Lower Hunter Recycled Water Initiative - Tree Planting for Carbon Offset

Lower Hunter Recycled Water Initiative - Tree Planting for Carbon Offset is an environmental planting project located across multiple sites in the Lower Hunter region of New South Wales. The project, registered in October 2013, covers a total area of approximately 256 hectares. The planting sites are dispersed, with coordinates indicating locations near Gloucester (roughly 80km north of Newcastle) and Raymond Terrace (approximately 25km north of Newcastle).

The project operates under the "Quantifying Carbon Sequestration by Permanent Environmental Plantings of Native Tree Species" methodology (2012). This involves establishing permanent native forests on land that had been cleared of forest for at least five years prior to the project's commencement, typically land previously used for agriculture. The methodology requires the use of the CFI Reforestation Modelling Tool to calculate carbon abatement.

The Lower Hunter and Gloucester regions are generally known for cattle grazing, poultry farming, and timber industries. The environment typically features podzolic soils and clays, with alluvial soils in river valleys. While the Clean Energy Regulator's project description notes the area "receives no more than 600mm average annual rainfall" and mentions "Mallee tree species," this contrasts with the typical climate of the Lower Hunter and Gloucester valleys, which usually record higher annual rainfall (often exceeding 900mm). It is possible the project description in the registry uses standardized text for specific dryland planting parameters or targets specific micro-climates within the catchment.

Hunter Water Corporation initiated this project to offset energy emissions associated with its water recycling infrastructure. According to project partners Eco Logical Australia, the initiative involved planting over 100,000 native trees. These plantings not only sequester carbon but also provide co-benefits such as improved catchment stability, weed reduction, and the creation of wildlife corridors in the Hunter Water catchment area.