it was an easy yes for us,” she said.
The company states two trees will be planted with every order through one of its partners, as part of its mission “to contribute to the preservation and protection of native and underdeveloped Australian land from being exploited”.
The company’s website shows the registered charity ReForest Now as the sole partner.
Kallen Marecic from ReForest Now said Pieces of Australia is a new partner and has committed to funding the planting of 20 native rainforest trees in northern NSW every month.
Marecic confirmed Pieces of Australia had donated more than $400 to date to ReForest Now, with its first trees expected to be planted this week.
Chaneliere said the company is “for-profit but with an impact that gives back to non-profit”.
A title search of the “Envirocean Estate” in Queensland confirms the parcel of land is owned by a vehicle called Pascha Pty Ltd.
Pascha Pty Ltd shares the same address as Envirocean and also lists Chaneliere family members as directors.
Chaneliere said there is a commercial lease agreement between the trust fund and his company so that the company will eventually buy back the land in its entirety.
Schoo said Pascha Pty Ltd is a family company in NSW, which from publicly available information, “appears to have experience in industrial baking, homewares and marketing, not conservation”.
“Anyone who cares about nature conservation and is considering engaging with Pieces of Australia should do some research and assess for themselves whether this is a good use of their money,” Schoo said.
“As the government continues to create markets in carbon and biodiversity, we are likely to see more and more companies making claims about purported gains for nature and the climate.
The Wilderness Society manager of policy and strategy, Tim Beshara, was also sceptical about the impact the company’s packs can have given the scale of Australia’s environmental challenges.
“In Queensland alone, about half a million hectares of bushland are bulldozed every year. And overall, the conservation and restoration task is better represented in millions of sq km rather than in hectares or sq metres,” Beshara said.
“This really highlights that the scale of Australia’s environmental challenges can’t be solved without major investment from government. But for too long the Australian government has been holding back their investment in nature in the hope that philanthropy or a voluntary nature repair market will save us, and this really shows how fanciful that notion is.”
The conservation packs also include a digital handbook that includes information about “Australia’s current environmental issues, the local wildlife and fauna specific to the area, Aboriginal traditional land management & care”.
Chaneliere said $5 per order was also donated to a koala conservation organisation.
Its website outlines a “development roadmap” that includes buying more land around Australia and installing webcams and audio equipment across the estate “to heighten the engagement for members who purchase Pieces of Australia … This deepens your connection with the land.”
The roadmap also states “in line with the Australian emissions reduction fund, we are looking into creating carbon sequestration projects to further assist reducing carbon dioxide in the air by reforesting cleared land”.
Pieces of Australia was contacted for comment.
• This story was updated on 10 March 2023 to add a statement from the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network (ICAN). ICIN refute that Pieces of Australia contacted it and say they have no affiliation with the organisation.
• Additional reporting by Sian Cain and Jonathan Barrett.
