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Media Release: Kilter Rural awarded for excellence in impact investing

Kilter Rural’s strategic approach to managing Australian farmland, water and ecosystem services has been acknowledged as ‘Impact Asset Manager of the Year’ at the 2019 Australian Impact Investment Awards.

The awards were announced at the Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific in Sydney last night. They recognise outstanding activity and individuals in the Australian impact investing ecosystem.

Kilter Rural manages a portfolio of assets valued at more than A$0.5billion. Its innovative capital allocation model for real asset investment seeks to deliver long-term financial returns through efficient use of scarce land and water assets underpinned by large scale ecosystem protection. Kilter Rural manages four investments:

  • The VicSuper Future Farming Landscape Investment mandate
  • The Murray-Darling Basin Balanced Water Fund
  • Kilter Water Fund, and
  • Australian Farmlands Fund
“We are honoured to be recognised in the awards. Since 2004, Kiter Rural has challenged the historic divergent view of natural capital as only useful to people in a mutually exclusive manner, either for food/fibre production or environmental protection,” says Kilter Rural CEO, Cullen Gunn.
“Large-scale vegetation clearing over 200 years has delivered legacy impacts that are still playing out, manifested by species decline and extinction, significant soil and water degradation and contributing to climate change by extinguishing a large proportion of natural carbon sinks.
"We consider the scale and extent of issues facing Australia’s (and the worlds) natural assets as a fundamental opportunity. The scope for new large-scale systems of capital allocation in landscape regeneration and ecosystem repair can deliver products and services that drive profitability and establish a long-term competitive position.”

Through delivery of FFL in the past 14 years, Kilter Rural has proven that balancing agricultural production with environmental protection delivers sustained returns to investors with reduced risk. It actively reports on natural asset condition, using the Accounting for Nature Framework, an independent methodology developed by the Australian-based Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

This scientific review of environmental indicators makes Kilter Rural the first corporate landscape manager to have accounts independently accredited in Australia.

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Background on Kilter Rural:

Kilter Rural manages about 11,000ha of irrigation landscape and 100GL of water entitlements. Managed landscapes transformation activities in the past decade have included:

  • More than 4000ha of landscape redeveloped for high-efficiency irrigation including sub-surface drip tape, automated gravity and overhead spray irrigation systems
  • 1000ha certified for organic crop production
  • 4860ha utilised for environmental protection with cell grazing (sheep)
  • More than 100,000 seedlings successfully established for deep-drainage and greenhouse gas emissions control
  • More than 1030km of native vegetation direct seeding with 415ha covenanted for protection in perpetuity.

Kilter Rural CEO Cullen Gunn and CIO Euan Friday are available for interview. For further information or to arrange an interview contact: Marina Williams, Communications and Investor Relations Manager, mwilliams@kilterrural.com, 0411 093 203.

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